Canzano: Civil War... could be a Civil Bore
We're still calling it the "Civil War," aren't we?
Let’s begin with a couple of glaring positives for Oregon State. Nobody in Lubbock, Texas, got struck by lightning in the storm that blew through on Saturday. Also, Trent Bray has now gone a whole week without cussing on national television.
He may punch me in the neck for writing this, but OSU’s rosy-cheeked head coach appears to have turned family-friendly. Unfortunately, the Beavers are tackling gently and playing a polite brand of football.
“We didn’t play with much effort or willingness to be physical,” Bray said after Oregon State’s 45-14 loss to Texas Tech on Saturday. “That’s my fault. I’ve allowed it to happen.”
The Civil War rivalry game is next Saturday in Eugene. It has provided good theater over the years. Given the state of these two programs, I’m thinking what we’re about to find out is how merciful Dan Lanning is.
Where is Bray’s brain when it comes to the Oregon-OSU game?
“I haven’t even thought about it yet,” he said after falling to 0-3.
ESPN’s College GameDay has given the rivalry game a lot of thought. It’s preparing a story about the Platypus Trophy for the Saturday-morning college football show. The producers asked me for Warren Spady’s phone number. He’s the art student at Oregon in the 1950s who was asked to sculpt the trophy from a block of maple.
“I never got paid,” Spady told me a few years ago. “I got no recognition.”
Well, old pal, your 15 minutes are coming.
I watched Oregon State’s lackluster performance on Saturday in Texas and wondered how much longer Bray gets to keep his job if the effort on the field doesn’t improve. What happens, for example, if Oregon pummels Bray’s team by a zillion points?
Also, can the sides stop the madness and agree to call it the “Civil War” again?