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They could not steal 300 million from the departing ten other Pac-12 members if they left and reverse-merged with the Mountain West. They had to retain the name for the theft... They have settled into where they belong...

Stanford was a power from 2008-2016 Harbaugh and Shaw were darn good making them relevant. They could have said they'd take a media cut and earn their way to full membership. But that would require an honest evaluation of their own programs which didn't happen. If they were honest with themselves about their worth they would have joined the Mountain West by now instead of trying to rebuild a conference. They have some creative options if they were honest with themselves but they have insisted on making all the worst decisions. Stay independent and use that pac-12 cash to invest into football. Get some high potential coaches and show they are serious in football. That would help get the NIL collectives rolling and then do everything in their power to make good bowl games or the playoff (though unlikely). Instead the Beaver's hired Bray, Smith's DC, and didn't have any real depth in the roster and the whole thing fell apart. Could they have gotten anyone better? Maybe but that promotion seemed to happen so fast they didn't seem to care to try. Would any serious coach actually want to take the OSU job? Not with the way they were running the program and it's lack of support and no conference. But maybe.... Maybe they could have held onto Smith with a realistic major bonus and a well laidout plan for the future. Because the program Smith built at OSU would dominate the MW conference and would have been in the conversation of being one of those G5 teams that could potentially get a playoff spot. They probably wouldn't have gotten it still... But the narrative around the program is COMPLETELY different at that point. So maybe they can make a crazy deal with the Big 12 or ACC. But instead they went the route of keeping all the Pac-12 money and stabbing the MW in the back. Now in the New Pac-12 they aren't going to be the dominant team. That goes to Boise State. OSU might not even be the second or third best team either. They will be in the middle of a crap conference of their own making. That's lack of vision and a failure. That's on OSU's administration. My comments that they should have tried to get into the Big 12 isn't to say the Big 12 would take them as they were.... They weren't that desirable. The Bug 12 would be adding two mediocre teams to their already mediocre conference that's a non-starter, there's no value there. But it's my observation that OSU (and WSU) didn't even seem to try. They stayed their mediocre course and said "this is fine" and they get the bed they made. They had a strange opportunity to take a large chunk of money that had fallen in their laps (rightly or unrightly) and have made all the worst decisions as to what to do with it.

Nice to see that he's still a matchup nightmare at the next level.

I realize it's a new era, but it's hard for me to think paying kids to play football in college is OK. I'm not wanting to get into it, I've read all the reasoning, I get it, this is what it is. The real issue for me is jealousy. I went to college. I worked 45 years, 50-60+ hrs/wk. Split days off. Not once did I come close to making 6 figures in 1 year! I would have played for free at Oregon, course I wasn't near good enough. Oh well. Is it Saturday yet?

They were not wanted, as everyone in the Big-12 would take a media split cut by adding them. They were massively overpaid by the Pac-12 for decades...

Was great to see. Nice flip too! Several Ducks had great showings this past weekend. Hope they all survive the cut to 53.

I expect both Cal and Stan will kill football program before too long. Paying athletes goes against school's ideology. As for the Pac(S)8, they have made themselves all but irrelevant. Fresno St got hammered by Kansas? Those 4 teams OSU, WSU, Cal & Stan were seldom more than mediocre. They each had a season or two of success but little effort to grow or sustain it. They've earned their current position.

Cal has been floundering for the better part of the last twenty years. They don't invest in football (NIL aside) and that's what they get. It's hard to get a real gage of how good Justin Wilcox actually is as a coach when he doesn't have any support from his university and alumni base. As for Stanford.... David Shaw got out at the right time. Like Cal they don't have the money being infused into the program, especially since they give a real Ivy League vibe where they'd rather not have scholarship sports entirely. They can use the portal, they can't remain student athletes who want to graduate and then get a master's degree, they can't get grad transfers... They are stuck and unlike Cal I don't even see how an infusion of money from donors would even help them. Oregon State and Washington State should have leveraged everything in their power to join the Big 12. Even if it was about cutting a deal with former Pac-12 members to let the conference dissolve but levage some of that money into a safety net for the two schools that didn't have a landing place. They didn't do that and then pillaged the only conference that helped them out, the Mountain West. They destroyed any sympathy they had from being left out of the death of the pac-12. The reality is they had leverage to get themselves into the Big 12 or ACC. They could have said... Hey former members we need a conference and you want at least some of your money from the Pac-12. Let us have some extra money and land somewhere and you'll all get something. Don't agree then we'll stay independent with a Pac-12 badge and you'll get nothing. Reverse merger with the MW wouldn't have been bad but that didn't happen. Instead pillaging the MW to remake a slightly better version of it looks pathetic. They made their bed and there will be no sympathy for their struggles and the failures. They choose the worse option repeatedly.

Football only lens. Early relative returns on everyone aside from UO and ASU weren’t exactly stellar in year one. Things should be looking relatively up for Utah and UW in year 2, but is anyone else looking remotely good? I don’t mean passable, but good as in having a shot at 9-10 wins? USC had a great recruiting class, but we’re waiting to see if their coach survives the year. Everyone else seems to be hoping for 7 wins on the upside.

Right. If we need cannon fodder--we can play UCLA. We don't need to travel to Northwestern or Rutgers...

Oregon opens as a heavy favorite against Montana StateOregon is a four-touchdown favorite in its season opener against Montana State. The No. 7 Ducks opened as 27 1/2-point favorites against the Bobcats, according to FanDuel. The over/under is 56 1/2. oregonliveOregon opens as 4-touchdown favorite against Montana StateOregon went 7-7 against the spread last season and its games went over and under seven times each.

Maybe Oregon could ask (along with the other three west coast teams) that we play the three every year. Might help a little unless they all end up as the second coming of Ohio State.

Outside of quarterback... Line play players are the most expensive. This shouldn't be a surprise because you can't teach size and the best ones have it. Secondary players are pretty high up there too which isn't too surprising. Though what isn't surprising based on the NFL but is a bit for college is that runningbacks tend to make less than wide receivers. The NFL runningback just isn't as prestigious as it used to be but in college there are some runningbacks that are the team's offense.

8 catches/58yards/1 TD vs the Bills!

The price tag for top college football talent has never been higher -- but how high is it, really? After an unprecedented offseason of inflated spending raised the bar at every position, here's what Power 4 players are now earning to start and compete at the highest level. Jump to a position: QB | RB | WR | TE | OL Edge | DT | LB | DB ESPN.comCollege football 2025: How much does each position cost?Max Olson talked to general managers and agents from around the country to put a price tag on each position.

Dan Lanning updates Oregon's punting competitionOn3Dan Lanning updates Oregon's punting competition.

Dan Lanning, Oregon Ducks Offseason Report CardThe Oregon Ducks' second season in the Big Ten is fast approaching. The Ducks have had time throughout fall camp to find weaknesses collectively, and develop individually. But what grade do the Ducks deserve in terms of offseason growth? Oregon Ducks On SIDan Lanning, Oregon Ducks Offseason Report CardThe Oregon Ducks and coach Dan Lanning have had a busy offseason, specifically losing wide receiver coach Junior Adams to the Dallas Cowboys and major injuries

If they go down to Georgia Southern and former coach Clay Helton, Christmas will have come early this year.

Better, worse or the same? Comparing Oregon position groups from last season to this season Here's a breakdown of which position groups I believe the Ducks will be improved in in 2025 and the ones that I feel will be lesser compared to 2024.

Proof USC is chronically overrated.

Wowsa. Yesterday's loss by Stanford to Hawaii? You lose to the lower end of the Mountain West....? Cal's NIL money has dried up, thus their best players transferred out, and we all know the pathetic state of Beavis and those who Coug-it. Only Arizona State has prospered from the split, and the predictions are they will challenge the Big-12 again. But damn...Oregon State, Washington State, 'Furd, and Cal? We left just in time...

Duck Dive: Oregon Football 2025 PreviewGoing deep with the Ducks’ scheme, returning personnel, and unknownsAddicted To QuackDuck Dive: Oregon Football 2025 PreviewGoing deep with the Ducks’ scheme, returning personnel, and unknowns

Recruiting NuggetsRECRUITING NOTES: - I know that Tom Loy mentioned Oregon is ‘still in contact’ with Ryder Lyons and he could potentially visit this fall, but I am going to say that everything I have heard matches what Steve Wiltfong said following that report by Loy – the Ducks love what they have with Bryson Beaver and are not going to get back into the Lyons sweepstakes. Generally speaking, there are components of the package BYU offered that simply will not be offered by Oregon. I think when Lyons comes back from his mission, there will certainly be some thoughts on the topic, but as of right now the guys being recruited for 2027 class at QB do not include Lyons. Oregon is not going to go too heavily into trying to flip too many people. They still want to add on OL, DL, and WR to the class and are looking at a few candidates there, but I would not expect a ton of flips on either side of the ball at this point. Things can change, but that is the way it looks heading into the first game week preparation. Duck Sports CentralFriday Recruiting NuggetsOregon Ducks football, Dan Lanning, Oregon recruiting, college football, NIL, Big Ten, Pac-12, Scott Reed, Duck Sports Central, recruiting news

Flock Talk: Silent RunningOregon Ducks 2025 Fall Camp Review As Oregon wraps up the fall camp portion of the season and shifts into game-week preparations on Sunday, the Ducks enter 2025 with perhaps their deepest roster under Dan Lanning. Across three weeks, two scrimmages, and countless reps, this team emerged sharper, more versatile, and more competitive than at any point in his tenure. From a settled quarterback room to reshuffled position battles, Lanning and his staff leave camp with fewer unanswered questions — but plenty of key storylines to watch as the season begins. Duck Sports CentralFlock Talk: Silent RunningOregon Ducks football, Dan Lanning, Oregon recruiting, college football, NIL, Big Ten, Pac-12, Scott Reed, Duck Sports Central, recruiting news