Heading into this season, Oregon football fans were brimming with excitement, buoyed by lofty preseason expectations and talk of a potential playoff run. The pieces seemed to be in place: a seasoned quarterback in Dillon Gabriel, a defense packed with talent, and a coaching staff ready to take the next step. But something about these high expectations can cloud the pure joy of football, a joy that surfaced in an unexpected way Saturday night in Autzen Stadium.
As I stood in the press box watching Oregon’s narrow 37-34 victory over Boise State, I was struck by the electricity of the Autzen crowd. Even late in the fourth quarter, after turnovers and penalties had nearly cost the Ducks the game, the stands remained full, with fans standing and cheering, willing their team toward victory. There’s something about that collective energy, something that reminds me of why I fell in love with the game in the first place. It felt like the clock had turned back, and for a few moments, I wasn’t thinking about the rankings, the playoff scenarios, or the pressure of meeting lofty goals. I was simply immersed in the raw emotion of college football. It was nerve wracking - and that is kind of what made it fun.
It brought me back to the early 2000s, the "Captain Comeback" era with Joey Harrington, where Oregon made its mark with thrilling, heart-stopping finishes. Games weren’t just about dominance; they were about finding a way to win when things looked bleak. There was an unpredictability to it, a sense of magic that came from not knowing what might happen next. Last night, as the Ducks battled back from turnovers and miscues, I felt some of that same thrill. It wasn’t the blowout so many fans might have expected or hoped for, but it was something better—it was an exciting, nerve-wracking reminder of how much fun football can be.
In some ways, I miss those days. I miss the fun that comes with a lack of expectations, where every win feels like a triumph and every close call brings you to the edge of your seat. Watching Oregon pull off this narrow win over Boise State took me back to 2015, to that wild night when Vernon Adams led the Ducks past Arizona State in a triple-overtime thriller. There was no thought of playoff spots or a clear path to a title; it was just about watching a team fight, scratch, and claw for a victory. That’s the kind of joy I felt last night, standing among a crowd that believed in the team, no matter how messy the game had gotten.
Expectations are tricky. They’re great when everything is going well, but they can also strip away the pure excitement of moments like these. Blowouts are fun, sure, but there’s something about the thrill of not knowing if you’ll pull out the win. It forces you to be in the moment, to celebrate each touchdown, each defensive stand, as if the season hangs in the balance.
Saturday night reminded me that, sometimes, football is at its best when it’s unpredictable. The joy comes not from watching a perfectly executed game plan unfold, but from the messiness, the mistakes, and the sheer determination of a team that refuses to quit. Maybe the high expectations for Oregon this season have taken away some of that joy. But for one night, Autzen was alive with the kind of excitement that only comes from a game you didn’t quite see coming—a game that brought back memories of the past and reminded me why we love college football in the first place.
