Oregon's Offensive Machine: Who Wouldn't Want To Play In It?

There's that famous line from the movie Gladiator during the first battle, in which Maximus says, "at my signal, unleash hell."

That's kinda how the Oregon Ducks offense is.  Chip Kelly is Maximus.  He's the general.  The players get the signal from the sideline by reading the giant playcards.  And when the ball is snapped, all kinds of hell is unleashed.

It's a relentless assault that doesn't stop.  In fact it only gets worse as the game goes on.  It emphasizes speed - both with the individual player, and the amount of time in between plays.

The latter of which is what wears opponents out throughout the course of the game, and allows them to put up their eye popping numbers.  Oregon's offense is always one of the best in the country.

"The style they play is like nothing that anybody's ever seen," said USC coach Lane Kiffin.

Oregon is one of the fastest teams in the nation at getting to the snap.  At 23.2 seconds between plays, they're 32% faster than the average team.

That kind of pace wears out the opposition, leaving players with their hands on their hips by the second half.  As fatigue sets in players are more likely to miss an assignment or a tackle.  The next thing you know...the flood gates have opened.

What once was a close game turns into a blowout.  Looking at a stretch of 10 games dating back to 2009, in which Oregon either trailed or had a slim lead at half time, the Ducks outscored their opponents 257-68 in the second half.

As Oregon's offense continues to lead the nation or be near the top in every major category, they continue to attract top recruits.

Should you really be surprised?  Who wouldn't want to play in this offense?

Dontre Wilson

Running backs especially have taken notice.  Oregon just recently plucked another RB from the Longhorns own backyard in Texas, in 4 star recruit Dontre Wilson.

Wilson, rated the #2 all-purpose back in the nation by rivals, chose Oregon because, "I just think that's the perfect fit for me."

With the addition of Wilson, Oregon has an embarrassment of riches at RB.  He joins 5 star recruit Thomas Tyner, and the two will be competing for carries with De'Anthony Thomas - who's already on most people's Heisman watch list.

The system feeds itself.  As Oregon continues to stock pile talent, the more they'll continue to put up big numbers, and the less likely they are to fall off.  The machine just keeps on rollin.