Kirk Herbstreit Rips the Ducks on the Pat McAfee Show: "They've Got to Get Their Mind Right"

Today on ESPN's Pat McAfee Show College GameDay panelist and lead color man Kirk Herbstreit had a blistering evaluation of the Oregon Ducks after their 2-0 start, last-minute wins over Idaho and Boise State.

The McAfee posse asked Herbstreit if the Ducks had time to get it right before Ohio State came to town.

"I think they definitely have time to get it right. I don't know, Bo Nix meant so much to that team. You can never underestimate what a great leader can mean to a football team's focus."

"There's been so much preseason hype with Oregon. I'm sure Dan Lanning is doing his best to get these guys to lock in, to respect the opponent. Boise is a dangerous team anytime you play them."

"But they don't look like they have the same fight that they had last year. It's only two games but I think they should stop listening and reading their press clippings and get focused on work."

"Remember when they played Nebraska [Colorado] early in the year last year and Dan got some negative press from some people-- not us--because he said, 'They're about clicks, we're about hittin' people?'"

McAfee reminded him that it was indeed the Buffaloes, but the point continued.

"I just felt that's who they were. They kind of played with a chip on their shoulder all year long. They couldn't get it done against Washington twice but they had a bit of nastiness about them. I haven't seen that yet from this team."

"They look like they're more about, 'hey, we'll turn it on when we get to whoever.' That'll eventually catch up to them unless they get this thing turned around."

"They have the ability. They can win as many games as they want but they've got to get their mind right."

Herbstreit was harsh, but everything he said got right to the truth. The hype's over and it accomplished nothing. The Ducks play Oregon State Saturday afternoon in Corvallis, 12:30 P.M. on Fox. Oregon can't wait too much longer to establish their identity and their standard. They've floundered in two unconvincing wins as big favorites.