David Marsh

Sounds like the staff likes the guys they have. I don't feel I understand how linebackers are supposed to work in Lanning's system but they seem to need to be able to do everything. Which requires an athletic freak which is difficult to get. I kinda feel they may need to rework what linebackers are supposed to do and maybe even simplify the role. But I say this feeling inadequate to really answer. But I also feel most people don't exactly know what linebackers are supposed to do in Lanning's defense.

I don't think there will be much change at all... I think there is a greater chance at refinement. But I do think there needs to be some change to get over that last hurtle.

The stars aligned for sure... He got lucky he didn't lose any critical players he didn't have a backup for. And it helps to have senior laidin team that isn't suspectable to transfer portal because they're out of eligibility. That and his coordinators aren't going anywhere. Oregon got burned back by the portal killing depth, bad timing on injuries, and coaches focus was divided. Too many things to go wrong... Not going to say we would have won if everything was perfect but all those together just broke the program.

I think some of that comes with experience. Remember we had / have a quarterback who has started less than 20 games! He's grown but we all know how many open receivers he missed and just didn't even see. Get Moore seeing the field better and that will help finish some of those drives. Seeing the field requires two things.. good offensive line protection and experience. Then on the runningback side of things we are returning TWO incredible runningbacks who were freshman! Seriously... Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill were amazing runningbacks this year and they were freshman. Just wait to see what they can do in year two when they have continued to grow into their bodies and have a deeper knowledge of the game. Not having Davison and Whittington in that last game really did hurt our chances because if he carried the ball I think he would have sustained a few of those drives. Harris was just too big of a step down. I'm by no means saying we win if we have both... but I think the game looks very different. Also Davison is a BEAST pass protector.

McClellan has been pretty clutch in coverage as well. Some incredible catches. I kinda felt like he didn't get enough targets in the last two games in particular. I feel like in the off-season Dante Moore is going to have to really work with his receivers to build some extra chemistry. It felt like he had good chemistry with Dakorian Moore in the early season but had to build some chemistry with Benson and McClellen in the second half of the season. There needs to be more trust between Moore and his receivers to take some educated risks. Many of his picks came when he fixated on a particular receiver.

Another interesting piece I'm seeing these days is the Jordan Seaton transfer portal recruitment. The Ducks sound like they are in it, for whatever that's worth and the number going around for his services is 3mil-ish. That's as much as our two newly promoted coordinators combined (more or less) for one player. In the past I think Dan would have given this a pass but I wouldn't be surprised to find out that the NIL budget might have been given a bit of extra juice after the last loss.

Hard to say.... Matayo was definitely not as good this year that last year in terms of the stat sheet. The backend of our defense felt pretty good for the most part... But was picked apart when QBs had time.

In my article tomorrow I look a bit more broadly on the changes coming to the program. But to make it short... The first string all stayed and the second string would have the same role they have this year next year. And there probably aren't the NIL resources to pay everyone and the starters just got a whole lot more expensive. Probably the most expensive players in terms of NIL are 4th year starters because they could have gone to the draft but aren't and will need to be compensated for staying.

Definitely a depth piece. Johnson is returning and will be a beast. Olesh from PSU has lots of potential but will need to learn the system. Plenty of time for that for sure. Kendre Harrison is massive at 6'7" but will need to put on some eight for sure as an incoming freshman. With only three tight ends the room was going to be thin. But adding another will definitely create some depth. I'm surprised that Vander Ploog and Roger Saleapaga both opted for the portal when Sadiq was moving on and Johnson was the only returning starter and Harrison was the incoming frosh. Lots of space for them to carve out roles for themselves with expirenced in the Lanning system.

But was he already getting pushed out by Wyatt? Purchase redshirted last year and Wyatt haa entered the rotation as a change of pace edge rusher. I would rather have Purchase on the roster but with both ends returning and Wyatt and maybe even Rushing pushing him from below how safe was his position on the two deep?

Crazy thing is that many players are being paid more than the coaches these days. I saw the salleries of these two the other day and both are making less than 2mil. A lot of big name players are making double that or even triple that if some reports can be trusted. I mean that freshman tight end at USC is supposed to be making 2 mil a year and he hasn't even played a down of college football yet.

I had students raking a test earlier this week... So I sat there checking any transfer portal news constantly. But otherwise I am moving into off season mode. I won't watch any of the championship game. With a 3 and 1 year old at home the ONLY games I get to carve out watching time are Duck games. I frankly don't care too much about who wins the national championship. I won't be happy with either winning but it is what it is. It's kinda funny for me because I football season but I generally hate the begining of the school year because as a teacher it is pretty boring with a lot of paperwork and not that much fun because you don't know any of the kids yet. So oddly enough right now my classes are more fun to teach but moving away from football season itself. I have other stuff to focus on at this point. I guess I'm ready for a bit of down time.

Absolutely this... that stint as an OC was in 2016!!! That was 10 years ago. He's developed and changed as a coach or frankly he wouldn't be a Oregon. I trust Lanning and I look forward to seeing some minor changes. I want to see more deep passing routes on offense for starters. Let lose some of these speed demons we have. Probably need some offensive line improvements as well but I think he'll get them.

Or my favorite... the Clorox Bowl Come on this needs to be a bowl game!!!

It could also be fun that if teams lose in the playoff they have a losers bracket! The losers of each round of the main playoff get seeded into the following rounds of the losers bracket. That wouldn't happen at all but it could be amusing for sure.

Almost everyone. The average age of their offense is something like 22. Beyond that most of their starters are in their 4th, 5th or 6th years. They have like one sophomore starting and the rest are long time vets. They are losing pretty much their entire team.

And ... The playoff should end in early January not basically start. And signing day should be late January or just revert back to the more traditional day in February. December is madness right now.

Ok... I don't like it because of tradition... But tradition is dead. I overall like it for this reason... If a player is in a place where they would like to hit the transfer portal because of the depth chart and want to preserve their red shirt in the process they could reasonably say to their team... "Hey I want to hit the portal this off season and preserve my redshirt. I'm low on the depth chart but I still want to be committed to the team and stick it out the rest of the season and contribute whenever and wherever I can, and preserve this eligibility. Maybe even the playoff when redshirt doesn't count" The player I think of most for this is Makhi Hughes. He didn't want to lose a year of eligibility sitting behind 3 to 4 backs at Oregon but just think he could have contributed late in the season when we lost depth. More than anything it gives players incentive to buy in and not quit to preserve their redshirt. Nine games mean they have to sit for three regular season games. That is easy to plan around.

Benson MIGHT have had an additional year as he was a JC athlete apparently. He would have had to petition for it and not guaranteed. He was great this year and I wish him well.

Was he expecting to start this year? I mean I doubt he was thinking that. So why not stay a year and develop and see if you stand a good chance at starting the next season? You'll know where you stand by the time the portal opens up in a year. It what it is... I won't get too worked up about it.

He has made a choice... by promoting from within he has opted to maintain some continuity which I think is needed. However, there are still two open coaching spots in his staff. He has to make another choice as to who to fill those spots with. Does he get a QB coach or a TE coach? Does he bring someone in as strictly a positional coach or does he look for someone older perhaps to be a positional coach AND a CO-OC? The same goes for the defensive side of the ball. He hasn't made those staffing changes yet and maybe I've been living under a rock for the past few days but I don't recall seeing an announcement that makes those promotions official yet either. I would be surprised if they're not. But I also think there is a very good chance Lanning brings in some new blood who take on Co-OC/DC titles. I have more faith in Hampton oddly enough than Mehringer but I'll trust Dan. At this point Dan needs to squeeze out a bit more from his staff and team to get over the hump to win it all. Seriously... In the last three seasons Lanning has lost a grand total of 2 regular season games! The problem has been rematches with top teams in the post season whether that is a conference championship game or a playoff game.

Don't be surprised if more money from NIL shows up. I'm sure Uncle Phil is talking with Lanning and I wouldn't at all be surprised if Phil goes all in one of these years to get the players needed to get that championship.

It was a long shot that he stayed for another season. Johnson has really come along this season. Olesh and Harrison (the due is six foot seven!) I think we will have plenty of weapons at tight end. Though we lost two tight ends so that is less great for the depth. Wouldn't be surprised if we go after another tight end in the portal at this point.

I turned the game off at the start of the second quarter. I needed to be a good role model for my young children and yelling at the TV is not that. After losses I usually need to disconnect a bit for a few days. It did ruin my entire weekend for the record... kinda hated it was a Friday night game because of that. I'm now dipping back into Oregon football again... in part because I feel like I am a true fan... in part because I think I'm just addicted to Oregon football. I can't stay away forever. It does have an emotional toll on me for sure... but the wins are amazing and lows are really low. https://fishduck.com/2023/12/the-pain-of-being-a-superfan/

COVID shirts have kinda skewed the blue chip ratio. Having players who are older and more experienced do make up for having more athletically talented and younger players. Oregon has had younger teams than the last few national champions because we haven't been able to hold onto our young talent into their 4th or even 5th years. Yeah... we've had some 5th and 6th year QBs in Nix and Gabriel but not a roster of them. What is the average age of the starters on Indiana's roster? Like 22? That's super old and old vets are going to be more consistent than younger players. It might be the new path forward to undermine the blue chip ratio ... just get a bunch of old grizzled vets. Also the way the transfer portal works it doesn't get put into the blue chip ratio. At least I believe blue chip only counts players out of high school and some of the most coveted transfers are players who didn't big names out of high school but developed into something. Probably need to start changing how the metrics work.