With this schedule, 9-3 feels like a worst case to me. As in, we have a negative QB situation we will still go 9-3 with that schedule.

Awesome, bring it on! This is hardly the time to take it down a notch.

Pretty sure the punter we stole from Boise is Australian

10 hours ago, Nevada Dawg said:

So many of the top programs will be breaking in relatively inexperienced starting QBs that lists of who' the best in the B1G and SEC are more speculative than I can ever remember, and there are likely to be some real surprises this year that make pre-season predictions look ridiculous. Hopefully Dante will be one of them. At this point, I just hope that Dante is solid at running the plays that are called for him. If so, the Ducks should be just fine.

This.

IMO, we should be talented enough that given the schedule , “solid” QB play will get us to 10-2 and a playoff appearance. Anything “Moore” will probably require great play from two guys named Moore.

We need Moore(s)

I like throwing darts too!

But in fairness, where should he be? Sayin and Underwood are arbitrary, but I’m not sure I could rate Moore higher than any of the others until he proves otherwise. IMO of course 😉

1 minute ago, GatOrlando said:

USC has the same problem most programs do in major markets with pro sports, celebrities, nightclubs, and a million things to do everyday. Notice that Georgia Tech (Atlanta), Miami, UCLA(Los Angeles), Boston College, Rutgers(Jersey/New York) , Northwestern (Chicago), Temple (Philadelphia) Vanderbilt (Nashville) and just about every other program located in a major market just doesn't have the fan support.

Eugene, Ann Arbor, Madison, Tuscaloosa, Baton Rouge, College Station, Auburn,Gainesville, Athens(Georgia), Knoxville, Happy Valley,Oxford(Ole Miss), Clemson, Lincoln, and Norman are great home environments. Texas(Austin), Ohio State(Columbus), and Washington(Seattle) are really the lone mid to major metro markets that have great college atmospheres.

Miami used to have a somewhat good environment when they were playing at the Orange Bowl, but Dolphins stadium is huge and soulless. The Coliseum and Rose Bowl are great, but they are like ghost towns unless USC is in dynasty mode or it's the actual Rose Bowl game filled with fans from outside LA.

I know the article really wasn't about home environments, but I truly think there is a lack of passion with the USC program unless they are undefeated. Duck fans rock out every week. The passion level is at another level.

Not untrue, there really aren’t a lot of college powers in large metros in any sport, but USC has overcome this quite a few times. The right coach and administration could still kill it there. Very different than trying to bring someplace like Nebraska or Oklahoma back.

Not going to lie, if I could be 20 with no expenses and making $500k+ a year, LA would be pretty appealing. I’d take that deal right now at 55 😂

Vegas has their over/under at 7.5, believe it.

3 minutes ago, GatOrlando said:

It's a way of trying to make paying players sound palatable. There's been a wink wink under the table payment plan in place since the Pony Express. The NCAA would go after certain cases just to make themselves feel better, but I've seen kids from downtrodden Orange Blossom Trail driving around in Jaguars, Lambos, and H2's back in the late 2000's around campus.

I could barely afford gas for my beat up old Nova after buying things like textbooks and things the GI Bill didn't cover when I was in college.

Pretty spot on.

IMO - No matter what regulations old people start tossing around to feel better about themselves, the end result will be the same. The top-20 from 10 years ago will pretty much look the same 10 years from now.

10 minutes ago, DrJacksPlaidPants said:

I know everybody gives Bama grief about their soft non-conference schedule, but they always schedule a FBS team out of conference. In the past 10 seasons they have played the following non-SEC FBS teams. They may not have been very good teams, but they didn't know that when the schedules were made.

2015 - Wisconsin

2016 - USC

2017 - Florida State

2018 - Louisville

2019 - Duke

2020 - COVID, they play ell SEC teams

2021 - Miami

2022 - Texas

2023 - Texas

2024 - Wisconsin

I think the SEC gets into lala land because the rest of the league see themselves as being Alabama’s equal the last 10 years. They aren’t. Alabama was an absolute freak show.

If Alabama and USC (west coast USC) swapped their history over the last decade, how different would the narrative be?

Big NO IMO.

Until LR AND USC demonstrate they can compete in the modern plug and play world against the rough and tumble B1G, they should get zero benefit of the doubt. One of the biggest differences between OBD and USC is we have an actual body of work (12-0 regular season in B1G, plug and play environment) with a coach that has averaged almost 12 wins a season.

I think their loss range could be from 2 to 8, splitting that down the middle, I have them going 7-5. I think their odds of going 10-2 are better than them going 4-8, but not by much.

Still blows my mind how BSU & SDSU came racing in like a couple of rabid dogs. This league clearly has no strategy. They will talk about geography ultimately whining while actively trying to add Memphis to the conference.

You bet, coming back to play Texas State instead of Duke.

Just completed my first season with my OBD dynasty in the NCAA 26 game. Unfolded in ways I wouldn’t have imagined, but could certainly happen.

Went 11-0, but lost in Seattle in OT, then lost the rematch to PSU in the B1G title game, ending up 11-2. Still got an 11 seed and won a playoff games at Baylor before winning the rubber match against PSU 😝

Sadly lost a squeaker in the semis and Miami won it all 🤢 🤮

I’d say no.

That game is late enough in the year that USC will either be riding high or about to dump their coach. If they’re 9-1 they’ll be in the top-10 and have our attention, if they’re 6-4 they’ll be discussing hiring Nick Saban and in the tank.

IMO we’re elite whether we like it or not, but no title is an albatross.

Minnesota has 6 titles in football, Harvard has 8, etc. Nobody is confusing them with anything good.

I’ll take it a step farther, nobody (outside fans of the team) is overly impressed with teams that were voted in as a champion…that impresses people as much as when we tell them we have a hoops title from 1939. An anecdote from ancient history.

Take that UW!

That time of year to post a pic of the school with the most titles (18) in college football history!

I believe Teddy Roosevelt started the NCAA.

17 minutes ago, 30Duck said:

This viability?

First outright title since 1964, they’re such big boys!

No not hoops.

Mediation for exit/poaching fees just failed yesterday afternoon. Some of their diehards are taking this as a power play, but I don’t think this is remotely a positive and could very much be an increased threat to the conference's viability.

After reading this thread I expect us to go 7-5 at best, god OBD are so bad! 😜

Let’s go ahead and at least get him north of 1000 career passing yards before proclaiming him generational. He’s not even top-100 yet.

Fascinating to see some HS 4 and even 5 stars not even starting elsewhere.

During our downtime, I may have visited a Beavis site or two. There are still large segments of people, in their echo chamber at least, that believe the new PAC could end up with not one but TWO guaranteed playoff spots.

Is this the bill of goods that BSU and SDSU bought into? Really felt like those two fumbled all over themselves to join like it was an invite in the year 2000. Given the track record, I’m guessing the new PAC will end up suing somebody when they realize they don’t have any guaranteed playoff spots.

Interesting article.

“Fatal flaw” to me indicates some kind of obscure detail that might not be obvious, such as, the new QB is left handed and the entire team is oriented to having a right handed QB. Being all new or untested up front on both sides of the ball should be a giant red flashing siren.

tOSU won’t “lose in the semis” because of the lines not being up to snuff IMO. If the lines aren’t up to a very high standard and they fail to reload, they’re probably going 9-3 and may not make the playoff at all. (Yeah right, lol)

So the theory here is that a G6 with some 9-3 teams on the fringe of the top-25 is a shoe-in to place a team in the playoff?

Interesting theory.

Happy birthday!
 

My pops flew P3-C Orions so I’ve always had a soft spot for flying hardware.