Sportsland, Oregon: New Episode #26

In this week's episode, Derek Weber comes on to talk college football, with the Ducks and the Beavers opening their season this coming weekend. They also talk some Timbers with their season winding down, and of course have usual segments, including "This Week in Oregon Sports History," "What Plucks My Duck," and "What Eagers My Beaver." You can check the podcast out at blogtalkradio.com/oregonsportsradio or in the nifty player on the right.

This Better Work

Chip Kelly’s decision to go with Darron Thomas over Nate Costa at quarterback makes sense coming from a man known as a risk taker, but there may be one off-the-field risk he didn’t take into account when choosing his starter. Costa, a 5^th year senior who has fought back from injury over and over again, has more experience in the sense that he’s more familiar with the playbook, and was supposed to be the starter 2 years ago before hurting his knee. This in turn has earned familiarity and respect from his peers in the locker room. How much backlash could be coming from the upper classmen on the team over this decision to go with the inexperienced sophomore instead of Costa?

The Ducks Quarterback Controversy 2010 has been billed as experience vs. potential. If you want veteran leadership and in-depth knowledge of the playbook, you want Costa. If you want high-risk, high reward, big play potential, you want Thomas. Just think back to the big 4^th quarter explosion against Boise State two years ago, when Thomas went for 210 yards and 3 touchdowns in the period while almost rallying the Ducks back from a 19 point deficit. After it all played out and the announcement was made on Friday, I’m not sure it was that simple.

Chip Kelly has a “win-now” mentality. He realizes he has a very talented, experienced team (17 returning starters) that’s favored to win the Pac-10 this year. The potential future benefits of giving Thomas the reins speak for themselves. He could a 3 year starter, in the same mold of player as Dennis Dixon. Since Kelly only cares about the now, not the later, this means Thomas most likely won outright in the competition against Costa. He’s not in there for his potential. He’s in there because right now, he’s the better quarterback.

This drastically helps his case against any possible backlash. Even though an older player will have paid his dues, if the younger player is simply better, then he should be the one taking the field. Hopefully, most of the upperclassmen will realize this, despite any loyalty they may feel towards Costa.

The real problems will come to a head should Thomas flounder in any of the early games. The Ducks’ non-conference schedule could very well have them at 3-0 going into Pac-10 play. First up will be New Mexico, a seemingly simple Mountain West opponent that only won one game last year. Then the Ducks have to travel to Tennessee to take on the Volunteers in a very winnable matchup against an average SEC team. Then they wrap up the non-conference schedule back home against the lowly Portland State Vikings, a Big Sky team whose biggest news this offseason was that they were going back to their familiar green jerseys.

The Lobos and Vikings games should be cakewalks for Thomas and the Ducks. Any struggles he shows there should be red flags, and the concerned upperclassmen will have their concerns validated. Mark the Tennessee game as the first genuine litmus test of the Darren Thomas decision. An inexperienced, young, underclassman quarterback making his second career start on the road in the SEC will face a very uncomfortable situation at Neyland Stadium. If he’s successful, this will be a good sign for the Ducks. This year’s Vols team is of about the same quality as most other Pac-10 teams. If he struggles, expect to hear cries to bring on the Senior. Hopefully, for Thomas’, Kelly’s, and the Ducks’ sake, Thomas will not struggle early on, because locker room dissonance can only hurt the situation, especially during an in-season quarterback controversy.

Paradox In Eugene

Expectations are low for the Oregon football team. After an off season marred by numerous appearances on the police blotter, and a quarterback controversy with no real favorite, this team will be hard pressed to recreate last season’s success.

OR

Expectations are high for the reigning Pac-10 champs. The 11^th ranked team in the country returns 17 starters, including star running back LaMichael James, who set the conference rushing record for freshman with 1,546 yards last season.

Neither of these is wrong. In fact, both of these statements are completely true. This is the paradoxical state of Oregon Ducks football going into the 2010 season. Yes, there are questions at quarterback. But Nate Costa and Darron Thomas have the set of skills necessary to succeed within Chip Kelly’s system. Even though they don’t have much “experience,” they’ve both been there long enough that they’ll know what they need to do. Choosing Costa will give you the more “experienced” (older) player, and starting Thomas will get early reps for the “future” of the program.

Yes, they’ve had some issues with the law this past offseason. But many of those players are gone. Including star quarterback Jeremiah Masoli. Not everyone on the team ran into trouble. Senior tackle Bo Thran started a football camp run by Ducks players, among others, to benefit the victims of a horrible violent episode in Gresham. At worst, they’ve lost a potential Heisman trophy candidate in Masoli. At best, they’ve begun to clean up the program, and Chip Kelly shows he’ll treat everybody equally. These players are growing and maturing as a team, and the 17 returning starters have hopefully learned from their previous transgressions. Or at least James has.

Speaking of James, his 1,546 yards last year are nothing to brush off. But it’s safe to assume Pac-10 defenses will prepare accordingly. Once the situation at quarterback gets itself figured, then they’ll know how much of the load James will have to bear. Whether it’s Costa or Thomas, the load will be sizable either way, just slightly less sizable one way.

Finally, what can be made of the USA today ranking? Nothing anybody didn’t know already: The Ducks are probably the best team in a down year for the Pac-10. The only other Pac-10 team to make the top 25 was Oregon State at 22, but on the whole it wouldn’t be a big surprise to see any of these teams beat each in conference. Except for maybe Washington State. Where they’ll be when conference play starts at the end of September will hinge greatly on how well they pass the test against a feisty Volunteer team, at Tennessee on September 11^th. For now, 11^th best in the country with all of these questions looming in the air sounds about right.

Sportsland, Oregon: New Episode

As the summer winds down, teams begin to take the field in preparation for the upcoming football season. With the Beavers and Ducks opening up their football practices this week, Los and the guys jumped all over it. Predictions for both teams on everything from who should start at QB for the Ducks to Jacquizz Rodgers' Heisman chances as well as the rest of the Pac-10 flow like honeywater. Then of course congratulations are in order for the Timbers U-23's, the first ever perfect PDL Championship season. All that plus Blazers rumors and 'What Plucks My Duck.' You can listen on the nifty player to the right (Episode 23) or check out www.blogtalkradio.com/oregonsportsradio for the show page.