What Oregon Has Meant To College Football

The Oregon Ducks transfer the swagger from their jerseys to their on-field play

The Oregon Ducks are at the forefront of style in not only college football, but football in general. They've become the guinea pig for alumnus Phil Knight's company Nike and they've not only blossomed into the coolest team in the NCAA, but also one of the most dominant teams on the field.

The Oregon Ducks have been gaining swagger and steam ever since Dennis Dixon stepped onto the field back in 2006. Dixon, brought an athleticism that some felt mimicked Vince Young's at Texas. In 2007, the Ducks new look QB had them rolling at 8-1 and a #2 BCS ranking. Unfortunately, he torn his ACL and the Ducks lost there next three, finishing the season at 9-4. Dixon moved onto the NFL, giving way to the infamous Jeremiah Masoli.

Masoli, blessed with power, speed and an over-the-top confidence, led the Ducks to back-to-back 10-3 records, including a Rose Bowl visit in 2009. The Ducks gained extra notoriety when LaGarrette Blount thought it'd be a good idea to throw a right hook in Boise State lineman Byron Hout's face. Instead, the LaGarrette was suspended for the year, and the Ducks seemed poised for another unfortunate year. Emerging out of the ashes of Blount's bad decisions, was 5'9" 185 lb freshman LaMicheal James. The Texarkana product, burst onto the scene rushing for 1546 yards and 14 TDs. Masoli and James became an unstoppable force in the rushing game; Masoli punished defenses while James embarrassed them. Oregon's offense had become one of the best in college football.

After a disappointing loss in the 2009 Rose Bowl, the Ducks were poised for a National Championship caliber season. Once again, disaster struck the Oregon squad. Jeremiah Masoli and teammate Garrett Embry were booted from the team after being charged with second-degree burglary. For the second year in a row, the Ducks preseason BCS flame had simmered. But yet again, the Ducks had two more up-and-comers that shoulder an unlikely load. Quarterback Darron Thomas stepped up and filled Masoli's shoes, but instead of being a run-first QB, Thomas showed that he could truly run the widespread Oregon offense. The emergence of senior wideout Jeff Maehl and sophomore running back/punt returner Kenjon Barner made the Oregon ducks even more versatile. Middle linebacker Casey Matthews commanded a significantly improved defense. As the team matured, they made their statement in week 5 by embarrassing #9 Stanford 52-31. From there on out the Ducks were simply unstoppable on their way to the National Championship. Oregon met it's match in the National Championship as SEC leader Auburn, walked away with a close 22-19 win.

2011's preseason hype proved to be too much as the #3 Ducks lost to another SEC opponent, the LSU Tigers on opening weekend. But, for the third season in a row, Oregon overcame early season adversity, going on a 9 game tear up until this point in the season. But, there statement win came once again against the #4 Stanford Cardinal, this time 53-30 on the road. Now the Nike poster boys are quietly sitting in the #4 spot, waiting and hoping for another opportunity to play for a National Championship.

Beyond the history lesson I just gave you, Oregon, in big part to Nike, has transformed college football. Chip Kelly's offensive game plan is just as swaggered up as the phenomenal jerseys they wear. Once Nike realized that these Combat Zone jerseys were a hit, they went buck wild, giving every Nike-sponsored college team a few different sets of new jerseys. Ever since USC's recruiting violations, Oregon has assumed the role as West Coast favorite(yes, they are more popular than Stanford) and they have done so very nicely. Their "the best defense is a unstoppable offense" philosophy is phenomenally desirable to the average college football fan. Led by two running backs with Oscar winning highlight reels, the "O" has created magic. Every time the Pac-12 leaders strap it up, they bring offense and style, I mean, what more could you want? Think of the Ducks as the 'Lil Wayne of college football; they're always swag surfin'.  Simply said, the Oregon Ducks have made college football truly trendy.

I like to call it swagger personified.