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Great article. I think you are experiencing what I felt when Florida had to travel to Missouri and Texas A&M for the first time a decade ago, as conference opponents. Except on a far larger scale. You jumped into a one hundred plus year old conference that was largely associated with midwestern universities. Yes getting to host Ohio State and Michigan are great. You grew up knowing those are programs you'd love to see Oregon play. Rutgers and Maryland aren't even traditional B1G programs. They joined the league along with Nebraska in 2011 from the Big 12, ACC, and Big East (remember them?). Oregon at Rutgers is a game you would get if you and and buddy were playing on NCAA Football on whatever console you own, it would be one of those randomizer games you'd just let the CPU pick for you. I think as the years go on, you will build up some feeling for going to Iowa or Minnesota, especially if they upset you. You already have a history with Wisconsin. From experience, I can tell you that I'm starting to really dislike Missouri and Texas A&M in the same way I do South Carolina, and Ole Miss. It's taken a decade, but there's genuine feelings that weren't there before. Give it some time. It won't ever be like the old PAC Twelve, but that's because you grew up with that conference. Kids growing up today will grow up with new rivalries.

This year I find myself missing the Pac-12 and all the chaos it brings. The B1G is just too top-heavy, and that’s the problem with super conferences; they generate a whole lot of mediocre games. The marquee match-ups have been great fun. Watching Oregon play Ohio State last year was one of the best games in Oregon’s history. The games ... My BIG Struggle

I know what that guy and bunch are. They will dominate teams they can just out talent like USF, or against in game "generals" like Billy Napier. But Lashlee and Brohm will out coach him everyday that ends with a y. They have just enough talent to keep up until Mario does something silly.

Truthfully the SEC has been diluted to the point where it's a very even conference, but it's incredibly ovverrated. Alabama still lost to FSU, they've dominated SEC play. To me that loss still counts. You can't just pretend it didn't happen. My prediction is Alabama will end up being the best SEC team, even though A&M has the best win of any team this far(@Notre Dame). But Ole Miss, Georgia, Texas, Vanderbilt, and Oklahoma aren't beating Indiana, Oregon, or Ohio State.

OK, sorta good on occasion?

Lots of good points, Oregon123, particularly that a strong Oregon State program redounds to the benefit of all of the state, including OBD. One thing, though, it’s not a probability that the good OSU players will transfer, that is already happening. Addicus Sappington?

You're right it wasn't. It was still a major bummer of a loss though. Oregon just played so poorly. They played a solid game against Penn State then went on a bye and returned looking quite bad. And again I stand by my belief that if Penn State had beaten Oregon they would still be a top 10 team with some signs of life in them. Oregon ripped the heart out of that team and threw it on the floor. Oregon can still achieve a deep playoff run... They just need to improved each week.

With the 12 team format, your team can blow a game and still make it in. Alabama's season is not over from their loss. Ohio St lost twice last year and then won it all. The Ducks did not execute that game. It wasn't like the 2011 game vs LSU when they got beat by better players. Losing one of these November games would put the Ducks in the emergency room. Finishing strong would show the team is resilient. What I like about the Dan Lanning era is how the team bounces back after losses. They are not going to do a Penn State - lose a close game and then sink to the bottom of the sea. Since Iowa basically played Indiana fairly even, this next game might be like a re-match with Indiana. Oregon is still healthy, as healthy as any team can be in November. That actually means more than a perfect record.

I seem to recall Darron Thomas throwing some deep balls. Dante has the arm for it. The team has speed. Take some shots. Especially if your just going to punt after the next play anyway.

If you played on a lot of sports teams (even recreational), you know that when you really really suck... when you FINALLY do something right, it feels like you just won the super bowl. I admire their fan base. They do care. They don't crap on their team. What would be pathetic is if their stadium was empty for that win. I hope the PAC makes a good comeback. The beavs and Wazzu would have been perfect for the new Big12, but they got left out. What if, in future years, the beavs win the PAC, make the last spot in the playoff and pull off a huge upset in the playoff? Seems less likely now with the portal and NIL because their good players would probably transfer. Remember, Utah got good enough that they ALMOST beat Ohio St in the Rose Bowl. A podunk school can over achieve, and a rabid fan base always helps the cause. A good Beavers team reflects well on the entire state of Oregon.

If I were the coach, since he was buried on the depth chart, I would have moved him to receiver. He might have done well at it. Nothing at all to lose. He is the right size and build and he has to be fast to play cornerback. Again, we don't know what his injury has done to him. He was not the first talented Duck to flame out after injury.

He was on the West coast for the Oregon years. You can't expect national media to pay attention to what goes on over here... Our game started too late at night for them to stay up for. Then before he was at Oregon we was at Bama and no one remembers what he was doing before that.

Oh I was quite pleased. I cannot stand players that showboat like that. It is completely unacceptable. I found it refreshing because too many players are selfish. That cost the team a first down in that situation. It should have been addressed. Point blank. It should never come to blows like it did in Arizona, which was another absolutely unacceptable act from a player (for those of you that don't recall, Arizona was blowing out a team, they ran back a fumble for what should have been a TD, but the player dropped the ball at the one and it became a touchback. Arizona lost the game). Players are too full of themselves. They must be humbled, or if not replaced. It's why I like the steelers and the Patriots. They let their players know they are very expendable. And they're both regular playoff teams. Those are teams I can get behind.

I thank the good Lord often that Mari-no-O chose to forsake our feathered nest and sneak out in the middle of the night (as it were) for his beach-side paradise. I hope he's enjoying it as much as we are LOL!! 😂 Go Ducks!!

I considered him the Clay Helton of the north when he was at Oregon. Nothings changed.

That's alright. Will is really good, but there will always be others.

“Cristobal may be the Robert De Niro of the coaching fraternity. Can attract the money for his role plays, but dumb as a rock when the chips are down.” Robert De Niro?

I maintain that Indiana had a fantastic defensive game plan that tested and defeated an inexperienced quarterback. The plays called by Coach Stein worked, as we had open receivers downfield. And I maintain that if we’ve had an experienced quarterback, such as Bo Nix, or Dillon Gabriel, they would’ve stepped up into the pocket and not ran out of it, and would’ve seen the receivers down field and quickly delivered. It would not have happened every time, but with the game that close, an extra touchdown when we were tied would’ve changed the game enormously.

Charles, i think that the passing numbers are slightly skewered now that we reside in the BIG. Other than tOSU (clearly headed for back to back natty's), Indiana and SC the BIG doesnt have the QB play like the PAC-12 did. All around it feels like a power running conference. I still feel if WS had been patient and stuck to the inside power run game against IU, well the outcome may have been different! DL and WS asked DM too do what IU would not allow! They kept everything in front of them. And they got home to DM with the front 4 and one blitzer. 6 or 7 drives chewing up 5 to 7 minutes does not allow your opponent much time to score points. Besides you don't have to pass to beat OBD's. The D gives up the middle runs and when our edge players give up the edge, well you bounce outside. Add in that you pass at your own peril when you challenge the Ducks secondary. When we play the Buckeyes in the Natty that narrative may change. The Buckeyes can pass protect and stretch the field...... Let's hope OBD's win out and gets on the Indiana side of the bracket. We owe them a payback game.And while I respect Cignetti, OBD's need to wipe that cocky, smug smirk off his face. Hang on to the nearest rail OBDF members the next 8 games could be an amazing roller coaster ride. One game at a time, let's handle the Hawkeyes or none of this may matter. Their DC really thinks OBD's are just NIL storebought. Let's show him what a power run game is all about! Go Ducks......

Raiola's backup looked lost. At UCLA, Bye, at Penn State, and Iowa is what's left for the Cornhuskers. Michigan is a much better team in the Big House, and away from LA, SC plays like it needs an Out House. 💩 Michigan RB Justice Haynes, who transferred in from Bama and was having a terrific season, will have foot surgery this week. We'll see what happens tomorrow night, but three of Oregon's final four games could be against top 25 opponents and bowl-eligible Minnesota, with road games at Iowa and UW. 🤬 The number of conference wins by Indiana's final three big opponents: 0, Zip, Nada, Nyet, and Nudge.

No, but AD Scott Barnes will give HC Rob Akey a lifetime contract!

I find it interesting that the national media is finally starting to pick up on it. However, most outlets are framing this as an issue over the past two years, when this has been an ongoing issue with him since 2007. Mario has been a head coach for 14 seasons. He has lost to an unranked team in every single one of those 14 seasons as a head coach. In 10 of those years, he has lost to more than 1 unranked team. He still has the rest of this year to make that 11. Probably the most surprising thing is that he has not been able to really grow and change over time. He’s an elite recruiter and assembles some of the best rosters in college football. However, some things just don’t change: His teams are always undisciplined and have a ton of penalties. He believes that he can just out “physicality” everyone all the time. They are little to no adjustments based on opponent. He doesn’t take advantage of mismatches on offense. His clock management has to be some of the worst in the entire FBS. Situational awareness costs him at least 1 game a year. For comparison, Dan Lanning in four seasons as a head coach has never lost to an unranked team and has only lost one game to a team not ranked in the Top 10. I appreciate what Cristobal did to help elevate the program, but Lanning is a MASSIVE upgrade.

Ooops. The drunk one. I have a few to add to the sober one.

Jon J. To add to the "sober bingo card." Number of times Nile Kinnick statue and/or his photo seated in the cockpit of a WWII fighter plane will be shown. Love your writing, Jon.