I get it now.
Not that I didn’t earlier than, however it’s so clear after watching a day stuffed with custom come good in my third 12 months of overlaying school sports activities: the extra residence College Football Playoff video games, the higher. Oregon’s postgame locker room might have been quiet, and the Ducks have been pissed off after giving up 28 second-half factors of their 51-34 win over James Madison, however the stadium couldn’t have been extra alive.
College soccer historical past was made in December, and even with no aggressive recreation at halftime, the vacations have been well-celebrated in Eugene with custom that goes past the scoreline and quantity of enjoyable soccer (the two groups mixed for 18 explosive performs).
What the day proved was that there must be extra of these video games.
I’ll be completely clear right here: I didn’t develop up watching school soccer. I bear in mind watching Marcus Mariota in opposition to Florida State on TV with household, however that’s about it. I grew up in Seattle (noticed Jake Browning a few occasions), and leaned extra towards soccer and the Seahawks than I did school sports activities. The final three years at Oregon have been a crash course in what makes them special. I’d wish to assume that it’s been near complete (and fairly fortunate).
The resume is that this: Between overlaying the group and playing within the marching band, I’ve watched Oregon play 19 occasions at Autzen Stadium, and traveled to Husky Stadium, Beaver Stadium, the Pac-12 and Big Ten Championship video games, the Fiesta Bowl, the Rose Bowl and the Orange Bowl. The first-round matchup in December was my final residence recreation — I’m graduating within the spring. I made a decision to stroll to Autzen with Sports Editor Jack Lazarus. It’s one thing I’ve accomplished loads of occasions.
I walked over the Willamette River 3 times per week throughout my first two years in Eugene, after I was within the marching band (it’s so much longer once you’re lugging a big instrument). I walked to many of the residence video games this season, too. Forgetting why school soccer is particular is straightforward to do when overlaying it turns into routine, and I discovered that strolling and watching was reminder of why this recreation mattered.
On-campus postseason video games have been a serious promoting level of the brand new 12-team College Football Playoff. An expanded postseason constructed on the pageantry of faculty custom supplemented one which had beforehand been rooted within the grandeur of the New Year’s Six bowl video games and the promise of matchups between the very best 4 groups within the nation.
The first-ever residence playoff recreation in Eugene had much less of the aggressive draw, however loads of custom; Oregon (the fifth seed within the CFP rankings) and James Madison (the twelfth) have been separated by a three-touchdown unfold at kickoff and 28 factors on the half. The Ducks’ first postseason run since 2015 began a 12 months in the past on the Rose Bowl Game in Pasadena, California, the place there’s arguably extra school soccer historical past than wherever else.
With an opportunity to move to the quarterfinal spherical for the second-straight season, they acquired an opportunity to indicate off Autzen Stadium — and make some historical past of their very own. It’s not that it was new. It was intimately acquainted, with a tinge of win-or-go-home anxiousness (even when it wasn’t going to be shut). It was a possibility to spend another Saturday with mates.
I’m scripting this story en path to the Orange Bowl in Florida, the place the Ducks will play No. 4 Texas Tech University on New Year’s Day. There’s custom there, too. It’s an important matchup, and a stupendous place for followers to spend the vacation. But Oregon head coach Dan Lanning argued earlier this week that I ought to be headed to Lubbock, Texas, as a substitute, to look at the Ducks and Red Raiders play on campus. He talked concerning the benefit that ought to, in his opinion, be afforded to the higher-seeded group in a Playoff matchup. That’s a part of the dialogue, too, however the half I can’t get away from is the sensation.
There’s no good resolution to how that occurs. Maybe it’s a 16-team playoff — however then there are questions over who ought to qualify. It’s tough to exclude the historic bowl video games in an period the place those not within the CFP are increasingly fading from relevance.
After watching CFP logos flash on the enormous display screen at Autzen Stadium for the primary time, although, I can’t argue in opposition to extra of these video games. It’s been an important journey. Like I stated, I get it now.