Legendary University of Oregon quarterback Dan Fouts never had the chance to play in a postseason game during his time with the Ducks in the early 1970s.

But the Pro Football Hall of Famer and broadcaster — a longtime Sisters resident — has certainly enjoyed being an Oregon fan and alum during the program’s recent run of success.

The undefeated Ducks have been ranked No. 1 for much of the season and will play Ohio State in the Rose Bowl on Wednesday in a quarterfinal of the new 12-team College Football Playoff as they seek their first ever national title.

“Hopefully third time’s a charm,” said Fouts, referring to Oregon’s losses in national championship games in 2011 and 2015.

Fouts, 73 — who starred as a quarterback at Oregon (1970-72) before his Hall of Fame NFL career with the San Diego Chargers (1973-87) — believes the Ducks can win it all this season.

Many pundits claim that top-ranked Oregon got a raw deal with the playoff seeding because they may have to play Ohio State and Texas just to reach the title game, but Fouts does not see it that way.

“Every game is going to be tough,” Fouts said. “That theoretical stuff is for the birds at this point of the season because all these teams are worthy, and all these teams are capable. You’ve got to play whoever is in front of you.”

Fouts, who has been in broadcasting for 37 years and still works preseason games for the Chargers, said he hopes to see better play from the Oregon defense in the Rose Bowl. The Ducks (13-0) defeated Penn State 45-37 in the Big Ten Championship on Dec. 7 behind stellar performances from quarterback Dillon Gabriel and wide receiver Tez Johnson, but struggled defensively at times.

“They got overpowered a lot on defense, and that’s a concern, especially if you’re thinking about Ohio State and their brand of ball,” Fouts said. “Offensively, they were outstanding, and Dillon continues to make the big plays at the right time. And having Tez back, it’s bigger than you can imagine having a guy with that type of ability on the field. The weapons are there. With Dillon as mobile as he is, I like the offense.”

At Oregon in the early 1970s, Fouts set 19 then-school records, including career passing yardage (5,995) and total offense (5,871 yards). He never had the chance to play in a bowl game for Oregon, as the Ducks suffered a postseason drought from 1963 until 1989.

One of the most prolific NFL passers of the ’70s and ’80s, Fouts made six Pro Bowls and in 1993 was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame

Fouts, who moved to Sisters in the late ‘70s when he was playing for the Chargers, made a second career out of watching and analyzing other quarterbacks, and his career as a broadcaster has been about as prolific as his career as the Chargers’ quarterback.

He worked as an NFL analyst for CBS from 1988 to 1993, then for ABC from 1997 to 2008, mostly as a college football analyst, but also two years (2000-2001) in the NFL Monday Night Football booth. He returned to CBS as an NFL analyst in 2008, where he remained until 2020.

Fouts is part of a long history of outstanding quarterbacks at Oregon. Just since Fouts, the list of star Ducks signal-callers includes Chris Miller, Bill Musgrave, Danny O’Neil, Joey Harrington, Dennis Dixon, Darron Thomas, Marcus Mariota, Justin Herbert and Bo Nix.

Gabriel, who finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting, appears to be the next Oregon great on that list.

“I like his competitive fire, his quick release and his leadership,” Fouts said of Gabriel. “There’s a lot of intangibles, too, and you can see what he can do physically. He’s cool, and he’s accurate.”

Fouts is also impressed with Oregon coach Dan Lanning, who in three seasons in Eugene boasts a record of 35-5.

“I think he’s done a great job, and I think he’ll continue to do a great job because he’s proven that he can do it and he continues to get his team ready to play, and play with confidence and play with discipline,” Fouts said.

Like most Oregon fans, Fouts is hoping Lanning, 38, does not get lured away for an NFL head coaching job.

“He’ll be approached, and I’m sure he’ll look into it,” Fouts said. “But we’ll keep our fingers crossed. This (Oregon) is a destination coaching position. It’s no longer a stepping stone coaching position. This is where you want to be.”