Consistency

EUGENE, Ore. - Consistency was the clear headline of Oregon Ducks Head Coach Chip Kelly's Thursday post-practice interview, the final that would take place before the Ducks take on the Washington Huskies in yet another edition of the Border War.

“If you have a good Tuesday and then you have a good Wednesday, that means nothing if you don't have a good Thursday and you don't have a good Friday,” said Kelly. “We're trying to preach consistency over the course of a week.”

With the kind of results that Oregon has seen in recent years, there is no doubting Chip Kelly's consistency philosophy.

While programs like the Auburn Tigers, Ohio State Buckeyes, and Boise State Broncos all had their way with the Ducks (two in BCS bowl games), all have not been able to produce the same amount of success and consistency that Oregon has been able to year-in and year-out, even with numbers and players consistently changing under Kelly's system.

Though the Tigers, Buckeyes, and Broncos all beat the Ducks at one time or another, Kelly's philosophy of success over the years has paid huge dividends to the way the Oregon football program is perceived throughout the nation. While the aformentioned programs have had their fair share of ups and downs in the past few years after beating the Ducks, Oregon has remained one of the top programs in college football, having greater success over the course of the past three years than any of those football programs.

And, while some may trade success over the long run for a national championship followed by two-three down years, Chip Kelly is only concerned with his day-to-day operations and consistency. “Sometimes they (other football programs) put all their eggs into one basket,” said Kelly. Whether you are a fan of it or not, Chip Kelly's football team will always acknowledge consistency over one-and-done seasons.

Another topic addressed by Kelly and the media at his post-practice interview was the topic of bankruptcy. ESPN recently ran a segment about professional athletes and bankruptcy, something that strongly resonated with Coach Kelly.

“We try to educate our guys on that,” said Kelly about the dangers of spending sprees and bankruptcy.