EUGENE, Ore. — Since Oregon thumped Utah in the Pac-12 title game Friday night, there have been a lot of “what ifs?” going around about the Ducks.
What if Oregon hadn’t scheduled this? What if Oregon had played that?
The Ducks briefly were in the College Football Playoff hunt, and maybe had they scheduled differently along the way, perhaps there could have been a better result for Mario Cristobal and his sixth-ranked Ducks than a Rose Bowl meeting with No. 8 Wisconsin.
But anyone who’s been around Oregon the past three days would know better. Just consider Cristobal’s reaction following Friday’s win.
Levi’s Stadium was nearly empty. The confetti had dropped. Trophies had been handed out. Tears had been shed. Cristobal was soaked from a Gatorade bath that was followed up by a drenching of rain when he approached the stadium tunnel, where a group of Oregon fans remained to applaud their coach.
That sent Cristobal into a frenzy. He threw his hands into an “O,” yelled “Let’s go,” fist-pumped and turned his hat around backward as he leaned back, screamed, thumped his chest and said “I love you” multiple times to fans as he finally exited the stage.
It was his biggest win as a head coach, and Cristobal sure enjoys those big wins. Nine years ago, he was doing a similar number when FIU defeated Toledo in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl in Detroit, running around, again drenched, and picking up pieces of Ford Field turf as keepsakes.
So, yes, Cristobal is jazzed about the Rose Bowl. But while the enthusiasm had lessened slightly by the time he hopped on the Rose Bowl teleconference Sunday afternoon to discuss No. 6 Oregon’s matchup against No. 8 Wisconsin, there was no less satisfaction.
“Well, certainly it’s an honor to be on this conference call, and it’s an honor to be selected for such a prestigious event that is as big as it gets and as big as it gets in college football,” Cristobal said. “And, again, the opportunity to play against a great storied program like Wisconsin. We have all the respect in the world for their program and how they do things and their accomplishments, so, again, thrilled and honored to be here.”
It’s not surprising that Cristobal would admire the team the Ducks will face on New Year’s Day. Wisconsin, which fell 34-21 to No. 2 Ohio State in the Big Ten title game, pounds the ball, is tough in the trenches and has a program that’s as consistent as they come.
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In Paul Chryst’s five seasons as coach, the Badgers have won at least 10 games four times and notched wins in the Holiday, Cotton, Orange and Pinstripe bowls. This season, they have one of the best players in the country in running back Jonathan Taylor (1,909 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns) and a quarterback in Jack Coan that is efficient (70.1 percent) and takes care of the football (17 TDs to four INTs.) Then there’s center Tyler Biadasz, who is to Wisconsin what left tackle Penei Sewell is to Oregon.
“Two of the best … offensive lines in the country. Teams that pride themselves on physicality. Certainly invest a lot in the strength and conditioning department. It all leads to the success of the running backs,” Cristobal said of Wisconsin. “… Extremely impressed with the entire operation.”
Sunday’s announcement was a fitting mileage marker for Cristobal’s progress at Oregon. Two years to the day earlier, he was introduced as Oregon’s coach.
He led the Ducks to a Redbox Bowl win last season, secured a program-best top-10 recruiting class, then posted a 10-win regular season here in his second year. And he spent a lot of the time between Friday night’s win and Sunday’s announcement in the living rooms of recruits, trying to work on the players who might have a hand in how Oregon is doing two years from now.
At that point, maybe the expectations will be even higher. Right now, though, the Ducks feel like they’re in the place they’re meant to be.
“I was reminded of (the anniversary of the hiring) today. I’m just indebted and have gratitude beyond what words can describe for that day and the opportunity …,” Cristobal said. “It’s been everything that we could ask for. And I do feel like we’re just getting started and the trajectory of the program is what we want it to be. So it’s hard to stop and think about it with all the stuff we’ve got to do, especially in the middle of recruiting. But, again, it’s all those things and more. Just looking forward to playing in the Rose Bowl.”
(Top photo: Kirby Lee / USA Today)
