Throw what you know, and it better be an "O."

As football season approaches, here at the University of Oregon, the love for our Ducks comes back in full swing. As we await the uproarious atmosphere of the student section and Labor Day arrives to take all of our non-quarter system friends back at school, the countdown to the first game in Autzen becomes our priority. Just to amp up the excitement for this season, let’s take a look at just a few of the reasons why the Ducks Football experience is the best and what to expect for Fall 2014.

1. Tailgaiting

Tailgaiting at Oregon is not to be taken lightly. It’s a time honored tradition that brings families and students together like no other events on campus. The green and yellow colored tents, flags and spirit swag can be seen basically from campus as a sea of Oregon clad students make the mile stretch across the Willamette River to the infamous Autzen footbridge. Once across, the sheer number of tailgaiters is incredible to see, and whether it’s the buzz of the overall crowd, or the buzz from the few beers you’ve had, everyone’s in for a good time. 

2. It Never Rains in Autzen Stadium 

Even though Eugene is known for the gloomy mists that come with fall and winter, it never seems to rain in the uncovered, 59,000 seat stadium. That’s because it only rains touchdowns! (Except for last year’s Cal game when the huge monsoon occurred, but we don’t talk about it.) Nevertheless, it’s one of the traditional opening cheers that really sets the tone for the rest of the game. 

3. The Civil War Game is in Corvallis 

This season’s line up has the annual Civil War game taking place in Corvallis, which means those nasty Beavers won’t have to infiltrate our territory. 

4. The Marching Band and the Cheerleaders 

“The Soundtrack of the Ducks” comes from none other than the Oregon Marching Band (OMB). These 250 talented folks aid in the intense sound amplification created by the stadium’s shape, making Autzen one of the loudest stadiums in college football. No one plays The White Stripe’s, “Seven Nation Army,” better. And what’s a great football team without a great cheerleading team? Oregon’s student athletes do not disappoint: ripped, beautiful and wildly entertaining, the cheerleaders here are way more than just a side performance. 

5. The Stanford Game is Home 

Our beloved mascot, The Duck, is in charge of boosting the morale of the crowd throughout the game with his impressive pushup count, crowd surfing skills and overall infectious spirit. Since last season’s Stanford game was away, The Duck could not play, but now the televised task of cutting down “The Stanford Tree” in the middle of the field can be repeated, once again. This defiant act is all in good fun, but to Stanford, it’s an all-out cry for battle. 

6. Mariota is Staying 

Oregon fans were more than skeptical for the future performance of the team after the resignation of Coach Chip Kelly, since under his coaching Oregon had formed an impressive winning streak. Even with the shift over to Coach Mark Helfrich, the Ducks have continued to thrive and partially due to the anchor provided by the all star quarterback, Marcus Mariota. Rumors of Mariota leaving to play professionally definitely spread like wild fire, but under the continued efforts of Coach Helfrich, there was a mutal decision for him to stay for the remainder of his eligible college ball playing time.

7. “Shout”

The third quarter of any football game can be tough, but every Oregon fan knows this is one of the best parts of the game. Serving as the unofficial theme song, “Shout,” by the Isley Brothers, this song brightens the spirit of all the fans in order to lead into a victorious and final fourth quarter. 

I could seriously go on for hours about my love for football season, but all in all, Oregon seems to have all the components for another victorious year, so best wishes to the team as they officially start their season against South Dakota on August 30th. ‘Sko Ducks!