David Marsh

Contending for a playoff spot is what they expected. It took Smith third year at OSU to get it in the right direction. Every program expects instant turnaround or continuation. They look at Lanning and Cignetti and say... "We want that" but they're the exception. Lanning inherited a good roster but needed to completely overhaul it for his desired team. And Cignetti just transferred over a ton of guys from his previous team and did an instant rebuild which is incredible. Still want to see the Hoosiers lose... But I can respect what he's done. Most coaches can't turn around and put together a winning team in year one.

First round game at Autzen. Get those injured guys back on the field and warmed up for a good run. A month off with a bye is a LONG time and for someone like Dak who has missed all of November his last game would have been 2 months ago at that point and now it's against a team that had a warm up game. Let's have the warm up. Especially if we are the no. 5 seed and will probably need to go throw Ohio State to reach the championship game.

Sadiq did not have a good day. The pass end zone TD pass that he caught out of bounds was a slightly off target throw by Moore. But Sadiq had several passes in his hands that he dropped that would have been for good gains. Also... McClellan had a catch that wasn't. Or a PI that wasn't called. Moore felt off for a lot of that game but it wasn't completely his fault. A few more completed balls and he might have found that rhythm.

The Chip Kelly record is going to be tough to beat... But I believe Dan can do it! Chip just left at his peak.

I mean... Puddles is a better name. But I still love The Duck.

And to make it a bit worse... his left arm was being completely held by the Washington player. Where's the PI flag for that? Should have been a catch or a flag.

He had faith his defense gets off the field and wanted time for th offense.

Anyone else feeling annoyed how there are no calls when players hold Oregon players but if Oregon holds we get flagged? I am also aware that Oregon got away with a couple holds today as well. I also saw a facemask from a Washington against an Oregon player that went unflagged.

Washington isn't letting Oregon get the chunk yardage on the ground we're used to but Oregon is still getting positive yards per carry. So need to keep the Huskies honest. Getting Moore's legs in on the game in a safe way has been good so far. Another way to open up the ground game.

I also wouldn't mind some screen passes. I know a lot of people hate them but we need some chunk yards. Also that missed pass to Hill should have been better but we could have ran it for 3 yards to keep that drive alive. Feels like we are getting too cute right now.

Run the fracking ball!!!!

A 24 team playoff... Frankly I hate it. But this is one of those things that will move on with or without Dan support because at the end of the day we are all tied to our teams and we'll at least follow things for our team's sake. Just looking at this year's rankings so far I feel there are a lot of teams in the Big 12 that are not good enough to make the playoff but have received a ton of hype so far. The Big 12 isn't what it used to be and the ACC is pretty weak as well. As for the B1G and SEC any team that gets three losses on their record isn't in the top tier of the conference. But I suppose more games, even games with sacrificial lambs, make money so I'm sure this will happen. College football has leveled out in the transfer portal and NIL era. I mean... Indiana, need I say more? So the playoff expansion is warranted and 12 feels probably about right and 16 is pushing it but has merits based on fairness, everyone plays a first round game. But 24? Just make another tournament like the NIT... A lower bracket tournament for the rest of the spread of teams. Maybe a conference that isn't the B1G or SEC might actually win it. Might be a better and more exciting tournament honestly.

And we're on the West coast... So I guess that goes to Texas Tech.

That would be fun.... But I don't think that would ever really happen. There is a still a massive talent gap between the top and the bottom. Especially when it comes to the end of a season. I mean in the 2022 Rosebowl Utah went up against Ohio State which had some of their biggest players sit out for the draft... And lost. Yes they lost their star QB but I don't think that would have made a difference in terms of the final result... Maybe the score board would have looked nicer but OSU would have gotten the win regardless.

They did that before Wilcox... They had Sonny Dykes and that was a disaster for them. He has done better in the Big 12 where teams just don't believe in defense (well this year seems different on that front). Cal needs a competent head coach who understands the program, alumni and fan base. And perhaps most importantly... Recruit their own back yard to secure its best talent and go into southern California and grab some there as well. They haven't had that and that's what they need. Defensive minded or offensive minded doesn't matter. The right coordinators will help, but frankly Wilcox has actually don't quite well on the coaching hires from an X's and O's stand point... They just never had the jimmies and joes. At least not a complete roster of them.

Hampton is already co-DC. I wouldn't be surprised if they keep the co-DC thing rolling by either promoting or finding another young up-and-comer. Little surprised that Lupoi is diving into the HC thing because he would have had opportunities before but I guess he just wanted this job. Good for him.

Great example of what the pistol can and should do. It's about deception and flexibility. The Cristobal version used it like the spread offense version of the i-formation which it isn't. The pistol under Cristobal was predictable... It always sent the runner into the A-gap in a power run... But unlike the i-formation the runner is even farther back and the defense knowing it's coming could send someone around the side to stop the run from behind. Love seeing the pistol under Stein because it is a wild card... The play could go anywhere.

Came across this on the Bleacher Report app... I tend to like it better than the ESPN one... But it has Washington by 13 points??? What is going on with that?

Gotta beat the Huskies and it depends on who wins and loses in front of us... And then how things change with a win or a loss in some of these championship games.

On3College Football Playoff Top 25: Fourth Official 2025 CFP....Oregon is at no. 6 in the playoff rankings. Personally I think we are in the perfect spot. Though I think it is likely for us to move move up another spot depending on what happens in the next couple of weeks.

https://fishduck.com/2025/01/how-should-duck-fans-remember-chip-kelly/ Wrote this last year... Perhaps it's worth a revisit.

I doubt it... He didn't like that idea after a couple of practices with Oregon. Now... he may change his mind but I think Dante Moore's decision to come to Oregon and sit a year is by far the outlier and not the rule. I would be shocked if Lanning pulls off that recruitment a second time this decade.

Absolutely! Pac-12 football was a completely different beast than the B1G. You always knew the other team had the ability to put up points with fantastic quarterback play and skill positions. I was under no illusions that we were going to keep the Trojans under 20 points going into the game, I didn't make a formal prediction but I thought they would get 21 which is still less than what they actually scored. Oregon's defense is good but good offenses always find a way.

It's the injuries right now and an away game that have set that line. Unless / until we know who is out and who will play that line will stay lower. Even though our offensive line was mostly back-ups and we ran the ball well we still ran it less efficiently than if we had our starters in. It's little things like that which takes points off the betting line. If we get word that Poncho and World are back at full strength I would imagine that that line ticks up. If we get word that Dakorian Moore is going to play, I imagine that again the line goes up in our favor.

Depends on the objective. Maybe he didn't plan on leaving ole Miss and this is all about leverage. Maybe he doesn't care as much about the end money but wants more resources. Let's get real. The money all these coaches are getting paid is more than enough to live on and leave a substantial nest egg for multiple generations.