Canzano: Oregon Ducks ready for small step… in big leap

PASADENA, CA - OCTOBER 11: The Oregon Ducks mascot performs before the game with the UCLA Bruins at the Rose Bowl on October 11, 2014 in Pasadena, California. Oregon won 42-30. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

In the hours before the University of Oregon decided to jump to the Big Ten Conference, high-level administrators, stakeholders, and consultants huddled in Eugene.

Someone brought up the football struggles of former Big 12 power Texas A&M, which finished 5-7 in 2022 in the SEC.

“They fell off because of poor hires,” one involved person explained.

The wilting of Nebraska also came up. The Huskers had a sterling brand and five national titles. They had three Heisman Trophy winners and a sold-out 85,000-seat stadium on Saturdays. Then, Nebraska joined the Big Ten, cycled through head coaches, and disappeared.

“Everyone else is recruiting nationally now,” a person in the inner circle pointed out. “They became less relevant when they weren’t the only ones recruiting at a national scale.”

On Saturday at the Rose Bowl, Oregon will play UCLA. Kickoff is 8 p.m. on FOX. It’s the first Big Ten Conference game for the Ducks and evidence of how much college athletics has changed.

Before kickoff — some questions: