Welcome to “The 4|4 with Peter Sirmon”, the UCLA Edition. Each week visitors to DuckSportsNews.com ask Peter four questions and he answers them. If you would like to ask Peter a question for next week’s CIVIL WAR edition, leave it in the comment section or send Peter an email.

Here’s the by-week edition of “The 4|4 with Peter Sirmon”.

Is this 2007 Ducks team the best football squad in Oregon history? - Jason, Chicago

Peter: I think there have been four teams in the last thirteen years that would argue that. The 1994 Rose Bowl team, 1998 Aloha Bowl Team(you might not agree with this one), 2001 Fiesta Bowl Team, and 2007 yet to be determined bowl game. The 1994 Rose Bowl team really played well together. Danny O’Neil, Josh Wilcox, Jeremy Asher, Rich Ruhl, Chad Cota, Alex Molden, and Kenny Wheaton were all excellent college players. The 1998 team could have really done something if not for injuries. I have never seen a quarterback play as well as Akili Smith did that year. He was simply amazing. Reuben Droughns broke his ankle playing UCLA. Several other players were also lost to injury that year. But, it would be tough not to put the Fiesta Bowl team as Oregon’s best ever. You judge the teams based on results and they only had one loss that year. The most interesting thing about these teams is that senior quarterbacks led them all.

Is Dennis Dixon more Vince Young or Antwaan Randle El? - Brian, Vancouver, B.C.

Peter: Dennis Dixon is more Vince Young. Antwaan Randle El was a gimmick in college. He was a good player, but never a true quarterback. He has had a nice pro career playing receiver and returning kicks. If he had gone to one of the elite colleges there is a good chance that he never would have even played quarterback. The problem that I think Dennis Dixon is going to run into is the fact he only produced big numbers for one year. I really like him as a player, but scouts do a great job in tearing players down and finding negatives in their careers. That is what he will have to overcome. When teams make first round selections they need to see a productive career, not just one season.

If you were Dennis Dixon’s teammate, would you have wanted to know about his injury before the Arizona game? - Steve, Seattle

Peter: I personally would have wanted to know. I respect the fact that he wanted to play and go as long as his body could hold up, but the psyche of a team can be very fragile. When he went down you could see the concern on the faces of all his teammates. Had they known in advance they would have been prepared for him coming out of the game and it wouldn’t have shocked them. It might have even inspired them to go out and play for him because it meant so much to him that he was willing to go out with no ACL. I admire him for even trying. When I tore my ACL in 2004 there was no way I could have tried to play.

Are you actively involved with some parts of the Ducks recruiting? If so, what do the coaches ask of you? - Jonathan, Beaverton

Peter: I am not involved in Oregon recruiting at all. I have mentioned Oregon to some high school players that are being recruited around the Nashville area. I talk to them as a proud alumni, nothing more. Oregon is starting to gain national prominence. When kids in Tennessee start taking notice to Oregon, you know goods things are happening. The success of the team is first and foremost, but the facilities and the uniforms are what grab the attention of these young men. When we see the articles and see some of the price tags that go with these upgrades it makes you gasp. But, never forget that recruiting 17-18 year olds is more of a mystery than a science. What the young men see is an innovative and cutting edge program that is dedicated to doing whatever is possible to give the athletes the best chance of winning every game. Without strong recruiting the program has little chance of success.

Again, thanks for the great questions. Keep them coming and join me next week in preparation for the CIVIL WAR.

- Peter Sirmon, No. 44

Tags: , Alex Molden, Chad Cota, Dennis Dixon, Ducks, Football, Jeremy Asher, Josh Wilcox, Peter Sirmon, Reuben Droughns, Rich Ruhl, University of Oregon, Vince Young