12/10/15 Emerald Media - Gameday Edition

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⚑ GAMEDAY

BACK TO THE ALAMO V

DO YOU REMEMBER IT? Oregon handily defeated unranked Texas

during the Lone Star State matchup in 2013. Now Oregon returns as an underdog to face No. 11 TCU in what’s certain to be highscoring affair.

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⚑ GAMEDAY HERE’S HOW OREGON AND TCU

STACK UP

➡ JUSTIN

WISE, @JUSTINFWISE

Prepare for the stat sheet to be full. At least, according to the way Oregon (9-3) and TCU (10-2) match up on paper, the Valero Alamo Bowl on Jan. 2 could potentially be the most offensively explosive game this upcoming bowl season. Featuring two teams that were ranked in the top 10 to begin the year but were plagued by injuries, Oregon and TCU both have offensive firepower matched by few teams in the nation. It may turn into a back-andforth matchup between signal callers.

TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin was a Heisman candidate all the way up until an injury hindered his output in the Horned Frogs’ final stretch of the season. As for the Ducks’ Vernon Adams Jr., all he did was dominate after returning from a broken index finger early in the season. With both healthy, and each defense finding its footing as the season closed, the matchup is one that TCU head coach Gary Patterson is viewing as if it were a playoff game.

“For us, this is a playoff game,” Patterson said via teleconference on Sunday. “Oregon is a team that, if they didn’t have injuries, would have been a top-four team. We feel like without a couple, we would have been like that.”

OREGON OFFENSE VS. TCU DEFENSE Darren Carrington has been an impact player since his return from suspension for the Duck game at Washington in October.

(Adam Eberhardt)

Oregon’s offense didn’t skip a beat during its six-game win streak to close out the season. But Oregon offensive coordinator Scott Frost becoming the head coach of the University of Central Florida just days after the Ducks’ regular season concluded creates uncertainty revolving around who calls the offensive plays. Mark Helfrich has yet to comment on the issue.

Regardless, this seems like a minor obstacle to overcome with the way Oregon’s been playing as of late. They’ll be facing a TCU defense that was absolutely decimated by injuries early in the season. Before September was over, they had already lost cornerback Ranthony Texada, defensive end James McFarland, linebacker Sammy Douglas and safety Kenny Iloka to seasonending injuries.

Despite the laundry list of injuries, TCU found a way to begin the season 8-0, and its defense held firm in the second half of multiple tightly contested games. Senior safety Derrick Kindred has been the unit’s top performer with 79 tackles, two interceptions and two forced fumbles in the regular season.

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TCU OFFENSE VS. OREGON DEFENSE After going down with an ankle injury in November, TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin will likely return for the bowl game.

(Courtesy of TCU 360)

Patterson said he expects Boykin to be at full strength by the time Jan. 2 rolls around, and that’s great news for TCU. Boykin was arguably the most effective player in the country at certain points this season and finished the year averaging 402.3 total yards per game. But he suffered an ankle sprain in mid November and was forced to miss the Horned Frogs’ game against Oklahoma. He returned to the starting lineup to face Baylor in the season finale, but was not playing at 100 percent.

Coupled with TCU’s loss of its best receiver Josh Doctson, who had logged 79 catches for 1,327 yards, the unit’s production dropped off. But a healthy Boykin will be a threat to an Oregon secondary that was just starting to become comfortable facing Pac-12 quarterbacks at the end of the season. In addition, it was reported when Doctson was ruled out for the remainder of the regular season that he could potentially return for the bowl game.

TCU averaged 41 points and 345 passing yards per game this season, posing a stiff challenge for the Oregon defense.

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⚑ GAMEDAY

OREGON VS. TCU

QUARTERBACK BATTLE HIGHLIGHTS ALAMO BOWL ➡ CHRISTOPHER

KEIZUR, @CHRISKEIZUR

The battle for the Alamo will feature two high-powered offenses that are adept at torching defenses and scoring points. This year the showdown will be between No. 15 Oregon and No. 11 Texas Christian.

The Ducks (9-3) enter the game as the underdogs, returning to San Antonio’s Alamodome for the second time in three years. Oregon will hope it can repeat the success of 2013, when it emerged victorious over Texas.

TCU (10-2) will have the home field advantage, essentially negating the neutral field by playing in its home state. The Horned Frogs are eighth in the nation in scoring and tenth in yards per play.

Both teams suffered injuries this season that derailed potential Playoff runs, so each will look to rally with a win in the Alamo Bowl.

MATCHUPS TO WATCH:

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

(Cole Elsasser)

PA G E 4

Oregon play calling vs.

TCU defense

TCU running backs vs.

Oregon front seven

With Oregon offensive coordinator Scott Frost accepting the UCF head coaching position, one interesting subtext to the game is whether he will be calling the plays. Regardless of who is doing it, the Ducks have to make a statement early by scoring.

Falling behind TCU is problematic because it allows things to snowball and forces a team’s offenses out of running its normal plays. Oregon has to maintain a balance between running and passing, and find a way to get the ball into the hands of the playmakers on the field. The Horned Frogs are a defense that gives up plenty of points, so the opportunities will be there.

The Horned Frogs are better at passing the ball, but against the Ducks, look for them to incorporate the run early to try to catch the defense on its heels since so much of the focus will be on the receivers. TCU averages 218.8 rushing yards per game, and starting running back Aaron Green has had a solid year with 1,171 yards and 10 touchdowns.

OREGON: Vernon Adams Jr.

DeForest Buckner

It’s been a strange season for Adams, as a finger injury kept him from being able to play the full year. But when he has been on the field, Adams has looked impressive. He leads the nation with a passer rating of 179.57 and has thrown for 2,446 yards and 25 touchdowns.

Buckner has been one of the most talented defensive ends in the nation this season. He has totaled 77 tackles and 9.5 sacks this season en route to winning Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year.

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TCU: Trevone Boykin

Josh Doctson

Boykin is TCU’s best player. He ranks ninth in passer rating (161.52) and second in total offense per game (380.6) in the nation. He put up 3,575 yards and 31 touchdowns this season. He is also dangerous on the ground, with 612 yards rushing and nine touchdowns. Like Adams, he suffered an injury that forced him to miss some time, but is projected to be fully healthy for the Alamo Bowl.

The big question on the minds of TCU fans is whether star receiver Doctson will be able to play. He missed the final two games of the season due to a wrist injury, but if he can suit up, Doctson will should play a crucial role.

Boykin’s favorite target had quite the season, with 79 receptions for 1,327 yards and 14 touchdowns.

⚑ GAMEDAY

Royce Freeman seeking the endzone against Utah in September.

(Adam Eberhardt)

#21

ROYCE FREEMAN

BY THE NUMBERS ➡

Before every football game, Oregon Ducks quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. tells running back Royce Freeman he’s the best running back in the country.

The country, apparently, disagrees.

The NCAA announced three Heisman Trophy finalists — Alabama running back Derrick Henry, Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey and Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson — on Monday.

Following a Heisman-caliber season, the only thing more insulting than being snubbed from the Heisman ceremony in New York is being snubbed from Heisman-snub lists, which is exactly what happened to Freeman.

Few running backs in college football history have been as efficient toting the rock as Freeman has been in his sophomore year.

In the past 20 years, running backs have cracked the top three in Heisman voting a total of 16 times. Of those 16, only Reggie Bush in 2005 (8.7 ypc), Larry Johnson in 2002 (7.7 ypc) and Melvin Gordon in 2014 (7.5 ypc) gained more yards per carry than Freeman (6.6 ypc) in 2015.

“He’s probably the most underrated back in the nation,” Adams said.

With the Alamo Bowl still to play, Freeman leads the Pac-12 with 142.2 rushing yards per game and 6.6 yards per carry (min. 100 attempts). His 1,706 rushing yards rank fourth nationally and are 99 yards shy of breaking LaMike James’s Oregon single-season rushing record.

Freeman has shown his reliability through the air as well as on the ground. His 169.3 all-purpose yards per game rank sixth nationally and fourth among players who haven’t returned a kick.

But you’re telling me he doesn’t belong in the Heisman conversation?

K E N N Y J A C O B Y, @ K E N N Y J A C O B Y

Unfortunately, even though the Heisman is supposed to be awarded to the “most outstanding player in college football,” wins and losses matter far more than individual feats. Over the past 20 years, the Heisman Trophy winner’s average team record is better than 11-1 when the votes are cast. The Ducks, however, are 9-3, and only three players have won the Heisman with three losses under their belts during that span.

“I don’t think Royce has got as much attention as he deserves because of our early season stumbles, but we can count on him for 100 yards,” former Oregon offensive coordinator Scott Frost said.

“Really everything else that’s working in the offense, including Vernon passing, gets started when we’re able to run the ball.”

After a 3-3 start, the nation wrote off Oregon as a legitimate team, and thus Freeman as a worthy Heisman candidate. But if not for Freeman, Oregon could have done a lot worse than 3-3 with Adams sidelined with a broken finger. In those six games, Oregon ran the ball 78 percent more often than it passed, and Freeman accumulated 859 yards and nine touchdowns on 123 carries — that’s 20.5 carries, 143.2 yards and 1.5 touchdowns per game.

And he hasn’t slowed down since. Freeman is currently riding on eight straight games with more than 100 yards on the ground, including a season-high 246 against Washington State.

Henry and McCaffrey are deserving Heisman candidates, as are running backs Dalvin Cook of Florida State, Leonard Fournette of LSU and Ezekiel Elliot of Ohio State. But moreso than any of his counterparts, Freeman’s monster year was truly lost in the whirlwind that was Oregon’s season.

Freeman has repeatedly said individual accolades don’t matter to him, but I have to believe this royal snubbing will leave a chip on his shoulder come next season.

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đ&#x;“– COVER

DUCKS IMPROVE IN ALL PHASES ➥

R YA N K O S T E C K A , @ R YA N _ K O S T E C K A

It’s been one of those years. That’s probably the best way to describe an Oregon football season that’s had a little bit of everything. It was terrible and awful during the 3-3 start. It’s been heartbreaking and exciting, with five games decided by one score. And it’s been amazing and championship-quality, proven in wins over USC and Stanford to end the year.

As per usual, once the Ducks found their groove, the offense hummed at high-speeds while the defense played “bend-but-don’t break� football. The only problem was that it took Oregon half its season to find that groove.

Here’s a breakdown of how Oregon fared in the three phases of the game.

OFFENSE

Charles Nelson makes a leaping catch during Oregon’s home matchup against USC. (Adam Eberhardt)

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This has to be broken down into two categories: one with Vernon Adams Jr. leading the way and one with him on the bench. In games Adams started when healthy, the Ducks were 7-0, including wins over USC and Stanford, the two teams who played for the conference championship.

In games where Adams wasn’t healthy or didn’t play, the Ducks were 2-3. Adams finished the season by completing 155of-240 passes for 2,446 yards and 25 touchdowns to six interceptions in eight games. Backup quarterbacks Jeff Lockie and Taylor Alie combined to go 60-for-98 for 640 yards and six touchdowns to four interceptions in four games.

The running backs, led by Royce Freeman and Taj Griffin, and the wide receivers, led by Bralon Addison, Dwayne Stanford and Darren Carrington, all shone brightly throughout the year. Freeman finished the regular season by averaging 142.2 yards per game and 14 touchdowns.

He was by far Oregon’s workhorse, averaging 6.6 yards per carry and leading the nation in runs over 20 yards. Griffin provided the Ducks with speed and quickness and became electrifying when giving Freeman a break. Addison was the go-to guy, finishing the year with 58 catches for 775 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Carrington returned from suspension for the final six games and caught 25 balls for 502 yards (team-high 20.1 yards per catch) and five touchdowns, while Stanford added five touchdowns. All together, 11 offensive players caught a touchdown pass on the year.

Tyler Johnstone led a talented offensive line that paved the way for Freeman while giving Adams time to throw. Combined with Tyrell Crosby, Cameron Hunt, Matt Hegarty, Matt Pierson and Doug Brenner, this unit improved from last year despite losing three starters. They helped Oregon average 278.8 yards rushing and 548.2 total yards per game while leading the Pac-12 in scoring, rushing and total offense.

DEFENSE When reviewing Oregon’s defense, one can focus on the negative when it comes to the secondary or the positive when it comes to DeForest Buckner.

Let’s start with Buckner. He was far and away the Ducks’ best defensive player this year and not only did it reflect in the stats, it’ll be reflected when he’s chosen high in this year’s upcoming NFL Draft. As a down lineman, Buckner led the Ducks with 16 tackles for loss (third in the Pac-12), 9.5 sacks (second in the Pac-12) and six quarterback hits and was second on the team with 76 tackles. At the other defensive end spot, Henry Mondeaux was second on the team with four sacks while nose tackle Alex Balducci was third with 3.5 sacks.

The Ducks showed their most depth on defense at the defensive line as Tui Talia, Torrodney Prevot, Christian French, Austin Maloata and Jalen Jelks all saw significant playing time.

Tyson Coleman saved his best for last as the redshirt senior had his finest season as a Duck.

He finished fourth on the team with 58 tackles, second with 10 tackles for loss and third with 3.5 sacks. He was constantly in the right position and, in a season

where missed tackles were an issue for the team, Coleman rarely missed one. Joe Walker and Rodney Hardrick provided veteran leadership as seniors and they ranked first and third in total tackles respectively.

The secondary is where Oregon struggled the most. As a unit, this team surrendered 301.2 passing yards per game to opposing quarterbacks while allowing 33 touchdowns to be scored on them. This unit was hurting so bad for consistency and players that dynamic wide receiver Charles Nelson switched to safety halfway through the year and started every game from there on out. The secondary started a different foursome in each of the first six games before finding consistency with Tyree Robinson and Arrion Springs at cornerback and Nelson and Reggie Daniels at safety. These four, combined with Ugo Amadi and Juwaan Williams as backups, got a lot better as the year went on and show a lot of promise, as each player will be back. Robinson led the unit with three interceptions while Amadi added two. Springs led the team with 12 passes broken up and 13 defended, while Daniels added 10 passes broken up and defended.

Arrion Springs (1) and Khalil Oliver (26) chase down a USC player.

(Adam Eberhardt)

SPECIAL TEAMS Alex Balducci (56) and Tui Talia (55) reach to block a field goal during the home game against USC. (Adam Eberhardt)

Aidan Schneider won the 2015 Vlade award, given to the nation’s most accurate kicker. On the year, Schneider went 20-for-22 with a long of 41. He was a perfect 4-for-4 from 40+ yards and went 62-for-62 on his PAT attempts, all leading up to him being second in the nation in most points scored by a kicker.

The return game was bolstered

by Addison and Nelson as each player scored during a return. As a punt returner, Addison averaged 13.6 yards per return but none of his returns were bigger than his game-changing score against Michigan State. Likewise, Nelson was the unit’s primary kick returner, averaging 26.1 yards per return (second in the Pac-12) and a 100-yard touchdown score against Arizona State.

If this unit struggled anywhere, it was punting. Ian Wheeler averaged just 40.1 yards per punt (10th in the Pac-12) but did have a long of 56 yards. Also, this unit was never blocked on a field goal or punt, thus making its coverage team very good.

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ALAMO BOWL PREDICTIONS

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OREGON 36 TCU 48 REGULAR SEASON RECORD: 39-15

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OREGON 42 TCU 38 REGULAR SEASON RECORD: 38-16

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PAC-12 LEFT OUT BECAUSE OF PRESEASON MATCHUPS, NOT QUANTITY ➡ JUSTIN

Stanford provided plenty of highlights to end its season. With a last second field goal to beat then-No. 6 Notre Dame and a Heisman-like performance from Christian McCaffrey in the Cardinal’s 41-22 win over USC in the Pac-12 Championship the following week, David Shaw’s bunch captured its third conference title in four years. But they’re not reaping the benefits.

The Cardinal were the lone conference champion from a Power Five conference left out of the College Football Playoff this season — a result which seemed like a foregone conclusion after its first Pac-12 loss to Oregon on Nov. 14.

Instead, the Cardinal will face Big Ten runnerup Iowa in the Rose Bowl. A prestigious bowl, but likely not what Shaw and the rest of the Pac-12 envisioned back at the start of the year considering the win over Notre Dame and a Pac12 title.

But how the year started seems to be Stanford and the Pac-12’s underlying problem. While Oregon used a premiere top 10 matchup win against Michigan State to launch into the national championship conversation last year, Stanford stumbled its way to a 16-6 loss at Northwestern in the opening game of the 2015 season.

After the unexpected slip-up, the Cardinal salvaged their playoff chances and reeled off eight consecutive wins. But its lone Pac-12 loss proved consequential and reason for an argument to be raised about altering the conference schedule.

The Pac-12 is the only league to play a nine-game conference slate and a conference championship. The Big Ten plays a championship and will begin a nine-game conference schedule in 2016, while the ACC and SEC use an eight-game conference schedule with a championship. The Big 12 uses a nine-game schedule without a championship.

Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich and offensive coordinator Scott Frost (who recently became head coach at UCF) stated a potential need for the Pac-12 to move to an eight-game conference slate after the Ducks’ win virtually knocked Stanford out of playoff contention, according to Sports Illustrated.

But while that argument may be firm, it’s not why Stanford isn’t in the playoff this year. The Cardinal aren’t in this year because of their nonconference schedule.

Compared to the four teams in the College Football Playoff this year, Stanford and Clemson are the only teams to schedule both a Power Five conference opponent as well as a consistent title contender in Notre Dame, who is Independent, in non-conference play.

The other participants’ non-conference slates were constructed like this: – Alabama opened its season versus Wisconsin, but faced Middle Tennessee State, UL Monroe and Charlestown Southern.

– Michigan State faced Oregon, but played the rest of its non-conference games against

WISE, @JUSTINFWISE

Western Michigan, Air Force and Central Michigan.

– Oklahoma went into a hostile environment at Tennessee early in the season, but used its other non-conference dates to play Tulsa and Akron.

Clemson faced Notre Dame as well as in-state rival and SEC member South Carolina, who finished 3-9 this season. On the contrary, two of Stanford’s non-conference opponents finished the regular season ranked No. 13 (Northwestern) and No. 8 (Notre Dame) by the College Football Playoff Committee.

Rather than having a schedule that included one team from another Power Five conference and either FCS or Group of Five opponents rounding out its non-conference slate, the Cardinal set itself up for a much more strenuous campaign than the majority of the playoff participants.

And, in the process, Stanford proved how multiple equally matched non-conference games have the potential to do more harm than good.

So, while the argument is valid that the Pac12 should consider changing the conference schedule from nine to eight games, it still may not have prevented the Cardinal’s eventual fate.

As you can see when compared to the rest of the playoff’s contenders, scheduling two measurable non-conference opponents proved to be the difference for Stanford this year, because the majority only scheduled one.

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⚑ GAMEDAY

10

TOP PLAYS OF THE YEAR IN

OREGON FOOTBALL ➡

With the regular season over, the Ducks are now turning their focus to the Alamo Bowl where they will take on No. 11 TCU in San Antonio, Texas. While Oregon can begin its preparations for arguably the most enticing game of its season, here’s a look back at the Ducks’ top 10 plays from the year.

Dwayne Stanford reaching for a pass during the Ducks’ game at ASU. (Adam Eberhardt)

10

7

Vernon Adams Jr.’s debut as Oregon’s quarterback

On Oregon’s second play of the game against his former team in Eastern Washington, Adams took the snap and fired a bullet to tight end Evan Baylis for a three-yard gain. Although there wasn’t one particular thing that was special about the play, it was special considering the circumstances. Some people had no idea if Adams would ever see the field at Autzen, but this simple three-yard gain was proof that the Adams era was underway.

9

Utah’s Devontae Booker’s TD to Britain Covey

At this point in Oregon’s home matchup with the Utes, the Ducks were trailing 34-13 early in the third quarter and needed a touchdown badly. However, the Ducks turned the ball over on an interception and on the very next play, Booker threw a 25-yard TD pass to Covey. That score made the game 41-13 and the onslaught was on in full as the Ducks suffered their worst home loss since a 54-0 drubbing by Washington in 1977.

8

Adams’ TD pass to Darren Carrington in the Washington game

It took two minutes for Oregon to score a touchdown, and it came on a 36-yard pass from Adams to Carrington. The play was important because it was Carrington’s first game back from suspension and he gave Oregon a threat they’d been missing all year, a deep one. That score led to a win, which led to six straight wins to end the year.

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Royce Freeman’s game against Washington State

This game is impossible to choose a single play from because Freeman was dominant the entire time. With Taylor Alie and Jeff Lockie splitting time at quarterback and doing subpar work, Freeman kept the Ducks in the game with 246 yards on 27 carries and three total touchdowns. It was a game for the ages for the Oregon running back.

6

The Arizona State triple in three overtimes

On 4th-and-goal from the eight yard line, Oregon found itself trailing 41-34 with 12 seconds left.

Dwayne Stanford saved Oregon’s season when he caught Adams’ touchdown pass after being leveled by his multiple players at the same time. In the third overtime, Bralon Addison made an over-theshoulder touchdown catch to give the Ducks the lead while Arrion Springs picked off the Sun Devils in the end zone to end the game. It was one of the best finishes in Oregon history.

5

Joe Walker stops Stanford for the win

After Stanford rallied with a touchdown with 10 seconds left, the Cardinal were forced to go for two to send the game into overtime. As Cardinal quarterback Kevin Hogan dropped back and threw the ball to his tight end, Walker made a diving play that knocked the ball down, thus preserving the victory.

4

Washington State’s touchdown pass with one second left to send the game into overtime

Washington State’s touchdown pass with one second left to send the game into overtime All Oregon had to do was stop the Cougars on this last play. Needing a touchdown to send the game into overtime, Washington State quarterback Luke Falk threw a game-tying touchdown to a leaping Dom Williams with one second left. The Cougars, with the momentum, went on to beat Oregon in triple overtime.

Royce Freeman fighting off defenders in his dominant game against WSU. (Adam Eberhardt)

3

Adams’ slightly overthrown touchdown pass to Byron Marshall against Michigan State

Down by three with 1:24 to play, Adams, who was playing with a broken index finger on his throwing hand, overthrew a wide open Marshall. The ball, outside of Marshall’s reach by six inches, would have led the receiver right into the end zone and given Oregon a four-point lead and, potentially, the victory.

2

The “hit” against Eastern Washington

With the game well out of hand, Adams was scrambling when he slid to avoid contact. However, Eastern Washington linebacker John Kreifels had other plans for his former teammate. Kreifels lowered his head and shoulder and speared Adams in the hand and head, breaking his finger. Due to the injury, Adams was less than 100-percent in the next game against Michigan State and didn’t play in games against Georgia State, Utah, Colorado and Washington State. The Ducks went 2-3 over that span.

1

Adams’ escape from the Beaver trap in the Civil War

The play itself didn’t have a massive impact on the game but it symbolized everything that is Adams and his teammates. After scrambling around, Adams was caught from behind and had his leg in a bind by a Beaver player. Rather than go down, Adams fought to turn around and fired an 18-yard bullet to Carrington for a first down. This play symbolized the fight the Ducks put up to recover their season after Adams’ return.

⚑ GAMEDAY

WHY TCU

WILL BEAT BEAT OREGON ➡ DEAN

STRAKA, TCU 360

**Editor’s Note: Each week during football season, we feature an essay from the opponent’s student newspaper on why Oregon will lose. Straka is the sports editor at TCU 360.

A year ago, the Horned Frogs seemed destined to meet Oregon in the Rose Bowl as part of the inaugural College Football Playoff.

That matchup never materialized, as the playoff committee bounced TCU out of the top four in the final week of the season moving the team from No. 3 to No. 6.

One year after 12 people in Grapevine, Texas, crushed the hopes and dreams of TCU fans everywhere, the No. 11 Horned Frogs will finally get their crack at the No. 15 Oregon Ducks, albeit the two are heading not to the playoff, but to the Valero Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, Texas.

If you want a good defensive showing in this matchup, you have come to the wrong place. With the Frogs and Ducks possessing two of the more explosive and high-tempo offenses in the nation, this game will likely come down to a matter of who can reach 50 points first.

Both teams will be hungry in this game too. The Ducks and Frogs began the season ranked in the top 10 with playoff aspirations. The Ducks were unable to dig themselves out of a hole created by a sleepy 3-3 start, while the Frogs were overwhelmed with more injuries than anyone cared to count.

These two squads are almost as evenly matched as it gets, and the game could easily go either way. But Eugene needs to fear the Frog as they enter the confines of South Texas.

The snake-bitten Frogs aren’t the same team they were last season.

They still managed to go 10-2, even down more than 20 starters from

last season and having played 30 freshmen this fall. That might not be the mark of a playoff-caliber team, but it sure the heck is a sign of a resilient player core with a genius coaching staff led by head coach Gary Patterson.

With over a month off between the Frogs’ dramatic victory over Baylor on Nov. 27 and the Alamo Bowl on Jan. 2, TCU has more than enough time to get healthy and come as close as they can to resembling the formidable squad that earned them a No. 2 preseason ranking. If wide-receiver Josh Doctson is cleared to play after suffering an injury against Oklahoma State on Nov. 7, and starting quarterback Trevone Boykin is back to 100 percent after injuring his ankle late in the season, the quarterbackreceiver duo could be a nightmare for the Ducks’ defense.

It is also one last chance for the seniors, including Doctson and Boykin, to make a final mark on their legacy at TCU before graduating. For senior tailback Aaron Green, a San Antonio native, it is a chance for him to go out with a bang right where he learned to play the game. A motivated team with nothing to lose is a dangerous team.

Will it be easy for the Frogs? Not one bit. The ever-depleted defense will have to contain quarterback Vernon Adams Jr., who has led the Ducks to a six-game winning streak, and the Oregon offense entering the game.

But make no mistake, with all the adversity the Frogs have overcome this season, purple will reign over the Alamo.

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FUN & GAMES: CROSSWORD 1

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a campus classic.

SUDOKUS

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