Not To Be a Jerk, But Broncos Not Candy for Oregon Ducks

The hype train has broken down, spewing black smoke in the middle of nowhere. It's three miles to the nearest town, across a bumpy field.

And the Oregon offensive line is forlornly dragging a cumbersome trunk of all those inflated expectations across that expanse of cropland, one bump at a time.

They need someone, their coach, offensive coordinator Will Stein, their quarterback, to pick up the other end of the trunk.

Oregon isn't what they were ticketed to be. This season was supposed to be a smooth flight to a sumptuous Thanksgiving dinner, but instead it's looking like a clunky misadventure in redneck prairie pickups, a burned-out station wagon and a freezer truck.

The Ducks are going to have to take it one night at a time, and try to have a sense of humor about it. Hopefully their fans won't get carried away raiding the minibar.

Boise State comes to town this Saturday night at 7:30 P.M. Pacific on the Peacock Network. `

The Ducks had better sleep with one eye open and keep their hands free of the pillows, or Maddux "Mad Dog" Madsen and Ashton Jeanty might wind up stealing their wallet.