It's not the critic who counts. Rival fanbases will have a field day if the Ducks come close but get turned away in the College Football Playoff semifinal. The timeline will be full of Beavers, Huskies and Trojans chortling about "Zero Natties" or "Ducks choke again" but no matter the result tonight in Atlanta, this is a program on the rise, with purpose and hope.
What were the reasonable expectations before the season? New starting quarterback, rebuilt offensive line, new secondary-- a 10-2 season, winning a playoff game were the targets most fans set for the season, and many of the pundits tabbed Oregon as a team to fall back a little, maybe lose at Penn State, Iowa and Washington and miss the playoffs at 9-3.