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Inspired by 82-0: Building a 16-0 Oregon Ducks super team in CFP era
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- Inspired by 82-0: Building a 16-0 Oregon Ducks super team in CFP era
If you're a fan of sports and you have a tendency to fall into trendy, trivia-like games online, then you surely know about "82-0" and the various spin-off games that have come to light in the last week. If you don't know what I'm talking about, then congratulations on being "offline," and allow me to explain.
82-0 is a website where you try to build a basketball team that would go undefeated over the course of a regular season. It spans eras, dating back to the 60s, and includes all 30 NBA teams. In short, you spin a wheel, and it lands on a team plus a decade. You can pick a player from that team and time — Damian Lillard would likely be the best player from " Portland Trail Blazers : 2010s" — and stick him in the positions he's eligible for.
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Over the last week, 82-0 has gained incredible popularity online in the sporting world, and various iterations for the NFL, college football, and college basketball have emerged. That got me thinking: why not have a little fun in the offseason?
Let's try to build a 16-0 team from Oregon Ducks history.
Of course, I don't have the coding experience to build a game that would actually allow us to do this, though that would be very fun. However, I do have the time, historical knowledge, and nerdiness necessary to go through this exercise and thoroughly enjoy it.
A few notes: All eras are open and able to be used multiple times. Current players are not eligible. Selections are based not solely on career stats, but also on fit in the scheme (see: Tez Johnson). Positions are mostly strict, but somewhat fluid where it makes sense (see: Jairus Byrd).
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In the end, I think we absolutely came up with a roster that could run the slate in today's era of college football. If you disagree with any of my selections, I would love to hear about it.
Quarterback
EUGENE,OR - OCTOBER 18: Quarterback Marcus Mariota #8 of the Oregon Ducks warms up before the game against the Washington Huskies at Autzen Stadium on October 18, 2014 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
Our Pick:Marcus Mariota
Honorable Mentions:Joey Harrington // Justin Herbert // Dennis Dixon // Bo Nix
We listed honorable mentions, but let's be real... it wasn't hard to pick Marcus Mariota here. Undoubtedly the best QB in Oregon history, and an easy choice to lead a potential 16-0 team, even in today's era of the sport. Part of me questions how Harrington would fare in the more mobile style of 2026, but I think any of these passers would fit well in an undefeated venture.
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Running Backs
December 4, 2010, Corvallis, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks running back LaMichael James (21) is congratulated by fans following the Ducks 37-20 victory over the Oregon State Beavers at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Our Picks:LaMichael James // Jonathan Stewart
Honorable Mentions:Royce Freeman // Kenjon Barner // De'Anthony Thomas // Derrick Loville // Onterrio Smith
One of the toughest early choices I had to make was at the RB spot, choosing between Royce Freeman and my podcast co-host Jonathan Stewart . LaMichael was an easy choice, but finding the right guy to pair next to him is tougher. Ultimately, I had to keep my loyalty.
Wide Receivers
Sep 30, 2023; Stanford, California, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Troy Franklin (11) gestures after scoring a touchdown against the Stanford Cardinal during the third quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Our Picks:Troy Franklin // Samie Parker // Tez Johnson
Honorable Mentions:Demetrius Williams // Cristin McLemore // Tony Hartley // Dillon Mitchell // Jeff Maehl
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Another place where I feel like fit matters more than raw stats. Is Tez Johnson one of the best three WRs in Oregon history? Not statistically. But if I am looking to build a team that can go 16-0, you bet I'm going to get his dominance in the slot alongside deep threats like Troy Franklin and Samie Parker, and feel fantastic about it.
Tight End
EUGENE, OR - SEPTEMBER 26: Ed Dickson #83 of the Oregon Ducks celebrates his touchdown in the first quarter of the game against the California Bears at Autzen Stadium on September 26, 2009 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
Our Picks:Ed Dickson
Honorable Mentions:George Wrightster // Terrance Ferguson // David Paulson // Kenyon Sadiq //
Tight end was a spot where I was able to make a decision pretty quickly. The Ducks have had some great players come through over the years, but few have been as good or impactful as Ed Dickson, who is widely considered the best TE in program history. Shout out to Wrighster, though, who I think would be a matchup nightmare on this team.
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Offensive Linemen
Oct 14, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Oregon Ducks offensive lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson (58) celebrates after the Ducks scored a touchdown against the Washington Huskies during the second half at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
Our Picks:LT Penei Sewell // LG Max Unger // C Jackson Powers-Johnson // RG Kyle Long // RT Gary Zimmerman
Honorable Mentions:Shane Lemieux // Josh Conerly // Hroniss Grasu // Jake Fisher // Calvin Throckmorton // Geoff Schwartz
To be honest, I had an easier time with the offensive line than I thought I would (which makes me terrified that I'm forgetting someone obvious). Sewell and Zimmerman are obvious as your tackles, and once you realize that both Unger and Long can slot in at the guards, and JPJ — the only Rimington Award winner in school history — locks down the middle, it's pretty clear cut.
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Defensive Tackles
Our Picks:Haloti Ngata // Arik Armstead
Honorable Mentions:Derrick Harmon // Igor Olshansky // Brandon Dorlus
Haloti Ngata was about as easy an answer as anyone on the list. After that, I finagled things a bit and put Armstead at DT — which he did play 132 snaps at during 2013 and 2014 (PFF doesn't have his stats for 2012). Of course, if you don't feel great about shifting Armstead inside, feel free to plug in Harmon, Olshansky, or Dorlus. I'd take any of the three in a heartbeat.
Defensive Ends
(EDITORS NOTE: caption correction) Sep 7, 2019; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux (5) reacts after making a tackle on Nevada Wolf Pack punter Quinton Conaway (35) in the first half at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports
Our Picks:Kayvon Thibodeaux // DeForest Buckner
Honorable Mentions:Nick Reed // Kenny Rowe // Saul Patu // Devan Long
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One of the hardest choices I made in this exercise was going with DeForest Buckner over Nick Reed. I think that Buckner is the better athlete, and ultimately, I think he would fare a little bit better in today's game, but I have a soft spot for Reed, since I think that he is severely underrated in Oregon lore as the program's all-time sack leader.
Linebackers
Sep 7, 2019; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks linebacker Troy Dye (35) dances at the end of the third quarter against the Nevada Wolf Pack in the second half at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports
Our Picks:Dave Wilcox // Ernest Jones // Troy Dye
Honorable Mentions:Kiko Alonso // Casey Matthews // Bryce Boettcher // Jeffrey Bassa
The young reading base may disagree with these selections more than any other, but I feel pretty strongly about who we ended up with. Dave Wilcox is pretty undisputedly the best linebacker in program history, and Ernest Jones was a machine back in the 90s, with 29 sacks in his career. Taking this to today's era, and a rangy LB like Dye is exactly the player to fill out the trio.
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Cornerbacks
BOULDER, CO - NOVEMBER 5: Defensive back Christian Gonzalez #0 of the Oregon Ducks returns an interception in the third quarter of a game against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field on November 5, 2022 in Boulder, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
Our Picks:George Shaw // Christian Gonzalez
Honorable Mentions:Walter Thurmond III // Alex Molden // Steve Smith // Ifo Ekpre-Olomu // Erick Dargan
This is another spot where I had an incredibly tough time picking my two starters. George Shaw was undisputed; he is among the best players in program history, playing as both a quarterback and a cornerback back in the 50s. Of course, it's fair to question whether his game — at its peak — would translate to today's game. I'm still going with Shaw. After that, I struggled with Gonzalez over any of the other guys. Ultimately, I went with Gonzo because I think he is the most talented CB the Ducks have ever had, and his game is most suited for today's era. If you want to pick off the others, though, I can't argue against it.
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Safeties
EUGENE, OREGON - OCTOBER 26: Jevon Holland #8 of the Oregon Ducks runs for a 19 yard pick six against the Washington State Cougars in the second quarter during their game at Autzen Stadium on October 26, 2019 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
Our Picks:SS Jairus Byrd // FS Jevon Holland // Nickel Mel Renfro
Honorable Mentions:T.J. Ward // Patrick Chung // John Boyett
Starting with the nickel, I felt it was appropriate to put someone like Mel Renfro there, who moved around the secondary quite a bit during his career, and went on to become a Pro Football Hall of Famer. It was also a pretty easy choice to go with Jairus Byrd, one of the best defensive backs in program history, despite the fact that he didn't make the switch to safety until the NFL, and played CB at Oregon. Where I think there is some room for critique is with the selection of Jevon Holland over someone like T.J. Ward, which was hard for me, considering Ward is among my favorite Ducks of all time. I just think that Holland's versatility and his ability to thrive in the new age of the game suit him better to help this team to a 16-0 season.
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Special Teams
November 13, 2010; Berkeley, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks cornerback Cliff Harris (13) celebrates after scoring a touchdown on a punt return during the second quarter against the California Golden Bears at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Our Picks:K Jared Siegel // P Josh Bidwell // KOR De'Anthony Thomas // PR Cliff Harris
Honorable Mentions:KOR Kenjon Barner // KOR Jonathan Stewart // PR Bralon Addison
The kicking history at Oregon is suspect, but Jared Siegel is surely good enough to get the job done in crunch time. I'm more interested in the punt return and kick return spots. I think De'Anthony Thomas gets the nod at KOR, but you could argue that Kenjon Barner is deserving as well. As far as PR, I won't entertain any other answer than Cliff Harris. If you know, you know.
Coaching Staff
Our Picks:HC Dan Lanning // OC Chip Kelly // DC Nick Allioti
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I debated whether I wanted Lanning or Kelly as the head coach, but then realized I could slide Chip to OC for his one year there under Mike Bellotti. Ultimately, I'm not sure if Lanning is the best coach the Ducks have ever had, but he is up there, and he is undoubtedly the best recruiter and motivator Oregon has seen. And then Allioti as the DC is an easy choice.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon Ducks all-time roster built to go 16-0 in CFP era
