David Marsh

I also think he sits down and thumbs through the rulebook on a regular basis. He is definitely experimenting on the field. Not everything works but even the best designed play doesn't work 100% of the time. Excited to see what else he has for us this year.

This article was already pushing the word limit for what makes an acceptable article length... So I left out the "fake knee" against Wisconsin where they took a knee formation and did a direct snap to James. This almost worked. Against Ohio State Lanning also used a swinging gate formation which moved the entire offensive line, minus the center, to the left of the center and detached. The play failed but Gabriel had Holden wide open down he middle for a touchdown if he got the ball there. There were some others but it would take looking back at the film. These are just the ones on the top of my head. And of course there were others in previous years.

I am under the impression that 120 is about the limit between the current 85 scholarship players and the walk-ons to fill out the rest of the roster. Most teams hover around 100 total players between scholarships and walkons. I would imagine that walkons may look to transfer in droves in the hopes of finding a scholarship somewhere, but they do that as it is right now. No clue where they get thus 150 number from.

I mean... how many are being pushed out and how many are opting to leave on their own? I'm sure there is a bit of both but I'd be surprised if we see 50. I think Colorado and Sanders were close to 30 leaving last season and they brought in another 30.

Ducks vs Them is a masterstroke of PR, fan base access and recruiting. Lanning doesn't let the media see anything significant when it comes to observing practice. Warmups and some basic special teams drills is it. Lanning also doesn't give away anything in his press conferences. Not unlike Chip Kelly, Mark Helfrich or Mario Cristobal before him. However, he does it with a smile on his face and a charm offensive that none of his Oregon predecessors had and as a result everyone likes him a whole lot more but in terms of getting access to the program there isn't any. But do you hear any fans complain about not having any access to the program? No... because Ducks vs Them and That Team Out West have both given the fan base unprecedented access to the program while at the same time allowing Dan Lanning to have complete control over what he does and doesn't want the public to see. There are still plenty of private team moments we never see and you often see parts of presentations or papers blurred out because he doesn't want that stuff seen. But as fans we get a taste of the behind the scenes and recruits get a taste of the person who wants to be their head coach. That series is an absolute boon for Ducks fans and I know I get excited to see the next installment each and every week and I am shocked by how much I learn from the program because of it.

Can we all agree Mariota did the Heisman pose best? Because it was unintentional and airborne.

Or.. or... Maybe a SEC team should go up to Indi and play a playoff game there.

The answer is not really... but there are a couple of interesting cases we saw this last weekend where schools that were forced to be patient might be getting some playoff for it. Billy Napier at Florida felt like he was going to be out of a job potentially before the season was over. Now he has knocked two SEC teams out of the playoff running entirely. Florida seems to have found their quarterback and the team is rallying around their coach. Florida probably would have fired Napier if it wasn't for the fact that they had an interim president they probably would have fired him. Though that non-decision may pay off because Florida won't have to pay to fire Napier and he may yet turn the program around. Let's be honest for a moment, before Napier Florida was not the powerhouse they desire to be as they had a lot of coaching turnover in the last decade. Taking the time to unravel the culture not just in the locker room but around the entire athletic department takes time. And that doesn't bring into account figuring out the whole NIL game when it comes to recruiting. Florida may have their long term head coach already and the fact they were forced to be patient may playoff. The other school that is forced to be patient is Oklahoma. The Sooners have not been good this year and in the off season they gave Brett Venables a hefty contract extension. The Sooners are locked into Venables whether they like it or not for a few years. The defense is solid but the offense needs improvement, kinda the direct opposite of the Riley years. Though against Bama it looks like they may be headed in the right direction. This coaching hire may yet playoff. It is amusing how the trend has become a coach gets one or two years to turn a program around before being declared a failure. It used to take at least two years before a coach could start showing improvements. But in our win now culture in college football with the transfer portal patience has gone. It's just funny how the schools that are forced to be patient may be seeing some real results.

It could be some special teams stuff they have brewing. The media is only there for the first 15 minutes or so and that coincides with special teams reps. So.... probably something crazy is brewing.

To which Dan Lanning says.... "Hey get this truck off my damn green lawn!"

Aww USC wins... And now they're bowl eligible. Also Lincoln Riley didn't look happy to be informed they were finally bowling eligible. Like maybe that should have happened already.

Ughh ... So the Ducks will win by 3 points or less.. That's what happens in NBC this year for the Ducks.

On this side of it it's a massive benefit. I don't think we were feeling that way at this time last week as the Ducks were struggling against Wisconsin. But hey... We survived and now get a much needed bye.

Don't need to wait till next year... They're a problem now. They might contend for a playoff spot next year.

Would it be a good time to mention that TAMU (who could theoretically get into the SEC championship game with two wins) is LOSING to Auburn right now! I love college football! This week is amazing so far.

Jaxon Dart was just forcing those passes in on those last two drives. What is also clear is that Florida is not a team to be underestimated. They beat Ole Miss and LSU and they did play Georgia very close until the end. So the answer as to the best team is Florida? Right?

Serrious question and one I don't have an answer to. Texas has an Indiana problem... Easy schedule and then lost badly to their first ranked opponet. Georgia has a loss to Alabama and Ole Miss both of who have worse losses. Alabama lost to Vandy, and we can't unsee that and then lost to Tennessee which may or may not have an offense on any given week. Tennessee lost to Georgia badly and Arkansas who are not good. Then Ole Miss lost to Kentucky and now Florida. And I'm not going into LSU and TMAU who also both have embarrassing losses and their best wins seem to be fading. So who is the best in the SEC? If I had to pick... Georgia... But what about your pick?

I think Florida admin is feeling better about their decision to extend Napier for another season. This Florida team is putting it together. Sometimes programs take time to get the culture in place and the players and get everything working in the same direction.

Ole Miss going down is the best thing to happen to Indiana today. They have a bit more wiggle room to make the playoffs now.

Rven though OHio State has momentum they still look vulnerable. They just have an athlete advantage and it's starting to show.

Ohio State's defensive line is getting no pressure on the QB. And where were the flags and the refs paying attention to stuff when we played Ohio State???? Also. No clue who I'm rotting for in this game. If I don't have a direct Oregon stake in the game I go for the underdog but I do have a stake here and I'm not sure which team I want to playing the CCG.

As it concerns to Moore. I think there is a good reason why a lot of high school quarterbacks need to sit a season. The other problem was that last year UCLA took a bit of a nose dive in terms of talent and ability. Needing a freshman to play hero ball is a bad recipe for their long term career. Just ask Bo Nix, who thankfully escaped a burning Auburn. I'm not in the Moore or bust camp as it concerns next year. I am more than happy to let it all play out and see who comes out the other side.

I have a coworker who lives in solid B1G country most of his life. He says we don't get winter in Portland except a couple times of year. I'm fine with that..I like that horrible snowy weather a couple times a year. Especially if I can sit at home and watch it. Not too keen about being out in it.

I actually think that we may have next year's quarterback in house. Unless Moore is a complete dud, I think he'll probably get the job. Novosad won't go down without a fight and if he wins so be it. The transfer was have been essential to getting the program up and running at full speed. Ty Thompson was the backup for two years but was obviously not the heir to the program. Novosad sat and learned for a year under Nix which probably helped him. Now Moore gets a year under Gabriel for development and to learn the system. What is apparent is that the Lanning-Stein offense is deep. Year two of Nix in the system, albeit with changes from the Dillingham offense, to the Stein offense was far more intricate than a lot of what we've seen this year. We're starting to see more depth of the offense as the weeks go on. Now think about what Moore or Novosad might be able to do out the gate as a starter with a solid year in the system and learning. If they have the physical talent they'd probably surpass the experience of a transfer because they'll know the system. However, Lanning won't turn down a player he believes will make the team better. So we'll have to wait and see.

No one talks like that to B1G royalty! Those teams don't ever lose. Oh wait... Didn't they BOTH lose to some new comer this year? I don't remember who...