David Marsh

And sometimes a really really short game. Some transfer portal recruitments are like a week at most. While others do stem from high school recruiting.

Sooo... They're not replaying the 2021 game against Ohio State? Or the last meeting between Oregon and Michigan? Hmmm.... Maybe they don't want to relive those games just yet.

Oregon has seized momentum back after a couple flips.

Get that QB locked in so he can recruit! I think Akali Smith jr. has done a lot to help build our 2025 class. They can build their leadership and relationships by recruiting to the Ducks.

I was going to say... We care too much and work too hard. But nothing is fine too.

I'm just going to throw this in here... Dan Lanning Is the Best Recruiter in the Country | FishDuck FISHDUCK.COM Dan Lanning and company are the best recruiters in the country right now. Now, anyone who wants to go... A few notes that I'd like to add. 1. Alabama's high school class was all Saban. The portal was DeBoer who pulled quite a few UW players to Bama. So far DeBoer is putting together a solid class in 2025 from prep recruits but we'll see how long he can ride Saban's coattails. 2. Georgia is Georgia and is able to live off prep recruiting. Not at all a surprise they're top ranked. 3. Ohio State is certainly a recruiting power but their use of the portal this cycle feels maybe a bit more desperate than in previous years. It feels like Day is going for broke here in a do or die season. 4. In order for Lanning to be successful at Oregon he MUST do both prep and portal well. Without a massive amount of talent in Oregon's backyard Lanning will always need the portal to fill in gaps that he can't fill in any given cycle. Geography isn't as much of a detriment as it used to be but is still a significant factor in recruiting.

I could see them buying their way into the Big 12. They have a warchest that can do so with all that Pac-12 money. I would be surprised if the Big 12 just outright add them. But if they were to pay the Big 12 a bit of money and then forego media money for a year or two I could see them being let in. They do have some value... Even in the conference of leftovers. But it probably won't come for free.

It's interesting so far how they have brought back the yellow but have continued to keep the apple green.

I love the look. It looks classic while having that clean and modern style to it. The old yellow is nice. But I'm waiting to see some highlighter yellow! Not sure we'll get it with Generation O because it wouldn't be interchangeable with other pieces so easily because the highlighter yellow would clash horribly with this darker yellow.

They'll be better by th end of the season. But so will the Ducks and Oregon will have major depth. Washington the last two seasons got lucky. Especially last season the got really lucky for the entirety of the season where they just avoided any significant injuries. While also having a roster full of 5th and 6th year players. Washington doesn't have that kind of roster this year and if they suffer a couple of key injuries they might not even make a bowl game. Also... Not sure how Oregon managed to play their worst games of the year against the Huskies.

Ohio State has had a lot of good quarterbacks under Day, last season was more of the exception not the rule. Day has had some pass happy offenses that put up big numbers. Kinda the Lincoln Riley of the B1G... That is before Lincoln Riley entered the B1G. If you're a quarterback who is looking to get a bump to your draft stock ... Ohio State is certainly a good destination. Now... I think Oregon just proved how good of a destinitbey are under Lanning as they turned Nix from a probable late round draft pick at best to a first rounder. But if Ohio State landed Gabriel I could see why he'd go there. Glad he's on our team though. He may prove to be the x factor that gets us a win over Ohio State this season.

For most players having your top schools means they've all bought in and have competitive bids. There is always a bit of a bidding war... Or at least bidding jostling. But as Charles and myself have said that most recruits aren't purely NIL. Oregon will probably miss out here as the Ducks are rarely the highest bidder from the sound of it.

This was on the same page you linked.. New USC transfer receiver is a mystery with hard-to-define upside TROJANSWIRE.USATODAY.COM It will be fascinating to see what USC can do with this new transfer. I'm not trying to poo-poo division 3 athletes... Nor am I trying to say there isn't some talent at the Division 3 level. But are the Trojans that desperate that they need help from the Division 3 level? This feels more like an Oregon State move than what should be a USC move. This player may turn out to be a huge diamond in the rough... but that would be super surprising to everyone.

I think it has something to do with the faces as well. They're cartoony but like the type of cartoon face that if you take you eye off then they'll murder you in your sleep.

Why are human mascots so creepy and off putting. Glad we have the Duck!

As for the field needing an update... I'm sure that's coming. I don't foresee them doing a big renovation on the field but just updating the conference logos. Matt Knight Cout got a MAJOR overhaul that I think was probably planned ahead of the Ducks joining the B1G. They redid the surface and the design in a big way. I would be surprised if the court overhaul was either scheduled for this off season or was planned before last season started but was delayed because they might as well wait to do it all at once. I doubt Rich Brooks Field needs much besides those couple zones of turf. It'll be done before game one for sure. .... As for the court ruling. Basically it was based off how the Pac-12 basically took voting rights away from the LA schools when they announced their departure. Then Colorado announced they're going to the Big 12 and they lost voting rights. Then Oregon and Washington went to the B1G and Zona, ASU and Utah went to the Big 12 very shortly after. All lost voting rights. Then Cal and Stanford left. So based on the precedence of the LA schools losing their voting rights, which I think you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who would have disagreed with that at the time, everyone who left lost their rights in the conference meetings. OSU and WSU had all the power and decided not to payout the money fairly. The original intent from all members.was to not payout the LA schools for leaving anyways. That's the logic behind it toy knowledge. Agree or disagree with it if you like I'm just presenting it the best way I understand it. But at this point the DUCKS will soon officially be in the B1G and they'll probably roll out a video of the field being updated because that's the Oregon way.

This doesn't mean Lanning and constip recruiting. They're probably still working on Lincoln Cure as well. It hurts... But it isn't over until they sign and even then it's not necessarily over.

I want to keep the game around personally because there is tradition with it and in an era that is chucking so much tradition out the window keeping something traditional around feelings meaningful. Will it last as a yearly event in the long run? Probably not but we can keep it for now. Oddly enough the only way to keep the rivalry game alive in the long run needs Oregon State in a P4 conference. Probably the ACC or Big 12 because they aren't B1G enough of a brand. This would at least give the feeling this game is fair or at least mutually beneficial. If OSU is a Mountain West team then I only see this game hanging around brcause it gives the Ducks effectively a non travel game even when away and it would be a decent payday for the Beavers when they come to Autzen which they would desperately need after the Pac-12 funds all dry up. But the game won't be anywhere near competitive. And rivalries do need a back and forth on the field. Last year it kinda felt like Colorado and Colorado fans were insisting on a rivalry with Oregon but the reality is there hasn't been that much back and forth in results for us as Duck fans to feel a rivalry vibe. It was a conference game which gave it meaning but not a rivalry game. For the Civil War to keep its rivalry feel it would need to feel competitive at some point again. If nothing changed and the Pac-12 survived I don't think Lanning was going to let the Beavers have another win for a very long time regardless. But if the Beavers are G5 any notion of competition will die quickly and so will the rivalry.

Yeah.... I wouldn't use any of those words to describe Lanning. Those feel like older terms you want in coach from like the 80s maybe. I wouldn't even use those words to describe Pete Carroll. For Lanning I'd describe him as... Confident, charismatic, humble, incredibly smart, ever learning, and self assured. I'd say he insists on excellence. I'd say he wants to dominate every aspect of the game but he does not strike me as someone who needs to be the dominant individual in the room, far from it. He's a leader and he builds relationships so others follow him. He is rooted in substance. And any Duck fan who saw Ducks vs Them for the Colorado game would run through a wall for that man. Not because he's an alpha male or dominant but because we believe in him which is far more powerful.

Still a long way to go until December. If it's about NIL we know that Division Street will get into bidding wars usually at the very end. If it's about relationships... Lanning has plenty of time to build them.

I don't think it's been leveled... But the field's tilt has certainly changed and Oregon has reacted better than everyone. I don't see really any other non-traditional powers doing better, none are in the realm Oregon is in that's for sure. Though there are plenty of traditional powers that are struggling pretty badly. They have the resources but lack the organization to make anything of them.

About a month ago I wrote an article about the proposed changes to roster sizes in football and what looked like an overall cut. A cut that would have effected walk ons in particular. Link below... Football Roster Reductions Would be a Mistake | FishDuck FISHDUCK.COM One proposed rule change coming up for college football is reducing the team rosters down to 85-95, but... But now it seems like there has been a complete change in direction and a push to increase roster sizes. In football's case to 105. The On3 article doesn't mention walk ons last I checked. NCAA expected to approve increased scholarships across multiple sports, 105 roster limit for football WWW.ON3.COM The NCAA has approved new roster-size limits, paving the way for programs to give several more... This would be interesting as this might signal more specialists get scholarships. It's hard to imagine how top teams can load up even more talent but they'll certainly find a way. What are your thoughts? Is this good or bad for the sport?

Found my forum post on Pleasent.

I'd be a bit surprised if Pleasant doesn't breakout. In the USC game last season Bridges was in as Florence was injured. The coaches pulled Bridges down the stretch and replaced him with Pleasant to cover Brenden Rice and it worked! It wasn't perfect coverage but it was tight enough to keep the windows too narrow for Williams to make those passes under distress. Which is a tall order as Williams makes those passes all day.

If you're interested in this topic it's worth a watch. Personally... Based on my article link above I think it would be a good fit. But I don't think USC wins anymore games.