David Marsh

Sadly... No However, I'd put it this way... this year's Oregon team is designed to beat teams like Michigan, Alabama, and Texas. Washington and it's pass heavy offense was not what this team was really built to beat. This is something that Lanning is continuing to address and will need to continue to improve upon. Even with an expanded playoff field, Oregon can't afford to drop a game due to a mismatch of scheme.

Oregon also failed to get consistent pass rush on him. I feel that was a a major flaw in Lanning and co's game.plan against the Huskies. If they schemed up some better pass rush and managed the line of scrimmage better those games end differently.

He has had some big big time receivers to throw to. Odunze alone was able to just make plays on the ball. I think that's a massive part of Penix's success that he could just throw a 50-50 ball... Or worse... A 40-60 (def advantage ball) and Odunze would just get it what felt like every time. Penix is good... But I honestly think his receivers were better.

I know I didn't post in the CCG and I don't remember if I did on the Fiesta Bowl. I didn't read too much of either of those posts to be honest. But I'll say this that one of Lanning's strengths has been getting his team ready to play out the gate. That has been one of the most refreshing things about the Lanning era on the whole. But both of those games for whatever reason the Ducks came out slow and flat. I think it's a reasonable criticism because it's been better. Even the first game against Washington Oregon started slow... The three biggest games of the year the ducks started a bit slow, all were basically away games too and that can't be the case. I trust in Lanning but I also know he has a good few things to continue to work on. Right now I'm thrilled there don't appear to be any coaching changes this year so we should just see steps forward. Well... There were some changes at some of the strength and conditioning positions but no major changes.

In truth... There weren't many cristobal guys during last season. Some good pieces that were elevated by supior coaching. But the 2021-2022 off season saw Lanning turn over almost the entire roster. But a few other notable names who were carry overs from the MC era... Byran Addison - transfered out Jake Shipley - transfered out Troy Franklin - amazing in an offense that actually passed the ball and leaving for the NFL now. Hutson - transfered out as you mentioned Ty Thompson - never panned out Jahmal Hill - leaving for NFL draft Trikweze Bridges - transferring out Josh Delgado - transferring out but it's been at least 3 years since he's seen the field. Those staying... Herbert - as you mentioned Terrance Ferguson - big time player in this offense Jeffrey Bassa - returning for last year Dante Moore - has some bright spots but I'm still not sold on him as a starter just yet. And that's about it for the names I recognized. A good amount of Lanning recruits are leaving now as well which seems crazy but that's the way you need to churn the roster these days in college football.

That will still happen... But should be less frequent that's for sure.

I could see this coaching staff switch Conerly to the right side if needed. He's a talented lineman and with an off-season they could have him completely ready to play on the right side if needed. Though getting AC back would be a big boost.

I wrote about that sort of idea that it would eventually come to pass in 2022. The Great College Football Schism is Coming | FishDuck FISHDUCK.COM The great college football schism is coming, and it will fracture college football in a way that will shake the very sport and... The Eventual College Football Renaissance | FishDuck FISHDUCK.COM The Great College Football Schism is Coming, and it will leave College Football divided between the Semi-Professionals, those... So if it does come to pass then I would effectively be 1 for 2 in predictions and then we'll have to wait like... 10-20 years to see if I get the second.

The school still can't play players. It has to come from a third party. I'd also say Kris Hutson and Keith Brown aren't going to draw big NIL dollars. Brown didnt make a big enough impact at Louisville or he'd still be there. And Hutson is good... But he was buried on the depth chart at Oregon and played like 9 plays all season. I'd be shocked if there was really any significant NIL money going to either of them.

I'll be honest... Whittington isn't going to be a featured back at Oregon. Bucky didn't even get featured back carries this season. And James is going to be hard to deny carries and Harris is a big boddied bruiser. Whittington is going to be a change of pace back but that's not a bad thing.

I'm sure they'll have a QB who is pretty good. But I kinda doubt they'll have any depth. And... How many transfer QBs are going to look ar that offensive line and go, "yeah I want to play behind that!" Williams made it work because he's Caleb Williams and even then it didn't quite work. USC with a better offensive line (and with that awful defense still) probably would have picked up another win or two. Williams played improv football for the majority of the season. Just think if he had the chance to actually use a playbook?! Not shedding any tears for them. Sorry... I lied. I am shedding tears for them... Tears of laughter!

Some assistant coaches are in contract negotiations but those should work out just fine. I think we all anticipated some stability coming from Lanning, he just has thar way about him and we are starting to see it.

I'm hoping it does... But my gut doesn't feel good about it. This Michigan team they are going against kinda reminds me of the Clemson teams that win the national championship. Won the big games they needed to even when their overall schedule was awful. Also this Michigan team is full of hungry vets who haven't managed to get the job done in three years. Maybe that'll be the tipping point. But the Huskies are like last year's TCU... Super lucky and that's what's keeping them alive.

I'm sure there is a conference that would take them. I'm sure the MWC would take them... and I can guarantee the Big Sky would take them. But the Beaver ego would never permit it.

I think where Lanning is exceptional at being the smartest guy in the room is that he will never admit to it and he will never say that he has the answers. He hired guys for a reason and that's because he wants their input before he makes a decision. The guy is Captain Picard if Picard were a football coach. But Lanning does have a whole lot more hair.

The Huskies have escaped so many losses this season. They are the luckiest team in college football. I guess it's kinda true... better to be lucky than good. The Huskies are also pretty good... but they have had a TON of luck to survive to this point.

Did anyone else see Oregon use the pistol multiple times? Because I did and it actually worked! The pistol is a fine formation if used sometimes and used correctly!

Still can't do it.

Actually that one is pretty interesting. Apparently there was a discussion within the coaching staff about playing Jake Hansen, who would be the starting center for the next four years, but Hansen at that time still had his redshirt. Helfrich and the coaching staff were not willing to burn his redshirt for about a half a game's worth of play. The redshirt rules have changed a lot since then. Now players can play four regular season games and the bowl game without burning the redshirt. That doesn't defend the defensive collapse that game but I do agree with the decision to preserve a redshirt in a non playoff bowl game.

I saw a few low snaps... But not dreadfully low. Just that Nix had to bend down a bit to grab them. Those were in the first quarter. By the second quarter I didn't notice anything with the snaps. So maybe not perfect but darn close. None of the low snaps were ever in any danger but they could have been directly into Nix's hands rather than making him go get them. But that's a vertical problem and not horizontal which is far worse in terms of snaps.

Ducks feel asleep at the moment... Need to wake up and get rolling here.

This is fantastic insight! Thanks for digging it up. I wonder how much of that turnover are OC's realizing that they don't want to be connected with such a trainwreck. There are Miami fans who are clamouring for Dawson to be gone. These fans are the ones who still believe MC can turn things around. You don't burn through coordinators unless: A. You are Nick Saban/Kirby Smart and they keep getting hired away. B. You are a horrible coach to work with and the coordinators would rather bail. You can eliminate option A immediately for MC. The thing is that MC hires really well, on paper. So in most cases I'd say that option A is often the case. Or at least has been when he was at Oregon and to a degree while at Miami. Avalos and Arroyo took HC jobs, sure they were fired but they took them. Moorehead rejoined the HC coaching ranks at Akron, not a great program but he is closer to home and it seemed like after his heart issues he needed to step back from the power conferences. Other coordinators took new jobs elsewhere, so more option B where they find new jobs at the same level they're currently at. Cristobal is a master of the off season. He recruits great both in terms of players and coaching personal. This is what has kept him his job at Oregon and got him his job at Miami, he wins the off season. And in doing so he injects hope into the boosters and fan base to give him another chance. However, that show doesn't have much life left in it if he can't produce on-field results for Miami real soon. At Oregon Cristobal was given a little lead way with a Rose Bowl win and two conference championships. But we were all feeling fine with him at the end of 2021.

Last season for Kelly Graves at Oregon? Not sure if that's an upside or not as it kinda infers this season is going to continue to be awful. Though, a possible and not related upside is that Altman might be getting the men's team on track.

I think it was the on3 interview I read that said that Ohio State only had one person recruit him, their OC, while Oregon used a team approach. In that interview it said that he felt like he had a community to fall back on when things got hard because he had relationships with more coaches. Goes to show you that relationships are still absolutely the biggest factor in recruiting. NIL is massive as well but it's certainly more fickle.

I remember early on as head coach at Oregon that Cristobal at le as st felt more open to the press. He would talk about injuries more openly and the interviews were worth listening to. He became more cagy when he was losing more. Amazing how much Herbert covered for him and made his life easier. Losing has made him far more difficult to listen to. But then again winning is always a better place to be than losing. I suppose Cristobal could make his life easier if he would just win more games but to do that he'd need to get out of his own way.