Mike Riley, left, won't pick a Rose Bowl winner.
The Oregon State football team had the honor, or displeasure, of playing both Rose Bowl teams this past season and losing big.
Here’s my story talking to coach Mike Riley about Wisconsin and Oregon and the experience playing them.
Riley is friends with Oregon coach Chip Kelly and really close friends with Wisconsin OC Paul Chryst.
The interesting thing watching the Rose Bowl will be how Wisconsin does against the Ducks. The offense is very similar to OSU’s, except with a mobile QB.
If scheme and Xs and Os are the biggest factor and the Ducks win, then their systems are better than the old-school ways.
If Wisconsin wins, it shows you that what Riley wants to do with his pro-style approach can still work in college, if you have top-notch athletes.
17 comments
chris says:
Jan 1, 2012
Didn’t auburn and usc and lsu already prove this?
ChrisOSAlum says:
Jan 1, 2012
I think we are seeing the future of college football, when we look at teams like Baylor and U of O tearing up the defenses. I wonder what would have happened if Baylor played the ducks. The score might have been ducks 80, Baylor 50.
As for Wisconsin and the ducks and your comparison of schemes with OSU, I think it all depends on the athletes. The few losses that the Ducks have had in the Chip Kelly era have been to teams with great athletes on the defensive line. Auburn is a better measure of athletes, but not shceme? I don’t think that Wisconsin is good enough to be in the same category as the teams that have beaten the ducks. If we had a defensive line that had three Steven Paeas then the Ducks don’t score as much on us and scheme is not as important. So, it’s much more difficult to tease out the difference in scheme when the athletes make such a difference.
Besides offensive/defensive schemes, the entire system, from recruitment down to ball boys makes a difference. They must be doing something right at Boise.
Back to my original statement on the future of college football,I wonder if the no huddle spread option, or whatever they call it that the ducks run, is the future of college offense, or if it is like the triple option (Georgia Tech). A running fad. I’d say passing fad, but that’s not right.
ChrisOSAlum says:
Jan 1, 2012
The new Beavers web page at the GT stinks. It’s too visually distracting to the eye which makes it hard to find what you are looking for.
Change it back.
oneoldbeav says:
Jan 1, 2012
Agree. Very hard to look up even recently published pieces.
wcjr says:
Jan 1, 2012
Cliff, I don’t think you finished your last sentence. Didn’t you mean to say ” if you have top-notch athletes and a competent OC with a mind for innovative play-calling?”
2004Alumnus says:
Jan 2, 2012
Langsdorf’s response to your comment would be, “Play calling?”
OSU4Life says:
Jan 1, 2012
“Riley is friends with Oregon coach Chip Kelly”
Is anyone else bothered with this? I mean, I thought Oregon State and oregon have a rivalry between the two teams? Would Michigan be buddy buddies Ohio State? Would Alabama vs. Auburn? No, Hell NO they wouldn’t!
Here is the Alabama Rammer Jammer Cheer:
“Hey Auburn!
Hey Auburn!
Hey Auburn!
We just beat the hell out of you!
Rammer Jammer, Yellowhammer, gave ‘em hell, Alabama!”
Auburn’s response to this:
Auburn, frequently uses the cheer in mocking Alabama following a win. The Auburn band plays it following an Auburn win in the Iron Bowl. The lyrics are typically changed to “Hey Bama! We just beat the hell out of you! Rammer Jammer, Yellowhammer, go to Hell, Alabama!”
Isn’t this what a rivalry is all about? I keep hearing that there is nothing civil about the “Civil War” I think that couldn’t be further from the truth. I mean, I run into Oregon State fans all of the time who say they root for oregon if they’re not playing OSU. That is horrible crap! An Oregon State fan has no business rooting for oregon EVER! I say Go to Hell oregon! I hope they go 0-12 every year, if they were to only win 1 game, that is 1 game too many! It is time for OSU to bring the fight to oregon, then maybe that would help translate to wins vs oregon on the field, or on the court. OSU is too nice, too apologetic to oregon. And for that I say “GO TO HELL oregon!”
RenoNVbeavr says:
Jan 2, 2012
Ask Jim Harbaugh if he wanted to “slap fannies” with Pete Carroll when he was coach at Stanford? The 2 hated one another. Would never happen. Coaches have no fear about Riley’s offfense or ability to imaginatively gamplan for anything other than a conventional, pro style offense. In turn, I highly doubt alot of coaches want to go out and have a beer with Chip Kelly after he just laid down 40+ pts on them and was actively running up the score in the 4th quarter. Its called: Putting your foot down on an opponents throat and crushing the windpipe.
oneoldbeav says:
Jan 2, 2012
Riley is a “nice guy” who spends too much time being friendly with other coaches, building his rep among his peers, and avoiding upsetting the zebras. Kind of like a stereotypical politician; he has, I believe, been high up in the coaching organizations.
I’d much rather he put some of that time and effort into learning and molding the “identity” of his own team prior to the start of FB season. I’d much rather he put some of that time into evaluating his staff and his system. There are ways to weed out and/or motivate players (and coaches) who are just going through the motions, I’d rather Riley spent time in these areas too.
It’s fine to have friends in the business, its fine to be somewhat active in the “fraternity”, I don’t begrudge MR that. I do, however, think his results indicate that he doesn’t really have much time to devote to anything that doesn’t directly relate to the performance of HIS team.
55Beav says:
Jan 2, 2012
Perfectly stated. Riley is the epitome of playing it safe, down the middle, and a jack of all trades, master of none. He needs to be replaced … and QUICKLY. Wake-up OSU …. your alum, your current students, and your players deserve so much better. How many more ridiculous seasons must we endure?
dili says:
Jan 1, 2012
The sports section in the GT is difficult to follow and seems always to be a day or two behind. Go back to the better prior setup. Also, WC jr is correct as to the implication that our offensive coordinator is incompetent.
mike says:
Jan 2, 2012
I think Cliff is close-the combination of a good ball control offense and a defense will beat the ucks-they score a lot but they can’t if they don’t have the ball. I do think that Langsdorf is out of his depth, and that ball control can’t be based on something that is oh so predictable.
The other way to beat them is to simply have better athletes (auburn, usc, lsu)-you have to play to your strengths and we just haven’t succeeded– there should be no excuse for that.
Don’t mind that Riley and Kelly are friends, they are in very competitive jobs-I think respect between competitors is certainly ok–but I want Riley (and me) to be smiling after the game, not Kelly and his low brow, mcdonald’s working,
bandwagon climbing fan base.
Enough green and yellow, win the state. Go beavs.
OSU4Life says:
Jan 2, 2012
Will Oregon State ever make it to the Rose Bowl again?
2004Alumnus says:
Jan 2, 2012
Probably not.
Kelly looked dissappointed when they threw the Gatorade on him. Bet he was hoping for a gravy bucket. If only KFC had been the game’s lead sponsor….
Wonder how long before the Ducks’ first off-season arrest? I know this is college but that is something worth wagering on.
beaverteeth says:
Jan 3, 2012
Oregon State University has got to change the A.D there is no mistake about it. After reading what Bob D has said in the post disastrous football season interviews and such it is…….. stay the coarse with the same old hackneyed coaching staff. Even the basketball team sucks they cannot even win in conference play.
OSUSupporter says:
Jan 4, 2012
Big difference between Wisconsins O line and OSUs, Cliff. And to say one game would validate a type of offense is a bit shortsighted, isn’t it? On the other hand we have seen first hand (4 years and counting in the CW) that the spread offense works. A pro style offense works in the pros and at places like USC because they can get elite athletes. A spread offense is more suited to teams that can’t recruit monster talent on the OL/DL. Doesn’t that sound like us? Belotti was a pro style coach before changing to the veer and finally the spread option. Is Riley too old or just too inflexible to change and adapt?
BeaverFan97301 says:
Jan 4, 2012
OSU4Life is right on the money.
The Civil War rivalry has become much too friendly over the years, and it’s beyond frustrating to hear Beaver fans say ridiculous things like “I root for the Ducks except in the Civil War.”
Why would anyone in their right mind root for the enemy? Do you think it would have been acceptable for Ulysses S. Grant to say “I root for the South, except in the Battle of Gettysburg.”
Heck no!
This is a rivalry. The Ducks are the enemy. Plain and simple. I never root for the Ducks. EVER. I want them to lose. I want them to lose often. Even if they were playing other teams I hate such as Oklahoma, Michigan or Texas, I’d still root AGAINST the Ducks.
Oh, and if I hear one more person say “We should be happy for the Ducks for winning the Rose Bowl” I think I just might puke. You think Uck fans won’t be rubbing that in our faces for years to come? Think again. With their recent Rose Bowl win, OSU only has 3 claims to superiority over the Ducks left.
1. Back to Back National Championships in Baseball.
2. Only Heisman in the State of Oregon.
3. NCAA Record for the most wins over another team in Men’s Basketball. (U of Hole)
Get some pride Beaver Nation! Stop sucking up to the enemy. Apathy won’t win rivalries, and it only makes the Civil War even less relevant.