Category: Sports

When it comes to betting on point spreads in the NFL, a lot of people tend to only bet the favorites when the numbers are closer to 0. Very rarely do people place big money on teams that are favored to win by three or more touchdowns, and for good reason. 

Those types of spreads are insanely hard to cover, but they do still pop up from time to time. Throughout NFL history, here are the five largest point spreads that looked more like ones you’d see in college games.

5. Dallas Cowboys (-23 vs. Tampa Bay)

Things were incredibly difficult for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during their first couple of seasons in the NFL, and they were still searching for the franchise’s first win in Week 3 of the 1977 NFL season. However, they ran into a buzzsaw in the form of the Dallas Cowboys, who came into the matchup as a 23-point favorite.

The game got out of hand rather quickly as the Cowboys jumped out to a 17-0 lead in the first quarter. The Bucs tried to battle back in the second to make it a 20-7 game at halftime, but the Cowboys controlled the ball and showed mercy, winning by a final of 23-7 to improve to 3-0 on the season.

4. San Francisco 49ers (-24, Twice)

The San Francisco 49ers of the 1980s and 1990s were obviously incredible, and they were often heavy favorites for their games, especially against weak opponents. There were two occasions in which they were 24-point favorites, with the first coming in 1987 against the Atlanta Falcons, and the other in 1993 against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The 49ers would actually cover in the first of those two games, defeating the Falcons 35-7 in Candlestick Park. As for their game against the Bengals, the 49ers would win comfortably at 21-8 (despite trailing at halftime), but came nowhere close to covering the massive point spread. Coming into those games, the Bengals and Falcons had a combined record of 4-20.

3. New England Patriots (-25 vs. Philadelphia)

The 2007 New England Patriots are considered to be among the best teams of all time and were on their way to a perfect regular season when they were hosting the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 12. The Patriots were 10-0 at the time while the Eagles were still a respectable 5-5, but the oddsmakers figured it was going to be a blowout and made the Patriots a 25-point favorite.

The Eagles gave the Patriots everything they could handle, though. At halftime, the Patriots led 24-21, but lost the lead and went into the fourth quarter trailing 28-24. With 7:20 left, the Patriots scored a four-yard touchdown from Laurence Maroney and never lost the lead, winning 31-28 but coming nowhere close to covering the spread.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers (-27 vs. Tampa Bay)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers played their first NFL season in 1976 and, well, they didn’t perform quite the way that they wanted to, to put it nicely. The team was 0-12 heading into Pittsburgh to play a Steelers team destined for the playoffs. Oddsmakers gave the Steelers a 27-point advantage coming into the ballgame as nobody knew if the Bucs would even be able to score on the Steel Curtain.

Unlike the Cowboys from the year before, the Steelers didn’t show much mercy toward the 0-12 Buccaneers. Pittsburgh scored four touchdowns in the second half, and it wasn’t until they took a 42-0 lead into the fourth that they would slow down. That would end up being the final score, with the Steelers easily covering the massive spread.

1. Denver Broncos (-28 vs. Jacksonville)

The largest line in NFL history opened up at 28 points when the 5-0 Denver Broncos hosted the 0-5 Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 6 of the 2013 NFL season. The Broncos were riding high and Peyton Manning was having one of the greatest quarterback seasons in NFL history while the Jaguars were going nowhere fast. 

In the first quarter, it appeared as if the Broncos were going to cover, hopping out to a 14-0 lead. However, the Jaguars scored all 12 points in the second quarter to dash the hopes of anyone that bet on Denver. The Broncos would end up outscoring the Jags 21-7 in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to cover as they walked away with a 35-19 win.

The Super Bowl is supposed to be the annual contest where the two greatest teams in the NFL that season square off. However, not all Super Bowl teams are built the same. Some tend to sneak in through weak conferences and pure luck, getting pitted against a juggernaut team that’s expected to pound them.

This has led to some very large point spreads throughout Super Bowl history, but not all of them have gone the way of the favorite. You’ll find that the underdog actually wins straight up when point spreads get high enough. Let’s take a look at the five biggest point spreads in NFL history and see how the underdogs and favorites fared in those games.

5. Three Super Bowls (-12)

While there have been many double-digit point spreads in Super Bowl history, it had to have been at least 12 points to make this list. There were three Super Bowls that did just that, starting with the Minnesota Vikings as the 12-point favorite against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl IV. The next came 20 years later with the San Francisco 49ers favored over the Denver Broncos.

Finally, the New England Patriots were a 12-point favorite to cap off their perfect season in Super Bowl XLII against the New York Giants. The Patriots and Vikings would lose straight-up, including the Chiefs handily beating Minnesota. As for the 49ers, they easily covered against Denver, winning 55-10 in a route.

4. Two Super Bowls (-13.5)

The second-ever Super Bowl featured a massive point spread with the Green Bay Packers favored to win by 13.5 over the Raiders. Despite the gigantic odds, the Packers would still cover quite easily, defeating the Raiders 33-14 to win each of the first two Super Bowls in convincing fashion.

The only other time a Super Bowl spread was 13.5 points was when the Dallas Cowboys were favored against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 30th edition of the Super Bowl. The game was tight throughout, and the Cowboys pulled off a double-digit win, but it was only 10 points on the dot. So in the end, the Steelers would cover.

3. Three Super Bowls (-14)

We mentioned the first Super Bowl a moment ago, and it included a massive 14-point spread in favor of the Green Bay Packers. They took on the Kansas City Chiefs to determine the first Super Bowl winner, with the Packers easily covering their high expectations with a 35-10 victory. Exactly 30 years later, the Packers were favored by 14 again, this time against the New England Patriots.

The game ended up being a push as the Packers won by 14 points on the dot, 35-21, for their third Super Bowl title. The final 14-point spread was one of the biggest upsets in NFL history as a then-unknown Tom Brady knocked off the St. Louis Rams led by Kurt Warner in Super Bowl XXXVI, 20-17, starting the New England Patriots dynasty.

2. Super Bowl III (-18)

The first game that was officially called the Super Bowl as it was happening was the third matchup, this time between the NFL champion Baltimore Colts and the AFL-champion New York Jets. Led by Joe Namath, the Jets weren’t given a chance by any expert, though Namath would go on to guarantee that his Jets would win the game.

The Jets’ defense held the Colts down, allowing them to score just seven points throughout the entire game. The Jets not only covered the spread, but pulled off a nine-point victory, defeating Baltimore 16-7. To this day, many consider it the greatest upset in NFL history and ushered in a new era of pro football

1. Super Bowl XXIX  (-18.5)

Typically, massive point spreads have led to big upsets, but that wasn’t the case at Super Bowl XXIX. Everyone knew that it was the 49ers’ championship to lose as Steve Young was in search of his big moment. The 49ers walked into the game as 18.5-point favorites over the San Diego Chargers, and the offense more than did its part.

The 49ers walked away with a 49-26 win, meaning that they were able to cover the largest spread in Super Bowl history while also nearly hitting the points total of 53.5 all by themselves. For Young, it was his Hall of Fame moment that got the proverbial monkey off of his back.

With such a small overall population, the odds of being from Clarion County, Pennsylvania are small, but they aren’t zero. Over the long history of the small county, there have been several people that have gone on to national or even global fame. Out of the many residents that have been born and/or raised in Clarion County, these five stand out as the most well-known thus far.

5. Ernest M. Skinner

There was a time when pipe organs were a must-have in the music world, and Ernest M. Skinner was one of the most, well, instrumental people around. Skinner was born in Clarion with his parents being singers at the time. Skinner headed to Massachusetts at a young age and began developing his own organs at the turn of the 20th century.

The Skinner Organ Company would end up being a big success in its first few years, but had waned in popularity during the late 1920s. By 1936, Skinner had sold his company and went into writing, maintaining his position as a prominent name in music for years. Skinner lived well into his 90s, passing away in November 1960.

4. Ossee Schreckengost

The early days of Major League Baseball had some truly great names, and among those was Ossee Schreckengost, with a lot of people simply referring to him as Shreck, long before the animated ogre came around. Schreckengost began his professional career in 1897 with the Louisville Colonels and played for seven different franchises between then and 1908.

Schreckengost wasn’t a power hitter, hitting just nine home runs throughout his career. However, he was able to have a solid .271 batting average and knocked in 338 runs. Sadly, Schreckengost was just 39 years old when he passed away in Philadelphia on July 9, 1914 due to uremia.

3. Jane Wolfe

There aren’t too many actors that have come from Clarion County, but among them is Jane Wolfe, who was also known for being one of the most important figures in the magick movement in the United States. Wolfe was born in St. Petersburg and moved to New York City to pursue theater, eventually becoming a silent film actress.

Wolfe appeared in films that include “The Wild Goose Chase”, “The Plow Girl” and “Less Than Kin”, with dozens of credits in total. She was also a friend of Aleister Crowley and helped to found the Agape Lodge in California as part of the Ordo Templi Orientis. Wolfe lived to be 83 years old, passing away in March 1958.

2. Chris Kirkpatrick

If you were around during the boy band craze of the late 1990s and early 2000s, you definitely know the name Chris Kirkpatrick. Kirkpatrick was born in Clarion and spent time in several different towns around the United States without much money. It wasn’t until Kirkpatrick and his family moved to Orlando, Florida that he found big-time success and was performing in a local group when he caught wind of producer Lou Pearlman forming a boy band.

The boy band would become known as NSYNC, and Kirkpatrick was actually the first member. He was the one that recruited Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone, and Lance Bass. The quintet would become one of the hottest groups in the world, churning out smash hits during their brief run.

1. Jim Kelly

Perhaps the most famous person from Clarion County made their fame by playing football. Jim Kelly played quarterback at East Brady, which holds a population of just around 800 people. He went to the University of Miami down in Florida where he became a highly touted NFL prospect and was selected 14th overall lin the 1983 Draft by the Buffalo Bills.

After starting off his professional career with the Houston Gamblers of the USFL, Kelly finally joined the Bills and played his entire NFL career in Buffalo. Kelly was a two-time All-Pro and was considered among the best of his generation. He finished with 35,467 passing yards and 237 touchdowns and was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002.

When people think about basketball outside of the United States, many think of countries like Spain, Australia, or Argentina. However, there are some countries that are sneaky good at basketball, and that includes the Philippines. The country has produced a lot of great basketball players, and several Filipinos have even reached the NBA. Here are the five greatest Filipino basketball players of all time.

5. Robert Jaworski

Robert Jaworski was born in Baguio and helped put basketball on the map in the Philippines, starting his amateur career in 1967 with YCO Painters. After his short stint there, Jaworski would spend a couple of years with Meralco before playing the bulk of his career with Toyota and Ginebra San Miguel as an icon in the PBA.

Jaworski would even act as the coach of Ginebra San Miguel for almost all of his playing career with the franchise, while also representing the Philippines in international play. This includes two gold medals at the FIBA Asia Championship, as well as a silver and bronze medal. As head coach, he won another silver at the 1990 Beijing Asian Games.

4. Raymond Townsend

The first of the players on our list to make it to the NBA, Raymond Townsend was born in San Jose, California, and was the first Filipino-American player to reach the highest level of pro basketball. Townsend attended UCLA and played for the legendary coach John Wooden, and was selected at the very end of the 1978 NBA Draft.

Townsend played for the Golden State Warriors and Indiana Pacers for a couple of years, while also playing in Canada, Brazil, and Italy. He would finish with an average of 4.8 points, 1.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game in the NBA and won the FIBA Intercontinental Cup in 1984. Meanwhile, his brother Kurtis became a coach in the NCAA ranks.

3. Johnny Abarrientos

Johnny Abarrientos proved that you don’t have to be tall to be a great basketball player. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Abarrientos dominated as a player, winning a dozen PBA Championships, and was a one-time Most Valuable Player in 1996. He was selected to the PBA All-Star team eight times while also making five All-Defensive Teams.

It wasn’t just his play on the court that makes Abarrientos a legend in Philippines basketball, either. He would become an assistant coach following the end of his career (and even during the end of it), and joined the staff of the Far East University Tamaraws. At the same time, Abarrientos joined the coaching staff of the Magnolia Hotshots and has won six more PBA Championships.

2. Jalen Green

The youngest player on the list is also one of the best already. Jalen Green was born in Merced, California, and was named the top shooting guard in high school. Green would end up skipping a college career and entered the NBA Draft in 2021 out of the G League. The Houston Rockets used the second overall pick on Green in the draft, and he would be named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.

Though he represents the United States in international play, Green is the third player in NBA  history to be of Filipino descent. Green quickly proved that he has a chance to be the best ever thanks to his rookie campaign which saw him average 17.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game.

1. Jordan Clarkson

Jordan Clarkson’s mother came from the Philippines while his father served in the United States Air Force. Clarkson would exceed in basketball at Wagner High School in San Antonio, Texas, and played college basketball at both Tulsa and Missouri. Clarkson would end up being the 46th overall selection in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards, though he started his career with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Clarkson has played for multiple teams during his career and has won several accolades. This includes making the All-Rookie First Team and winning the 2021 NBA Sixth Man of the Year. In that award-winning campaign, Clarkson put up 18.4 points and 4.0 rebounds per game.

When you think about franchises that have had bad luck at quarterback, most of them come from the NFC North outside of the Green Bay Packers. More than any other franchise, though, it seems to be the Chicago Bears, who have been searching for their franchise signal caller since the retirement of Sid Luckman in the late 1950s. 

With Luckman being the obvious top quarterback in franchise history, who makes up the rest of the top five quarterbacks in Bears’ history? Let’s take a look at the list.

5. Ed Brown

A lot of the younger people may not have heard of Ed Brown, and even some of the older crowd probably doesn’t think of Brown in terms of all-time greats. However, Brown was the quarterback and punter for the Chicago Bears for several years after being drafted by the team out of the University of San Francisco in 1952.

Brown didn’t begin his NFL career until he was 26 years old, and it wasn’t until his second season that he was made the team’s starter. Brown played for eight total seasons, finishing with a record of 39-25-2. During that time, he threw for 9,698 yards, 63 touchdowns, and 88 interceptions. The two-time Pro Bowl selection also added 841 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.

4. Jim Harbaugh

Jim Harbaugh is one of those people that has had such a long coaching career that many people forget that he was actually a player. The man that has been a head coach for Stanford, the San Francisco 49ers, and the University of Michigan had a long career as a quarterback, with his first and longest stop being with the Bears after he was a first-round pick in 1987 out of Michigan.

It took some time for Harbaugh to make it onto the field as he backed up Jim McMahon at the beginning of his career, and he was handed the reigns full-time in 1990, going 10-4 in his first season as a starter. Overall, Harbaugh won 35 of his 65 starts in a Bears uniform and threw for 11,567 yards, 50 touchdowns, and 56 interceptions.

3. Jay Cutler

The Bears have had some rotten luck at quarterback since the start of the 1990s and were able to finally get some stability to start off the 2010s when the team acquired Jay Cutler. Cutler was a former first-round selection out of Vanderbilt for the Denver Broncos and was traded to the Bears before the 2009 season for Kyle Orton and several draft picks.

Cutler didn’t make the Pro Bowl while with the Bears and didn’t have a winning record (51-51), but he gave the Bears a quarterback that was capable of winning them games for the first time in a long time. Cutler finished his Bears career with over 23,000 passing yards, 154 touchdowns and 109 interceptions.

2. Jim McMahon

The 1980s were one of the best decades in Chicago Bears’ history, and it wasn’t just because of the strong defense. The team also had great quarterback play from Jim McMahon, with the Bears drafting McMahon out of BYU with the fifth overall selection in 1982. McMahon remained with the team through the 1988 season, and it may have been longer had it not been for a shoulder injury and regime change in Chicago.

Interestingly enough, McMahon was only named to one Pro Bowl team during his time with the Bears, but he fit right in with what the franchise needed at the time. McMahon won 46 of his 61 games as a starting quarterback in Chicago, throwing for 67 touchdowns and 46 interceptions.

1. Sid Luckman

When it comes to Chicago Bears quarterbacks, there’s only one full-time QB that has been enshrined as a member of the Bears in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. That quarterback is Sid Luckman, who was the second overall pick out of Columbia in 1939. Luckman played with the Bears from 1939 to 1950 and then became the quarterbacks coach from 1954 to 1969.

Luckman won the NFL’s Most Valuable Player Award in 1943 and was an All-Pro selection in six seasons. Luckman’s ability to run the T-formation offense helped the Bears win four NFL Championships between 1940 and 1946, and the Bears have been trying to find their next Sid Luckman since his retirement.

As one of the biggest football programs in the nation, you’re definitely going to have a long list of rivals. Michigan is no exception, with rivals both inside and outside of the Big Ten Conference. While many claim Michigan as their rival, Michigan only recognizes some of those schools on their end. Out of those rivals, how do they rank up in terms of importance for the Wolverines and their fans? Here is our ranking of the Michigan football rivalries.

5. Illinois

There are only two opponents in Michigan’s history whom they’ve played more than Illinois, so while the rivalry might not be the most heated in modern times, it is one of the most played in school history. Over time, Michigan has dominated the series, especially since the start of the 1960s. After guys like Dick Butkus and Red Grange, Michigan held the upper hand more often than not.

Michigan doesn’t have a rivalry trophy up for grabs when they’re plating Illinois, but if there were one, it would spend a lot of time in Ann Arbor. Michigan has won games by as much as 57 points, doing so in 1969. Between 2000 and 2022, Illinois won just twice during Michigan’s down years, but outside of those two blowouts, it’s been all Michigan.

4. Minnesota

The first of the rivalries on the list that has a trophy up for grabs, Michigan and Minnesota play each other for the Little Brown Jug, though it’s not a yearly rivalry in the current state of the Big Ten Conference. They began to play in 1892 and the Wolverines and Golden Gophers have met over 100 times in their history.

The Wolverines hold a huge edge in this rivalry, winning around three-quarters of the games played and having an average winning margin of more than 12 points. Between 1986 and 2020, Minnesota won the Little Brown Jug just twice (2005 and 2014). The last time Minnesota won consecutive games was in the 1960s.

3. Michigan State

Every year, the Paul Bunyan Trophy is up for grabs when bitter in-state rivals meet in October. Unlike the first two rivalries on the list, this one has not been entirely one-sided, though Michigan does hold a significant advantage. Between the “little brother” talk, the brawling in the tunnels, and the general disdain that Michigan and Michigan State have for each other, this rivalry is the second-most heated.

However, it’s the third-greatest rivalry for Michigan. Much of the reason why it’s not number two is that it feels more important for Michigan State than it does Michigan. MSU isn’t considered one of the “blue bloods” of college football, and it wasn’t until 2008 and beyond that it became hyper-competitive.

2. Notre Dame

In a rivalry game that should happen every year, Michigan and Notre Dame haven’t played each other on a regular basis in a long time, but it’s always an event that captures attention nationwide when it does happen. Michigan and Notre Dame just flat-out don’t like each other, and that hatred stems from the turn of the 20th century.

The two teams last met in 2019 and won’t meet again until 2033. Michigan holds the advantage 25-17-1 in the series, but it’s much more even than it seems. Notre Dame had learned how to play football from Michigan, and the Wolverines won the first eight contests between 1887 and 1908. Notre Dame also has a vacated win, giving the Irish a slight edge since World War II.

1. Ohio State

Of course, Ohio State has to be placed as the number one rival for Michigan. After all, the annual meeting is simply called “The Game.” Michigan has played Ohio State more than any other team, surpassing Minnesota after the Wolverines joined the same Big Ten division as the Buckeyes.

Ohio State holds a very slight edge in the series overall, with Michigan once having the edge before the 21st century. Michigan has fought back, though, and the rivalry seems to be headed toward continuous balance for a very long time. Michigan owns the biggest blowout win, though, defeating Ohio State 58-6 in 1946.

There has been a lot of talk over the years about the Montana Grizzlies potentially joining the FBS, which is the highest level of college football. While Montana doesn’t play current FBS teams much these days as they focus on their FCS foes, they do still have some old rivals. Out of all of the current FBS teams, there are a few that Montana played many times over the years.

To give you an idea of how Montana would fare in the FBS, here is a look at how they did against teams that are currently in the highest subdivision of college football.

1. Washington State

There was a time when Washington State and Montana would play each other every year during the early days of college football. Prior to joining what is now the Pac-12 Conference in 1962, Washington State was part of the Pacific Coast Conference. The conference was home to Montana football from 1924 to 1950.

Washington State won the first 15 times that they played Montana, with the Grizzlies finally getting the upper hand in 1947 with a 13-12 upset. The two schools played for what might be the final time in 1951, with Washington State winning their first game in the rivalry as a ranked team (17th). Overall, Washington State leads the series 19-1, outscoring the Grizzlies heavily in this one-sided affair.

2. Utah State

There was only a brief period in which Montana and Utah State were in the same conference, which came in the Mountain States Athletic Conference in the late 1940s. However, the two played several times both before and after their short time of being conference foes. The first came in 1917 with Utah State winning 21-6, and they played just once between then and 1946.

Overall, Utah State has won 14 of the 19 matchups, with the active win streak of five by the Aggies being the longest win streak in the series. They played each other every year from 1946 until 1962, but haven’t played since. Montana’s biggest win came in 1950 when they defeated Utah State 38-7.

3. Washington

Washington is one of the premier conferences of the Pac-12, but there was once a time when they joined several other schools including Montana in the Pacific Coast Conference. The two schools played each other almost yearly between 1923 and 1942, with a couple of additional matchups afterward.

After an eighth-ranked Huskies team defeated Montana 58-7 in 1951, it appeared the series might be over. However, the two played each other once more in 2021, with 20th-ranked Washington suffering a massive upset to Montana, 13-7. It was the only win in the series for Montana as Washington won 14 of the other games with one tie in 1929.

4. BYU

Though BYU has been famous for bouncing around conferences over the years, they’ve played a wide variety of teams throughout their history. This includes Montana, with the Grizzlies and Cougars playing each other 15 times between 1941 and 1962. Montana won the first matchup, and things were streaky afterward.

BYU holds the overall advantage in the series 10-5, including winning the final three by a combined 29 points. Montana’s biggest victory in the series came in 1949 when they defeated BYU 25-6. BYU’s biggest win was in 1958 when they cruised to a 41-12 victory.

5. Colorado State

The current FBS that just cracks the top five on the list is Colorado State, a current member of the Mountain West Conference. The Rams once belonged Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and shifted over to the Skyline Conference at the same time as the Grizzlies. The two wouldn’t play again after Colorado State went independent and eventually the WAC, but they did play each other 15 times.

Colorado State holds a slight advantage in the series, winning nine of the 15 games, including a 50-point win in 1958. However, Montana won the final three games of the series, upsetting Colorado State by 12, 3, and 1 point. Montana handed Colorado State their largest defeat in 1947, winning 41-7.

The University of Michigan has had some significant wins over the program’s history. After all, no team has won more games at the college football level than the Wolverines. There are some wins that just seem to mean more, though. 

From beating Notre Dame under the lights to winning Big Ten division titles, there are some great wins, but which ones are truly the biggest throughout Michigan football history? Here are our picks for the top five of all time.

5. Repeat Performance

In 1947, the Michigan Wolverines had won a share of the national title (more on that later) and were looking for a repeat in the 1948 season. They came into the season unranked, surprisingly, but quickly proved their worth with wins over Michigan State, Oregon, and Purdue by a combined 67-7.

Michigan shot up to number four in the rankings and got their first massive test against number three Northwestern. It was an early preview of who would win the Big Ten, and Michigan stepped up to the occasion in a big way. Michigan would score early and often, defeating the third-ranked Wildcats by a score of 28-0 en route to a Big Ten title and a national championship.

4. Ending the Curse

Heading into the 2021 season, Michigan had beaten Ohio State just once since 2003. Michigan had also never reached the College Football Playoff at that point, but everything would change on November 27, 2021. The Wolverines were ranked fifth while the Buckeyes were the number two team in the country.

The Wolverines surprised everyone by dominating on the ground and handling the Buckeyes’ offense, winning easily by a score of 42-27. Instead of having a hangover from the Ohio State win, the Wolverines would cruise to a 42-3 victory over Iowa in the Big Ten Championship, claiming their first conference title in 18 years and their first trip to the College Football Playoff.

3. Bo’s Big Debut

After spending six seasons as the head coach for Miami (Ohio), Bo Schembechler was signed to be the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines in hopes of getting the program on the right track. In his first season, Schembechler sent a message to the school’s biggest rival, which came into Michigan Stadium ranked number one.

The Wolverines were ranked 12th, and the defense dominated Ohio State, winning 24-12 in front of over 103,500 fans. Michigan finished the regular season with an 8-2 record, and although they didn’t win the Big Ten or the Rose Bowl (losing 10-3 to USC), the message was sent that Michigan football was back.

2. Post-War Confusion

College football was back in full swing after the conclusion of World War II, though there was another battle at the top of the polls during the 1947 college football season. This was between Michigan, Notre Dame, and Penn State, all of whom finished the season with perfect records. While voters were split between Michigan and Notre Dame, the Wolverines claimed a title in a big way.

The two schools shared one common opponent: USC. While Notre Dame defeated the Trojans 38-7, the Wolverines defeated them 49-0 during the Rose Bowl. It was the fifth shutout of the season for Michigan, which had bounced up and down between number one and number two in the rankings, finishing with a share of the national championship.

1. 1998 Rose Bowl

Michigan ran through an absolute gauntlet during the 1997 season in hopes of winning its first national championship since 1948. The Wolverines got off to a hot start by pummeling eighth-ranked Colorado and survived tough challenges from Notre Dame, Iowa, and Ohio State throughout the season.

Earning the number one ranking to end the regular season, the Wolverines just needed to defeat Ryan Leaf and the Washington State Cougars in the Rose Bowl and did just that. Washington State made it very interesting in the final seconds, but the Wolverines held on to earn their first championship in nearly 50 years, winning 21-16.

When you think of historic basketball programs on the west coast, people tend to think of UCLA, but it was actually Oregon that won the first-ever NCAA men’s basketball tournament. It would take nearly 80 years for the Ducks to get back to the Final Four, but along the way, there have been some great players that nearly got them there. Throughout all of Oregon basketball history, here are the five best players to ever wear the Ducks uniform:

5. Terrell Brandon

Portland native Terrell Brandon spent just two seasons at Oregon but had a massive impact on the basketball program. Brandon was a first-team All-Pac-10 member in both of his seasons and the conference’s Player of the Year in 1991. In that season, Brandon set the school record for most points in a season with 745.

Post-Oregon Days: Brandon left the Ducks after his sophomore season to declare for the NBA Draft and was selected 11th overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Though he’d run into injury problems in the NBA, Brandon was a two-time NBA All-Star in 1996 and 1997 with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Overall he averaged 13.8 points and 6.1 assists per game in his 11-year career.

4. Luke Ridnour

A high school All-American from Blaine, Washington, Luke Ridnour made an immediate impact in his freshman season, averaging 7.4 points per game en route to being the Pac 10 Freshman of the Year. By the time he was a junior, Ridnour was averaging nearly 20 points per game and was named the Pac-10 Player of the Year to go along with two first-team All-Pac-10 honors.

Post-Oregon Days: Ridnour declared for the NBA Draft following his impressive junior season and was the 14th overall selection in 2003 by the Seattle SuperSonics. Ridnour spent more than a decade in the NBA, averaging 9.3 points, 4.5 assists, and 2.3 rebounds per game while playing for five different franchises, finishing in 2015 with the Orlando Magic.

3. Payton Pritchard

The first player on the list to put in a full four seasons with Oregon, Payton Pritchard from West Linn, Oregon was a starter in all four of those years. Pritchard was one of the top players in the nation by his senior season when he was averaging 20.5 points and 5.5 assists per game. Pritchard is fourth in program history in scoring and won the Lute Olson Award, Bob Cousy Award and was All-Pac-12 and All-American in his final year. 

Post-Oregon Days: Pritchard was the 26th overall selection by the Boston Celtics in the 2020 NBA Draft and received significant playing time in his first season, averaging 7.7 points per game. Though he’d see reduced time in his second year, Pritchard remains a member of the Celtics rotation as a role player.

2. Luke Jackson

Creswell native Luke Jackson stayed in-state for his college career where he played four seasons, including a senior campaign with 21.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. Jackson was an All-American in 2004 and two-time First-Team All-Pac-10 with 1,970 career points.

Post-Oregon Days: There were big things expected for Jackson as he skipped his senior season for the NBA and was drafted 10th overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, he spent just two seasons with the team before wrapping up his NBA career in 2008 with short stints for the Clippers, Raptors, and Heat. Jackson played just 73 games in the NBA before moving his professional career to Europe.

1. Ron Lee

The top player on the list is Ron Lee, who started all four seasons and is the program record holder for most points scored at 2.085. Lee averaged over 18 points per game in all four of his seasons with Oregon and was named First-Team All-Pac-8 in each one. In 1976, he was recognized as the conference’s Player of the Year.

Post-Oregon Days: Just like Jackson, Lee was a 10th overall selection as the Phoenix Suns drafted him in 1976. Lee played for Phoenix for just a couple of seasons, though, and spent time with the Jazz, Hawks, and Pistons before his NBA career ended in 1982. He finished with 7.3 points and 3.8 assists per game while leading the NBA in steals during the 1977-78 season before heading to Europe for the rest of his pro days.

Oregon football has a long history in the NCAA, but it wasn’t until the mid 1990s that the program started to make its mark on a national level. The school, and especially alumni Phil Knight of Nike, started to inject more resources into the program, and the result has been Oregon becoming one of the best football programs of the 21st century.

Along the way, there have been some legendary Ducks players, but a handful that truly stands out. These players may not have had the best careers in the NFL, but what they did during their days in Eugene makes them the five best players in Oregon Ducks’ football history.

Before we start the list, here are some honorable mentions of players that just missed the cut: Jonathan Stewart, Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, Max Unger, Gary Zimmerman, DeForest Buckner, Kayvon Thibodeaux, LaMichael James.

5. Joey Harrington

Portland native Joey Harrington started seeing playing time in his sophomore season with Oregon, and by his junior year, he was one of the best quarterbacks in the Pac-10. Harrington’s Oregon career was capped off with a 27-6 touchdown to interception ratio and a fourth-place finish in the 2001 Heisman voting. He finished his career with 6,911 passing yards and 59 touchdowns to go along with a massive win in the Fiesta Bowl.

Post-Oregon Days: Harrington was thought to be a surefire franchise quarterback in the NFL and was selected by the Detroit Lions with the third overall pick in 2002. He remained there for four seasons and played with Miami, Atlanta, and New Orleans before ending his career in 2008 with 79 touchdowns and 85 interceptions.

4. Penei Sewell

Penei Sewell was considered a can’t-miss high school prospect who grew up in St. George, Utah. Almost every team was after his services, and Oregon landed Sewell in 2018. He immediately became a starter on the offensive line and won the Outland and Morris trophies during his 2019 All-American season before opting out of the COVID-19-affected 2020 season and entering the NFL Draft.

Post Oregon Days: Sewell was also a top 10 pick by the Detroit Lions and was selected seventh overall in 2021. Sewell became an immediate starter in Detroit and made an impact in his first season, being named to the All-Rookie Team and figures to be a staple of the Lions’ offensive line for years to come.

3. Haloti Ngata

Coming out of Salt Lake City, Haloti Ngata started on the Ducks’ defensive line for three seasons and was both an All-Pac-10 and All-American player while also winning the Morris Trophy in 2005. Ngata could do it all in college, and he only left Oregon early because of his mother’s illness and needed the NFL money to support her.

Post-Oregon Days: Ngata is another Oregon player that made his way to Detroit for three seasons, but spent nine years with the Baltimore Ravens first, and was a five-time All-Pro with the team. Ngata won a Super Bowl with Baltimore and was the 12th overall selection in the 2006 NFL Draft.

2. Dennis Dixon

One of the flashiest quarterbacks of his time, Dennis Dixon threw for over 5,100 yards and had 38 touchdowns through the air during his Oregon career while also rushing for 1,208 yards and 12 touchdowns. Dixon was a two-time All-Pac-10 player and the conference’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2007.

Post Oregon Days: Dixon is the lone Duck on the list to not be a first-round selection as he was taken 156th overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2008. He remained in Pittsburgh through the 2011 season and was on the practice squad for four different franchises from 2012 to 2014 before retiring with one touchdown and two interceptions.

1. Marcus Mariota

Of course, the best player in Oregon’s program history is the school’s only Heisman Trophy winner: Marcus Mariota. Mariota was a three-year starter with the Ducks, throwing for 10,796 yards and 105 touchdowns compared to just 14 interceptions. Mariota also rushed for 2,237 yards and another 29 touchdowns.

Post-Oregon Days: Mariota was the second overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft after Jameis Winston was taken first, leading the Tennessee Titans for five seasons. Mariota was let go by the team following the 2019 season and made his way to the Las Vegas Raiders as a backup to Derek Carr before becoming a starter once again for the Atlanta Falcons.