Duck Stuff: Morning Mud

Morning Mud

• George Schroeder thinks size matters when it comes to playing on the biggest stage.

“We’ll be back,” Kelly said after Monday’s loss.

We’ll see. And if they do return, we’ll see what they’ve learned, and how they’ve grown (hopefully, larger).

Monday night, Kelly called Oregon football a “forward-thinking operation,” which is how it should be.

Already you figure Kelly is thinking toward Sept. 3, and Oregon vs. LSU in a matchup of probable top-five teams with potential national-title implications.

Let’s hope he’s considering how the Ducks might erase the mismatches.

That’s the difference that separates elite from almost.

• Ted Miller looks at the Pac-10 bowl season and has a way too early look at the preseason rankings.

• Chip Kelly won his fifth coach of the year honor yesterday.

• Ken Goe looks ahead to the 2011 season.

• Lindsay Schnell can't believe she gets paid to witness the most memorable moments in Oregon sports.

• John Hunt was in the Oregon locker room after the game and caught up with Cliff Harris.

But the emotion in the Oregon locker room was strangely loose. There were no locker doors slamming, nobody snapped at anybody. There were tears, mostly from seniors who realized they would never suit up for their team again. There was a realization that this was a great season that ended with a great game against a great team.

As Cliff Harris said, “I hope you all enjoyed the show.’’

Everybody, including the Ducks, did just that.

GO DUCKS!