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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. 🤬

I was so delighted to see that Drew Smith returned for his senior year. He is getting all the attention nationally now, and it should help his draft stock when he is hitting .478 and was actually over .500 over the weekend for a bit. We have a couple of Ducks who are trending better in hitting after a tough start to the year. Maddox Molony was over .300 last year, and is now up to .258 and climbing. Gabe Miranda had a difficult start of the year, and has improved it to .228 and has hit three homers, and driven runs at key moments recently. Let's check them all... Drew Smith .478 Angel Laya .368 Jax Gimenez .356 Brayden Jaksa .355 Ryan Cooney .320 Burke-Lee Mabeus .317 Dominic Hellman .313 And yes, I know this is only 17 games into the season of 56 games...but I like the trendline. Batting averages will get boosted by some weak Big-10 opponents like Indiana (7-9), Penn State (4-11) and Washington. (6-10) And it will get dragged down later facing UC Santa Barbara (13-2) No. 1 UCLA (14-2) and No. 25 USC. (17-0) Drew Smith will sacrifice bunt to help the team! We did not know what to expect this year, and thus far it is looking promising. We've lost two games because of pitching, and one game against Purdue (2-1) where we had tons of hits, but not when players were on base, or not a crunch moments. Our of 17 games...you will have one like that, and another you won with poor hitting, but the hits coming at the perfect time. I love the development I am seeing, as Burke-Lee Mabeus had just two home runs last year, and has four this year already including one last night that ignited the team. And Drew Smith? He had five homers last year, and has six already in 2026! This team is fun to watch! Jax Gimenez after his GRAND SLAM!

Oregon Ducks Reveal Another Innovative Nike Sneaker CollaborationAlmost synonymous with the sportswear brand Nike, the Oregon Ducks put out yet another futuristic sneaker collaboration with the company that continues to draw the eyes of shoe collectors, college football fans, and recruits alike. Oregon Ducks On SIOregon Ducks Reveal Another Innovative Nike Sneaker Colla...The Oregon Ducks are well known for their sense of style on and off the field. Even in the 2025-2026 season, the Ducks in partnership with their longtime sports

Consistency key for Oregon CB Brandon Finney to be 'best in country' https://duckswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/ducks/football/2026/03/11/oregon-football-brandon-finney-chris-hampton/89091542007/

Doesn't matter what they call him--I am glad he's back!

OK...I gotta wave my Pom-Poms. All those serious shortcomings listed in the posts above--in the last two years occurred against the National Champion, both years. Not the other games, you know how we won a record 13 games a year...twice?

Good topic and a bit difficult to offer anything substantive. A few of my opinions: ● The players had no fight in them in their last game of the season. Both 24 and 25. Could coach be driving them too hard. All of us have that point that we can reach where there is no gas left in the tank. Coach play more players throughout the season to keep players fresh and do practises need to be as physical and violent as summer camps? ● DL and his staff lack a certain level of in game adjustment experience. In reality they did not game plan well before, during or after the game. This must change and change soon. ●Injuries and transfers out caused turmoil. Who transfers out when you are 2 games from a Natty shot? The mojo, rythmn and continuity were broken, maybe? ●DL is an ever changing beast. Each year the team gets better. I expect year 5 will be better and in year 6 the trophy will come home to Eugene and PK's office until he leaves this earth. Win or lose, I like this version of the Ducks over the 70's and 80's Ducks.

Dan is not Kirby or Nick. Dan is Dan and so far he's been seriously out-coached when it mattered most. Not to say he can't get beyond this current plateau, but doing so will require something different. Something we haven't seen yet. The question is, does Dan have the extra "something" or not? Time will tell.

Yeah my old understanding was "analyst" titles did not have on-field responsibilities while "assistant" coaches did. It appears that perhaps the "analyst" may have been renamed to "assistant"? I'm not sure. I mis-read the list originally though, Mike Cavanaugh is listed as an "Offensive Assistant" not "Assistant Offensive Line", that one's Ryan Walk.

More on Danno - Hopefully, Dan follows the path of Kirby Smart and not Sark - Kirby has two titles. His 1st round PO losses came when his starting QB, who led Miami to the champ game in 2025, was hurt, and Houdini, a/k/a Trinidad Chambliss, showed up for Ole Miss. Kirby and Dan are two for two in making the 12-team PO field. Sark is one for two. Dear Jorge A., are you out of your mind, eh? But, I get it, Patience has left today's wired world, and Prudence is nowhere to be seen. Six years for Kirby to get Smart. More than a Day, six years in fact, for Day to win it all. Cig? He put the Hoo in the PO punch bowl. If Cig can do it! 🤬 You not only have to be great, but you also have to be lucky. Oregon Ducks On SIDan Lanning Enters Elite Coaching Tier With Kirby Smart A...Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning, Georgia Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart and Texas Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian are grouped as a new tier of respected coaches and

I was and still am very disappointed in how our last season ended. It's hard to win games when you relay on the run game and 2/3 of the top run production on the team is out with injuries. On so many of those drives that stalled out in third and short the Ducks wouldn't have converted or avoided that situation with Davison (or Whittington) on the field and being able to pick up just a few yards here and there. Davison is going to be a huge factor in the next two years! Yes, we have him for at least TWO more years! There was a reason why Harris was buried on the depth chart and I don't wish any ill will as he stepped up and tried his best when his moment came but his best wasn't anywhere near good enough. I love what Hill can provide the team but he isn't an every down back he is a change of pace back, he is the lightning to Davison's thunder. This last season ended with two coordinators leaving which frankly left some of the game planning feeling underwhelming and injuries and transfers for a key position that left the cupboard bare. It sucks but in Lanning year four of being a head coach anywhere it was still a good season. But I do have hope for the future. And remember... in the new playoff format only ONE team gets to end on a high note. EVERY OTHER TEAM is going to end on a loss because that's how tournaments work.

Some consider Nick Saban as the GOAT, he was 52 when he won his first championship.

Peaked at 39? How old were the other coaches listed when they broke through? I’d say the assessment is right on.

Stewart Mandel was asked this in The Athletic, and here is what he wrote... Has Dan Lanning reached his peak as a head coach? Meaning, the Nike money obtains him talent to the point he can make the Playoff and win a game or two, but the final eight teams all have talent, so coaching becomes the differentiator. — Jorge A. Mandel: I get that Lanning’s teams have suffered blowout CFP losses the last two years, but I don’t consider that a knock on his coaching ability. His teams have been wildly successful. They’ve only lost five games in the last three years, and all five were to teams that won or reached the national championship game (2023 Washington twice, 2024 Ohio State once, 2025 Indiana twice). They also beat those 2024 Buckeyes during the regular season, and the two Washington losses were both decided by three points. The Ducks have also had some bad CFP luck the last two years. They drew an uber-talented Ohio State team in that 2024 quarterfinal; the Buckeyes would have been a higher seed in the new format. With true seeds, Oregon might have reached the championship game. And last year the Ducks had to face Indiana with seemingly no running backs left on their entire team. Oregon probably would have lost anyway, but perhaps it would have been more competitive. If college football were as simple as “the team with the most NIL money wins,” Texas Tech would have won at least one CFP game last season, Steve Sarkisian would have a national title by now and Mario Cristobal would have two or three. You still have to hit on the right players, come up with the best gameplans and call the right plays. History has shown that if a coach can win at a high level, year-in and year-out, he’s probably going to break through at some point. See: Tom Osborne. Or Bobby Bowden. Or Mack Brown. Or more recently, Jim Harbaugh, Kirby Smart and Ryan Day. Lanning’s day is coming. I agree with Mandel...do YOU?

‘Their time is now;' Oregon looking for young LBs to step up in spring https://duckswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/ducks/football/2026/03/11/oregon-football-young-linebackers-spring/89092483007/

Predicting Oregon Ducks' offensive depth chart ahead of spring season https://duckswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/ducks/football/2026/03/12/oregon-football-offense-depth-chart-pre-spring/89105749007/ Predicting Oregon Ducks' defensive depth chart ahead of spring season https://duckswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/ducks/football/2026/03/12/oregon-football-defense-depth-chart-pre-spring/89104439007/

What's new with the Oregon Ducks' CBs ahead of 2026 spring season? https://duckswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/ducks/football/2026/03/10/oregon-football-spring-cornerback-preview/89059536007/

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OREGON ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2026 BASEBALL | @OregonBaseball Pinch-Hit Homer Sparks Ducks To Victory EUGENE, Ore. — For six innings Wednesday, the tension built. It exploded in the seventh, and Burke-Lee Mabeus was the detonator. Playing off the bench Wednesday, Mabeus hit a pinch homer in the seventh that broke a scoreless tie, electrified both dugouts and provided a jolt of energy that permeated the rest of the game before Oregon hung on for a 6-3 win over Xavier at PK Park. The Musketeers had the tying run at the plate in the ninth, but the Ducks pulled it out thanks to a five-run seventh inning sparked by the homer from Mabeus. "We were able to tack on some runs right there, which was really important — was the difference in the ball game," UO coach Mark Wasikowski said. Mabeus pulled his pinch homer to right field, which got both teams chirping at each other on the field and from the dugouts. Once order was restored, the Ducks rallied for four more runs, riding the surge of momentum provided by Mabeus' clutch hit. Burke-Lee Mabeus after his homer "I didn't think it was gone off the bat," Mabeus said. "I had been sitting down for a little bit, and I was thinking, like, hopefully my legs are ready to leg out a double. And then it got over the wall, and I was relieved that I could slow down a little bit." Oregon's seventh-inning rally made a winner of reliever Ryan Featherston (3-0), one of five UO arms to appear out of the bullpen following the first start in nearly three years by right-hander Leo Uelmen. The Ducks (14-3) will take a three-game win streak into their Big Ten home opener Friday against Indiana. "Really excited to be in Eugene, but it starts with taking care of a good practice Thursday, making sure the team's right, spending quality time together and making sure we take care of business Friday," Mabeus said. "And we'll go from there." How It Happened: Uelmen made his first start since May 5, 2023, and pitched into the third while allowing one run. He benefitted from two double plays — left fielder Josh Schleichardt had a memorable first start, catching a flyball in the first and then throwing out a runner at home, and shortstop Maddox Molony snared a line drive before diving to beat a runner back to second base to end the second. Uelmen left with two on and two out in the third. "Good story," Wasikowski said. "He's a worker. He's a great kid, a really good human being. And you know, his stuff now is better than it's ever been." One of those inherited runners came around to score, but that only tied the game after Oregon had scored in the bottom of the second. Gabe Miranda singled to lead off that inning for the Ducks, and later scored from second on a base hit by Naulivou Lauaki, who was also making his first career start. The game remained tied into the seventh, when Mabeus entered as a pinch hitter and untied it. He said UO assistant coach Jack Marder gave him a scouting report on the Xavier pitcher before he stepped into the box. "When we get those rundowns, I've got full faith and trust in those, and so, yeah, I knew what I was getting," Mabeus said. "I was just looking for a ball over the plate, hunting a fastball there, and I was able to get my pitch." Dominic Hellman watches his 3-Run Blast Oregon's dugout exploded in jubilation, and Xavier's did so in frustration. When things calmed down, Schleichardt was hit by a pitch, Ryan Cooney singled and Jax Gimenez walked to load the bases. Dominic Hellman promptly unloaded them with a three-run double, before scoring on a Miranda double that made it 6-1. "Basically it was just keeping what I was doing the same," Hellman said of his approach in that at-bat after being 0-for-3 up to that point. "I mean, obviously I didn't have a great day at the plate before the double, and it was just knowing what I did well throughout the day and knowing how they can possibly pitch me." The Musketeers responded with a two-run homer in the eighth. In the ninth, a leadoff walk drew Oregon closer Devin Bell from the bullpen, and he promptly coaxed a double play. "As soon as I came out of the pen, I talked to Maddox and told him, be ready for the ball," Bell said. "I wasn't looking for strikeouts. I was looking to get the ball in play, turn a double play there. That's what happened." The next two batters reached, but Bell stranded both runners in scoring position with a strikeout to end the game. On Deck: The Ducks open a three-game series against visiting Indiana on Friday (4 p.m., B1G+).

I completely agree, as we actually had a perfect result. We gave young pitchers who are trying to acquire their confidence some valuable game experience, and yet we still won the game.

SI has Evan Stewart the top player to watch this Spring. Oregon’s Top Player to Watch This Spring Might Come as a Surprise With a loaded WR room, I would think some fresh faces would be the ones to watch.