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Ducks defensive line brings business attitude into 2026 spring season https://duckswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/ducks/football/2026/03/13/oregon-football-business-attitude-2026/89125976007/

I think Dan can win the big one but he just needs all the stars to align. 1) No key injuries, 2) 2nd and 3rd year players, 3) The luck of the draw for conference games as well as the CFP. So far at least one of those three have kept the Ducks out of the picture. Well all that and IMO the inability to make adjustments at the half. I'm still waiting for the Ducks to look like the team that has the 'It' factor and seems unstoppable.

OH-NO! ☹️ https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/college-basketball-miami-ohio-stunned-by-umass-in-mac-tournament-still-projected-in-ncaa-tournament-field-bracketology/?eid=c7d8647c6247db8d08c59fe44bc3

An On3 Tourney Update in a Nutshell - On32026 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament: Updated bracket....

Tournament Update - Michigan vs Ohio State is on BTN now - UCLA advances and plays Michigan State in the late game - Wisconsin defeated UW by two points to advance - Saturday semifinals and Sunday champ game are on CBS - https://bigten.org/article/59594/

Oregon's spring roster features nearly three-dozen newcomers, inclduing 16 true freshmenOregon's spring roster features nearly three-dozen newcomers, inclduing 16 true freshmen https://247sports.com/college/oregon/article/oregons-spring-roster-features-nearly-three-dozen-newcomers-inclduing-16-true-freshmen-277453226/

Dan Lanning says Oregon must ‘be the best we can be today’ this spring as the open up practiceOregon opened spring football on Thursday, and Dan Lanning emphasized daily growth, improved team chemistry and Dante Moore’s evolving leadership role. https://247sports.com/college/oregon/article/dan-lanning-says-oregon-must-be-the-best-we-can-be-today-this-spring-as-the-open-up-practice-277456705/

Health at receiver gives Oregon’s offense its 'whole repertoire' as spring practices beginHealth at receiver gives Oregon’s offense its “whole repertoire” as spring practices begin https://247sports.com/college/oregon/article/health-at-receiver-gives-oregons-offense-its-whole-repertoire-as-spring-practices-begin-277467975/

For Dan Lanning, Oregon’s staff promotions at OC, DC, QB, and Edge were about trust, growth and daily workDan Lanning explained why Oregon turned inward for key staff changes, pointing to daily work, player development and trust built inside the program. https://247sports.com/college/oregon/article/for-dan-lanning-oregons-staff-promotions-at-oc-dc-qb-and-edge-were-about-trust-growth-and-daily-work-277472275/

Watch Dan Lanning’s full press conference after Oregon’s first spring football practice, plus key takeaways on Dante Moore, new faces and more. Dan Lanning on Peach Bowl loss: 'I think that film has been watched a lot by all of us'Dan Lanning on Peach Bowl loss: 'I think that film has been watched a lot by all of us' https://247sports.com/college/oregon/article/dan-lanning-on-peach-bowl-loss-i-think-that-film-has-been-watched-a-lot-by-all-of-us-277469138/

UPDATE: Oregon's Dylan Raiola Practicing is GREAT Sign for Ducks as Dan Lanning Starts 2026 Practice

Oregon Fans Will Love What Dan Lanning Said About Dante MooreEverything Coach Dan Lanning Said the First Day of Spring FootballOregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning praised quarterback Dante Moore after the team's first spring practice. Oregon Ducks On SIOregon Fans Will Love What Dan Lanning Said About Dante M...The Oregon Ducks officially began their first day of spring football practices on March 12. Oregon coach Dan Lanning spoke to the media after practice with plen

How many teams in college football history have had six games in three years against championship game teams? I only know of one. All three teams were having their magic year at the time. Lanning needs to learn some things to get over the hump for sure. The fact that he’s already at the hump in years 2-4 gets over looked. Most coaches never even approach the hump in their very successful careers.

Thanks again to Charles for another terrific editing job. Fixing the college football calendar is not rocket surgery. Just Do It!

Dan Lanning Drops Major Dylan Raiola Update After Oregon QB Chooses Marcus Mariota’s Iconic NumberDan Lanning shared an encouraging update on Dylan Raiola’s recovery during Oregon’s first spring practice, as the quarterback returns from injury and honors Marcus Mariota by wearing the Ducks’ iconic No. 8 jersey. Former Cornhuskers star’s return to the practice field comes after a difficult end to his previous season. He suffered a broken right fibula while playing for the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team. The injury raised concerns about his recovery timeline. It also led fans to wonder how quickly he would be able to resume football activities. However, Lanning’s latest update suggests the young quarterback is progressing well in his rehabilitation. According to the Oregon head coach, Raiola participated in drills on the first day of spring practice. It signaled that his recovery is ahead of schedule and that he is already getting comfortable in the Ducks’ system https://www.totalprosports.com/ncaa/dan-lanning-drops-dylan-raiola-update-oregon-qb-marcus-mariotas-number/

Great article. I agree with pretty much all of it. The only thing In addition I’d like to see is another NIT style 16 team championship instead of a pure G6 one. I like a G6 representative in the playoffs even if they usually get blown out. Most of the 16-13 will get blown out on 1-4 home fields anyway. Giving 17-32 something meaningful to play for keeps everybody else engaged .

Lost time is never found again – Benjamin Franklin “Playoff games should be played in sequential order, and finish sooner than now” Daniel Arthur Lanning If Saint Nick Saban were the Commissioner of College Football (CFB), instead of Every Conference For Itself, the focus could and hopefully would be on The Good of the Game. (Our Mr. FishDuck took a pause ... College Football – It’s Past Time to Fix the Calendar

David Marsh's post is right on IMHO. Lanning and the younger Ducks got bounced rather rudely by the older ,more experienced team in both 24 and 25. 2023 Natty champ Michigan was an older, very experienced squad, as were the 21 and 22 Georgia national championship squads. Lanning will have his successes, I believe, if he can put together similar squads, which will involve convincing some of his older contributors to stick around to run it back another year in Eugene for the pride and pleasure of raising the big trophy at the end of the year.

Jack here, thanks Gary, first post. Yes, I'll introducing Linda to this. Shelves in Coos Bay and has a business that gives cool insider tours of the Pre vibe and places in C Bay.

As Cig said when asked about short practice time, "My Dad before me, and I came up from programs where you had very little depth and could not afford to lose starting players. We didn't have to worry about this when I was coaching at Alabama." David, you are one of my 'go-to guys' when it comes to Xs and Os and insightful information. Why is OBD experiencing all of these injuries in the Moneyball sports? Fortunately, OBD in the 2025 regular season suffered O-line injuries in games where OBD had that superior roster. Do we blame Fortuna? Or are the S+C programs and practice regimes not working? I simply don't get it. A rough patch over one season? Fine. Stuff happens. In today's CFB and CBB world, you do not have the depth to weather the loss of top players. I would appreciate your thoughts on what could be my erroneous observation. Perhaps it is simply Fortuna, just more of the short end of the stick that had more Indiana fans in the stands in Atlanta than would have been the case if the game had been played in Bloomington? That had OBD in 2024-25 playing Ohio State and not the winner of Boise State at Indiana in the Rose Bowl. How about a Fair Shake? 🤬 Can I get a Witness?

Potentially there need to be some adjustments in how practices work. Cignetti does minimal practicing but he has relied heavily on experienced players and mental reps. The younger the players the more reps they tend to need just to do things right. I think this Indiana team had one sophomore as a starter on a starting roster of otherwise upperclassmen in mostly their 4th and 5th years. Completely different needs if that's the case. Also... there were some freak injuries that I would say the practice didn't necessarily impact. Davison was injured on a play in a game where he hit the ground funny and broke his collar bone.... Not practice related. Whittington reportedly had turf toe which appears to be more of a non-contact injury... not inherently practice related. But maybe some minor injuries were more practice related... like Sadiq who sat out a couple games but also just wasn't as effective in others due to nagging injuries where he may have overdone it in practice... or potentially the games themselves. Getting the right balance of practice and rest is certainly difficult.

Another stat I like to watch is the OB% or On-Base Percentage, which combines hits, walks, and getting plinked. The point is--we can't score unless you get on base, and however you get on base helps the team. (Moneyball strategy takes this to extremes) For example, Gabe Miranda is only hitting .228, but his OB percentage is .384 because the young man has been getting plinked, (6) and he coaxes walks really well. (9) That is 15 more bases he got, and being on base is what matters. Our leadoff hitter, Ryan Cooney, gets on base (OP%) at .480 which is huge. If your leadoff hitter is on base nearly half the time--you have guys right behind him that can hit him in. (Not to mention his speed at stealing) Freshman Brayden Jaksa has an OB percentage of .429 while Jax Gimenez has one of .493! Our top hitter, Drew Smith, is also pretty good at getting on base other ways with 11 extra bases on walks/plinks to elevate his OB percentage to .563! He gets on base over half the time? Whew! Drew Smith finds a way--even when squeezed inside.

The Future of CFB - Maybe - Pet Peeve - "His future is all ahead of him!" No kidding? Can it be "behind him?" https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/future-college-sports-debate-powerful-leaders-donald-trump/

The bigger the spotlight, the more glaring the results? At the end of a very successful season, it’s hard to resist not putting all those eggs in one basket where you’ll get either one glorious omelette or a broken mess? The big picture tells me Dan’s on the verge, but still needs a bit more seasoning. The bigger picture tells me he’s building it right on track to get there. I’ll go with the bigger picture.

Thanks, Steven. In previous releases of returning starters, the threshold was starting six or more games the prior season. Among the leaders in returning players in 2025 were Clemson and Penn State. One of the reasons both were ranked in the AP preseason top 5. Ooops! In today's CFB world of largely unregulated free agency and NIL deals, how a team picks the portal and how the portal-picked players assimilate with the coaches and the returning players is often as significant as the guys coming back. Using The Sporting News 2026 Top 25 Composite rankings, how many players return, and where is the program ranked in the 247 Sports portal rankings? TSN No.1. Ohio State - T No. 5 - 11 Returning/ Portal ranking - No. 5 4. Indiana - T No. 6. - 10/ No. 8 5. OREGON - T No. 2 - 14/ No. 25 13. USC - No. 1 - 11/ No. 26 14. Michigan - T No. 6 - 10/ No. 16 20. Penn State T No. 12 - 4/ No. 6 21. Iowa - T No. 10 - 6/ No. 64 22. Washington - T No. 6 - 10/ No. 47 30. Illinois - T No. 9 - 7/ No. 59 On OBD's 2026 Schedule - Boise State - T No. 3 - 13 - Portal No. 93/ Oklahoma State - Portal No. 7 - 81 players on the Cowboys roster are transfers/ UCLA - T No. 10 - 6 - Portal No. 33 - 41 new players on the Bruins roster/ Nebraska - T No. 4 - 12 - Portal No. 37/ Northwestern - T No. 7 - 9 - Portal No. 43/ Michigan State - T No. 11 - 5 - Portal No. 55 Can anything be gleaned from the above? No. 1 Ohio State and No. 4 Indiana have quality players returning, and they finished in the top 10 in portal rankings. No. 5 OBD has 14 quality starters back and finished, barely, in the portal top 25. Roster-wise, No. 13 USC and No. 14 Michigan seem to be correctly ranked. Do No. 21 Iowa and No. 22 UW have the rosters to finish in the top 25? No. 20 Penn State is bringing in 40 players from the portal. 24 players followed new coach Matt Campbell from Iowa State, including experienced QB Rocco Becht. The Nittany Lions have a cupcake OOC schedule and among the easiest in-conference schedules. Penn State does play Michigan in Ann Arbor, but does not play Ohio State, Oregon, Indiana, Illinois, or Iowa, and plays Minnesota, USC, and UW in Beaver Stadium. Penn State plays Wisconsin, Purdue, and Rutgers at home, and road games at Maryland and Northwestern. If the Iowa State transfers are Big Ten worthy, Penn State should finish no worse than 10-2 and be in the 2026 PO discussion. If OBD had PSU's schedule, I'd bet on the Ducks finishing 12-0. Forgive me the minutiae, but it's a looooong off-season. 🤬