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Thanks, AOD, for the terrific post. TX Tech played five teams with winning records this season, defeating BYU twice. TT scored 21 plus points in all of its wins. OBD went 5-1 against teams with winning records, plus two wins over 6-6 Northwestern and Penn State. Both teams handled a common opponent, Oregon State, with ease. SOS - OBD 16 and TT 54. As you ask AOD, how much of TT's success was the result of playing inferior competition? On 1/1, will Oregon face an elite defense? By the numbers, the answer is 'Yes.' The TT defense is 1st in QB pressures, and No. 1 in TOs created with 31 on the year, including four against BYU in the champ game. Texas Tech finished the season No. 1 against the rush, allowing an average of 68.5 yards a game and 2.3 yards per rush. In 2024 and 2025 to date, Oregon is 25-0 when rushing for 100 yards or more a game, and 0-2 when rushing for fewer than 100 yards. If OBD cannot run the ball against TT, the Red Raiders should win the game. This should be a classic battle on the line of scrimmage. Wreck Tech!

Who has the advantage? Northern teams: Washington, Oregon, Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, Indiana, Notre Dame, Michigan, Ohio St, Penn St Southern teams: USC, Texas, T a&m, Oklahoma, LSU, bama, Georgia, Clemson, Fla St, Miami, Florida, Tennessee I think the south had the advantage except for the last couple of seasons. Now, I think it is very close. NIL has made it more feasible for kids from the south to play for teams that are further away. Not too long ago, only Ohio St had the size, strength and athletes to compete against the best southern teams. Any thoughts?

Tech has the same problem that Oregon had last year - sitting out the first round while their opponent got a warm up game. Now Tech has to play against better players, just like Oregon did vs Ohio St last yr in the playoffs. I see an exact replay of the situation last year. Can't see it any differently. Just hope Lanning doesn't go aggro and get a bunch of players hurt in practice. Only semi-real teams Tech played so far are Utah and BYU. And they lost to Az St. I don't think Tech is ready to play Oregon. Although at this point, I think they could beat the crap out of our backups.

I think a highly coveted 5-Star safety (see below) coming in this winter, and one RS freshman safety ahead of him returning probably had more to do with it. And that is not counting 5-Star Safety Trey McNutt coming back from injury as well... Whew! No. 2 Safety in the US joining us soon?

If my memory is right, Lowe looked good last year when he subbed in. I expected him to get more catches this year. That is how it goes sometimes. I think there will be quite a few who enter the portal as soon as the season ends. Combine that with a low numbers signing class, and I think Oregon goes after the portal pretty hard for next season. Also factor in talented players who leave college for the pros after the min of 3 years in college. I predict the Ducks hit the portal hard for edge players and O linemen, maybe linebackers too. And a QB if Dante goes pro. Possibly another TE, maybe a kicker or punter? I think the team is pretty good mostly every where else.

Thanks Charles. Thanks Jon. That game was really over before the half. Lanning seemed to be really angry about giving up 28 points in the second. Keep the foot on the gas pedal boys!!! One down...three to go!!!

Of the players you mentioned, some were very high 4 stars and Offord was a 5 star - I'm pretty sure all were well above the caliber of players that JMU could sign. Great point about next year. Finding out how the backups play in a playoff game is a good way to plan for the future. It is also a good way to see who is really ready in case of an injury. And, you can't get a star player injured if he is on the bench and done for the day (see Jordon Davison). This also lets Dan know who he needs to go after in the portal. Some of the backup DBs were not very impressive. I would have liked to have seen Rushing, Breland, Wyatt, Haastrup, Sims. Maybe the problem was not putting the backups in there - maybe it was not playing them enough during the regular season in easy games? There were four games this season they could have played only the backups and still won, easily. They rotate in running backs, regularly. Maybe they should rotate in defensive players for a play or two while the game is still competitive? Of course, the downside to that is a blown assignment or a missed tackle that goes for a touchdown to the other team. And the downside of putting in a backup O lineman is a sack to your starting QB that sidelines him for the season. I'd like to see Oregon heavily rotate in backups regularly (all positions) in games that are not competitive so they are ready late in the season if needed. If that means the Ducks beat Montana St by less than 46 points, I'll take it. We are in the era of a 12 team playoff, so style points and large margins are no longer needed, just wins. I think part of the disappointment in the second half was that the regular season has already been played, and some of these backups are STILL not ready?

Early random thoughts on the Texas Tech game. • Texas Tech is going to be coming off 25 days off, which probably means rust, at least in the first half. The 4 bye teams last year trailed at half by 10, 10, 14, and 26. • I am just not totally sure the B12 overall had a strong year. After Utah, BYU twice were their next two biggest wins and BYU was picked to finish 9th in the preseason poll. Sometimes that jump is totally legit and sometimes it is because most of the conference was expected to be good and wasn't. Someone has to finish 3-5. I watched Houston against Oregon State and the teams looked pretty even. They finished forth. Arizona finished 5th and well, it's still post-Fisch Arizona. Utah I think was very solid but they averaged 41 points a game? 41? I think they were beating up on some JAG conference opponents. 247 has a total team roster talent composition rating and ASU was overall #33, Utah #44, and BYU #70. Arizona was #67 and Houston #66. Oregon sits at #5. • Going to be a lot of talk about their D this week. TT loses to ASU and all we hear is their QB was out and that is fair; but, Tech actually took the lead 22-19, and were kicking off with 2 minutes left in the game. They get their 1985 Chicago Bears defense on the field to end the game. ASU goes 10 plays and 75 yards in 1:25 to take back the lead. In the drive TT gets ASU into a 4th and 2 with 0:55 seconds left for a walk-off win. Leavitt completes 33 yards to Tyson instead. Holding them to a FG means OT. ASU instead scores a TD to win 26-22. • I do expect a close game.

I don’t know how I feel about being the first game of the day. A loss ruins the rest of the day. Last year I didn’t feel like watching football after the Rose Bowl. Fate dictated that the Sugar Bowl was postponed, but I likely wouldn’t have watched it anyway.

Four not to be ignored. I'm hoping OBD, TOSU, and Indiana will all start the New Year right with B1G wins. 🤑 https://sports.yahoo.com/college-football/breaking-news/article/college-football-playoff-a-quick-look-at-the-four-quarterfinal-matchups-that-will-ring-in-2026-043913463.html

Way to go, Gat! There's nothing better than a Ducks opponent being Swamped. 😁

If Davison can't go the next man up will show up. OBDF members, this is a deep blue chip roster with eager talent ready to show and show out. IE: McClellan and Benson! Most Ducks who portal out will be blue chip caliber. As many others feel, including DL and TL, it baffles me what happened to the defense in the second half. I am confident the coaches will get it worked out. Hat on hat, TT does not have the Ducks talent and depth level. However, they destroy their opponents! They have the killer instinct that OBD's lacks. It is a manageable game for the Ducks if they play clean and execute all 60 minutes. GO DUCKS.......

Texas Tech needs to be careful what they wish for! They are a high quality team that had a middle of the pack SOS. OBD's are the ASU Sundevils on steroids. The Red Raiders have not played a Blue Chip roster, 2 deep, battle tested kike OBD's . As other posters noted, the Ducks must play clean, disciplined football in all 3 phases and all 60 minutes. TT is not tOSU, IU or PSU in a white out. OBD's moved the ball all game against IU until WS got impatient in the 4th quarter. The Ducks lost because they made mistakes. TT is not on IU's level but TT will beat you if you make mistakea. DL and the staff will have the best balanced squad ready to go in Miami. Go Ducks.......

There most likely will be more to come. Just how it works now. Just a guess, between 4-8 more. Nothing to do with the game yesterday.

Just reported that DBs Lopa and Laulea are hitting the portal as of now. Not surprised by Laulea as he was rarely used, but I think Lopa was on the two deep at safety and didn't have too bad a game against JMU. I wonder if DL lighting up the defense post game had anything to do with it.

I remember saying in the third quarter that I hope he takes starters out even if it costs us some beauty points. He did and it did. In the end the Ducks cruised to victory and many starters aren’t much worse for the wear. I really hope Davison is OK. With him there’s a lot of poison to pick from. At this point, OBD may have the best receiver room, running back room, tight end room, and O line in the country. Plus a high first round QB running the show. They will be a problem for any D they face.

Columbia River. Last June.

Yes!

After seeing Oregon give up 509 yards, and 2 TO's, to... wait for it -- JMU, Texas Tech must be eager to play the Ducks.

As we know...before the injuries, Benson was just a fill-in option, not necessarily one I had confidence in. Now? He is a TOUCHDOWN MACHINE, and the recovering receivers will have to earn their turn because being better than Benson right now--is going to be hard. McClellan? An occasional target has now become a trusted WR who has proven to make TOUGH CATCHES. I won't say he will be a great receiver, because he is one NOW. Don't you love watching players get their confidence and blow up?

I think Dan Lanning rolled the dice, as he KNEW we had the game in hand...in the early second quarter which is when he began major substitutions on defense. I did not note everyone filling in, but at halfway point in the second quarter we had Lopa, Jackson, Gray, Green, Purchase and Offord in there. That is six I noticed right there, as it was the earliest I've seen such subbing in a long time. Dan knows...there is no substitute for experience. Look how McClellan and Benson have flourished over the last four games, and Lanning knows that he loses a TON off the defense next year, and needs to get them ready. He gambled playing them, believing he was going to win the game, and the points given up were sacrificed for the good of next year's team. But it was much more than he or Tosh wanted, and apparently both let the defense have it in the locker room later.

OBD and TX Tech Game and Team Info. NOTE - OBD Strength-of-Schedule 16th - Texas Tech 54th. FanSidedOregon vs. Texas Tech preview in 5 minutes: Fast facts, p...The Oregon and Texas Tech have played just three times, the Ducks winning each meeting. The fourth time has a College Football Playoff semifinals berth at stake

And, there were several inches of rain in the three days before the game, stopping at noon on Friday.