Washington State coach Jake Dickert pushed back on the idea that his Cougars and the Oregon State Beavers are pals, but did anybody really believe that was the case between the lines? On this week’s episode of the Oregonian Sports podcast, co-hosts Bill Oram and Brenna Greene discuss why OSU and WSU’s institutional alliance has little bearing on Saturday’s game and why the matchup has a long way before it can be considered a rivalry. Also discussed on this week’s episode: • The Beavers “epic...

After eight conference games in as many weeks, the only team in the country to endure such a stretch, the No. 1 Oregon Ducks can finally breathe with a bye week. Oregon is 11-0 after a narrow, 16-13 road win over Wisconsin on Saturday. What can be gleaned from that one, beyond the result? And how are Oregon men’s and women’s basketball doing?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is Oregon State on the right track, despite a five-game losing streak and the likelihood that the Beavers won’t play in a bowl game in 2024? Former Oregon State defensive end Isaac Hodgins and The Oregonian/OregonLive’s Nick Daschel talked about the ramifications of Saturday’s 28-0 loss at Air Force. What does it mean, and what has to happen to get the Beavers turned around. Whatever it is, Hodgins – who played for coach Trent Bray for six years – believes the Beavers have the right head...

The Blazer Focused podcast, hosted by Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian/OregonLive and Craig Birnbach, discusses the death of Brian Wheeler, the Blazers' incredible two-game sweep of Minnesota, how the play of Donovan Clingan and Shaedon Sharpe offered hope, Chauncey Billips’ performance and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Blazers went from one of the worst losses of Chauncey Billups’ tenure as head coach to one of the most galvanizing wins in a mere 48 hours. Is there any path for Billups to find long-term success in Portland or will his coaching arc have to follow the path of his Hall of Fame playing career that required many stops before he found his footing? That’s the question Bill Oram and Brenna Greene from KOIN consider on this week’s episode of the Oregonian Sports Podcast. Also, Bill breaks down a...

Basketball season is here, and both the Oregon men and women are off to strong starts. On the women’s side, an upset win over No. 12 Baylor on Sunday night could spark the turnaround this program needs. Plus, No. 1 Oregon football commits too many penalties but pulls away from Maryland to move to 10-0. Will either of the Ducks’ remaining games before the Big Ten title game be remotely competitive? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are Oregon State bowl hopes dashed, or is there hope? In this week’s Beaver Banter podcast, The Oregonian/OregonLive’s Nick Daschel and former Oregon State defensive end Isaac Hodgins discuss the possibilities. Hodgins makes a case that OSU coaches will play video clips from Saturday’s 24-13 loss to San Jose State and show players that they’re not that far away from making big plays. The podcast examines the good and bad of Saturday’s performance. One area that Hodgins explains is what it...

It was no surprise that Oregon was seeded No. 1 in the first College Football Playoff rankings. But Ohio State at No. 2? And what can we learn from these rankings with so much football left to play? On the Oregonian Sports Podcast, columnist Bill Oram and Brenna Greene of KOIN break down the initial reveal, and break down potential matchups and the Ducks' potential path to the Jan. 20 national championship game in Atlanta. Also discussed on this week’s episode: • What it was like at...

The Blazer Focused podcast, hosted by Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian/OregonLive and Craig Birnbach, examines the team following a 3-5 start. Young forwards are playing well, but Scoot Henderson is still struggling. What does losing the right way look like? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Oregon football team is showing no signs of slowing down, fresh off a 38-17 road win at Michigan to move to 9-0. What can be parsed out of that game by way of criticism, and what was so dominant about it? Plus, a look ahead to the initial College Football Playoff rankings, and brief previews for Oregon men’s and women’s basketball. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s Beaver Banter podcast, with The Oregonian/OregonLive’s Nick Daschel and former Oregon State defensive end Isaac Hodgins, explores the team’s relevant issues as it heads into the final four games of the season. Should Oregon State make a change at quarterback? Are the Beavers capable of winning at least of their final four games and become bowl eligible? What is the danger of players checking out when heading into November on a three-game losing streak? What is a locker room like...

Oregon will play the highlight of its road schedule this season when it travels to Ann Arbor to face Michigan. The Ducks beat the Wolverines in front of 109,733 people at the Big House in 2007, but few current Ducks really know what to expect in college football’s largest stadium. Derrick Harmon, however, does. The D-lineman who previously played at Michigan State said on Wednesday that games at Michigan are “not that loud.” Is that just trash talk from a player predisposed not to like...

The No. 1 Oregon Ducks blew the doors off Illinois on Saturday, going up 35-3 at half en route to a 38-9 win. With four games to go and the clear parity in college football, is Oregon the best team in the country? Plus, looking back at what made the Illinois game so dominant for the Ducks, and a deeper look across the Big Ten and college football landscape. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Blazer Focused podcast, hosted by Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian/OregonLive, and Craig Birnbach, is back with another episode. Fentress and Birnbach evaluate the Trail Blazers' 139-104 loss to the Golden State Warriors Wednesday night to open the season. They also discuss any silver linings, Scoot Henderson not starting and when the Blazers might pick up their first victory. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Timbers season-ending 5-0 loss to Vancouver on Wednesday was bad enough, but vague and intriguing late-night tweets from star player Evander indicating actions by the team’s management were at the team’s struggles turned a bad night into an outright scandal. On the latest episode of the Oregonian Sports Podcast, sports columnist Bill Oram explains what’s at the root of the issues between player and club, and why money — like with most things — is to blame. Also, co-host Brenna Greene of...

The Oregon Ducks are the No. 1 team in the country after putting the hurt on Purdue over the weekend. Can they avoid an upset this week against a tough No. 20 Illinois team? This week on Ducks Confidential, co-hosts Ryan Clarke and James Crepea break it all down and look ahead to the home stretch of the 2024 season. Plus, basketball is on the horizon! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oregon State finds itself heading to a critical juncture of the 2024 football season after the Beavers lost to UNLV 33-25 Saturday night. Among things discussed on this week’s Beaver Banter podcast is whether the Beavers know how to put away an opponent. For a third consecutive week, OSU built a double-digit lead, only to lose it. The Oregonian/OregonLive’s Nick Daschel and former Oregon State defensive end Isaac Hodgins discuss how experienced teams usually don’t let up when they have the...

No. 3 Oregon’s win over second-ranked Ohio State was always one of the most anticipated games of the year. Both teams, college football fans and reporters, had Oct. 12 circled on their calendars for a year. But no matter how great the hype was, the two powerhouse programs managed to deliver a game that was even better. On this week’s episode of the Oregonian Sports podcast, columnist Bill Oram and Brenna Greene of KOIN 6 reflect on the biggest moments from one of the most important games of...

Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian/OregonLive and Craig Birnbach evaluate the Trail Blazers’ first two preseason games, specifically the play of Scoot Henderson and rookie Donovan Clingan. Plus, they reflect on coach Chauncey Billups’ Hall of Fame speech. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was a special night at Autzen Stadium on Saturday. The Oregon Ducks proved their mettle against a powerhouse Ohio State team, winning one of the biggest regular season games in program history in front of a record crowd. This week on Ducks Confidential, co-hosts Ryan Clarke and James Crepea break down a game filled with defining moments, and zoom out to examine the big picture for Oregon with six games to go. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Where does Oregon State go from here after its run defense failed in a 42-37 loss at Nevada? It is a significant portion of the discussion on this week’s Beaver Banter podcast, featuring former OSU defensive end Isaac Hodgins and The Oregonian/OregonLive’s Nick Daschel. On the podcast, we talk at length the issues on defense and whether they’re fixable. On the flip side, the Beavers’ offense was as good as its been all season, save for the interceptions. We answer a few listener questions...

The Blazer Focused podcast, hosted by Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian/OregonLive and Craig Birnbach, discusses troubling injuries to Shaedon Sharpe and Robert Williams III, Fan Fest, and the preseason opener Friday in Seattle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A month ago on the Oregonian Sports podcast, both hosts predicted that Oregon would beat Ohio State at Autzen Stadium on Oct. 12. Now, that the weekend is upon us and we have a body of work by which to judge both teams in this titanic clash of top-3 teams, do Bill Oram and Brenna Greene stand by those picks? Also discussed on this week’s episode: • How concerned should the Ducks be about Dillon Gabriel’s red zone struggles? • Outside of the rankings, what contributes to the “bigness” of...

Ducks reporter James Crepea and special guest Bill Oram, sports columnist for The Oregonian/OregonLive, review Oregon’s dominant win over Michigan State and what can be taken from the first 5 games as the Ducks prepare for the Buckeyes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices