We’ve had a week to process Oregon’s 41-21 loss to Ohio State in Pasadena. While the Ducks were badly outplayed by their opponent, the system that put them in that matchup remains a topic of much debate and scrutiny.

On this week’s episode of the Oregonian Sports Podcast, hosts Bill Oram and Brenna Greene of KOIN unpack the New Year’s debacle, including whether the Ducks should consider any staffing changes.

Also discussed on this week’s episode:

• Will top teams start to manipulate their seasons, including resting players in conference title games?

• If the Ducks are gradually leveling up, does that make next year their year to win in the playoff?

• With the NBA’s trade deadline a month away, what are reasonable expectations for the Blazers front office?

• The Blazers have the NBA’s sixth-worst record, but with lottery odds front of mind, are they winning too many games?

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The Blazer Focused podcast, hosted by Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian/OregonLive and Craig Birnbach, examines the team's solid play lately, especially that of Shaedon Sharpe, Anfernee Simons and Deni Avdija. Plus, the trade deadline is coming up on Feb. 6. What should the Blazers do? And would we trade for Zion Williamson?

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It’s finally time for the Grandaddy of Them All.

On the eve of the Rose Bowl, co-hosts Ryan Clarke and Bill Oram preview Oregon vs. Ohio State for this special edition of Ducks Confidential. Does recency bias favor the Buckeyes, and which position groups will decide this one?

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It’s time for another episode of Ducks Confidential, an Oregonian Sports podcast about the Oregon Ducks.

In this edition, columnist Bill Oram and senior writer Joe Freeman discuss the connection between Dillon Gabriel and Marcus Mariota, the two Hawaiian-born quarterbacks who have engineered the most successful seasons in Oregon history and share a unique bond that extends beyond football.

How did Gabriel earn Mariota’s permission to wear No. 8? How are their mothers connected? And how does their bond impact the Ducks?

Oram and Freeman answer those questions and more in the episode. Subscribe to Oregonian Sports podcasts on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

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As one year closes, we take a look ahead to the next one on the Oregonian Sports podcast, setting goals for the local sports teams and figures as they enter into 2025. Can the Blazers shed some weight — at least contractually? And can the Timbers and Evander decide that what they really want is to work things out? And the Portland Diamond Project... really should host more in the new year.

Other things discussed on this week’s episode with hosts Bill Oram and Brenna Greene:

· Is calling the new football playoff the “first of its kind” FCS erasure?

· Can UP women’s basketball go from “totally Meek” to “totally sleek”?

· Plus, resolutions for the Ducks and Beavers, the new WNBA team and local sports fans.

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Bill and James discuss Oregon’s upcoming matchup with Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. What might apply from the Oct. 12 classic in Eugene? What’s changed? What will perception be with a win or loss for each team?

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It’s time for another episode of Ducks Confidential, an Oregonian Sports podcast about the Oregon Ducks.

In this edition, columnist Bill Oram and senior writer Joe Freeman dissect five burning questions surrounding the Rose Bowl and the No. 1 Ducks’ chase for the first championship in school history.

Who should they want to play in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff? How far do they need to advance to prove they belong among college football’s elite? What are the biggest factors separating the Ducks from a title?

Oram and Freeman answer those questions and more in the episode. Subscribe to Oregonian Sports podcasts on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

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In this season of giving... out college football awards, is a bit of consistency too much to ask? If Dillon Gabriel was the highest-regarded quarterback among Heisman Trophy voters, then how can he be the country’s third-best quarterback by AP All-American voters? Distinguishing the impact of Gabriel’s season against the years of Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders may depend on personal preference.

On this week’s episode of the Oregonian Sports Podcast, hosts Bill Oram and Brenna Greene break down that very question and are even interrupted by a brief restoration of order: A first-team nod for Gabriel on another All-American team.

Also discussed on this week’s episode:

• The seismic departure that is... the Idaho football coach?

• No, no. The retirement of soccer legend Becky Sauerbrunn, a USWNT captain whose impact off the field changed the future of women’s sports

• A difference of opinion on who the Ducks should want to play in the Rose Bowl: Ohio State or Tennessee?

• And much more.

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With stars Bryce Boettcher and Dillon Gabriel busy on award stages, Oregon football has been putting in work in the transfer portal as it prepares for the Rose Bowl.

We recap the week gone by on both fronts and discuss the upcoming Ohio State-Tennessee matchup — which will decide Oregon’s next opponent — on this week’s Ducks Confidential.

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The Oregon Ducks are Big Ten champions. A thrilling win against Penn State earned Oregon the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff and a Rose Bowl berth.

What to make of Oregon’s historic season so far, and their much-discussed path in the playoff? Ducks Confidential has you covered.

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