“College Football-A New Term-1 & Done”

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That came to an end quickly, but then again, maybe not in that place, for that place is unlike many others in college football.

Oregon begins the morning looking for a new head coach, after the Ducks fired Mark Helfrich, following a dreadful season in Eugene.

Yes (4-8) at a place like Oregon is not acceptable, not when you consider all the success that they have grown to accept.

It was the place where Rich Brooks led the Ducks out of oblivion, by getting them a few winning seasons.

It’s where Mike Belotti installed a superb spread offense that was the foundation of great success and changed the whole conference..

It was where Chip Kelly put that video game offense into place, and made the Pacific Northwest a destination point for quarterbacks, speed receivers and running backs. They came from Hawaii and Texas and Florida to wear those colors.

It was where the Ducks ran up scores on everyone, every year. And where Phil Knight funded facilities that made even NFL teams jealous.

But it unravelled quickly.

Helfrich won with Kelly’s players early, but when Marcus Mariota graduated, it crashed and burned quickly.

Oregon tried to go the graduate quarterback route. Last year it was the one season for Eastern Washington transfer Vern Adams. This year it was supposed to be Montana State transfer Dakota Prukop.

It failed badly, leaving Oregon without a trigger man for the bazooka type offenses they were supposed to run.

And defense, never a Ducks strength, worsened, with games in which Oregon gave up 600-yards or more.

And people never forgot, what Oregon did during the glory years. They ran up scores at Autzen Stadium against the once proud program. And people around the Pac 12-cheered about the payback the Ducks program got.

As good as they had it, as snazzy as their Green-Lemon-Silver uniform combs looked, thanks to Nike, Oregon became Public Enemy #1 on the West Coast.

They fell to Nebraska, got outgunned by Cal, Washington State put up (655) yards on them, and then Washington ran up 70-points and another (650) yards in offense infront of the home fans..

It was a horror show 5-game losing streak, and Oregon became the victim of “what goes around, comes around.”

Money is obviously no object. It will cost them 11.6M to get rid of Helfrich.

It will still be a destination point for a coach who loves wide open offense, and can you say Dale Holgorson of West Virginia amongst others?.

In an era where you better win, every year, Oregon now becomes the post
er child for excess in college football. Great facilities, great records, great fan and booster support.

You name them, Ohio State, Michigan, Alabama, Oklahoma, the elite programs, with all the things most others dream of.

But now in the Willamette Valley, something else has taken place on the beautiful evergreen tree lined campus.

Oregon has now become known for something else. College Football adopts the basketball terminology.

You better not have one bad season, for their might not be another.

Mark Helfrich just round that out.

Oregon becomes football’s “one and done” school.

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