David Marsh

DeBoer is going to be dangerous at Bama for a couple years at the very least... he gets a good roster out of Bama. But he will need to continue to build that roster and he hasn't shown that yet.

Meyer is the most likely of those three to rejoin the coaching ranks if you ask me. Helfrich could have reentered the coaching ranks at any time after Oregon as a head coach. He had a good record at Oregon and was overall a good coach who had a bad season. Many programs would have jumped at grabbing him if he was interested. Petersen got tired of recruiting more than anything. Both seem happy with their commentary jobs these days. I'd even say Meyers looks happy just talking about football rather than coaching it.

Other thing to add... Bama wants a proven coach who can get them back in the championship game right away. I'd be shocked if they do what Oregon did and go and grab a first time head coach. The stakes are too high they want a guy who can win it all in year one. That shortens the list a whole lot.

It is pretty funny that Bama certainly has the resources to theoretically have their pick of all coaches in college football but the reality is that they don't. Many of the best coaches out there have built their programs to rival Bama in the mold of Bama. So why go to Bama to have to reshape the roster a bit to fit what they want to do when they already have their roster? Most don't want to touch it. If this was December and not mid January I think it would have been different. However, it is mid January and most programs have finished a majority of their recruiting and transfer portal moves for the winter. Sure, there's a second signing day but the majority of players have already signed and are done. Bama has a good class but it's Saban's class. Any coach that takes over is going to have to go in and win over Saban's buys real fast because the portal is still open for Bama (CFP team rules for portal) and then it opens again in the spring. Whoever takes the job is recruiting Saban's roster for starters and that's harder than recruiting their own existing rosters. Also access to the playoff is expanding so that means that other schools are going to be able to compete and NIL is such that the recruiting game is different. And frankly... Bama doesn't have the best NIL program right now. They haven't needed it either because they have been able to sell Saban and his incredible track record. That all changes right now for Bama. They are a top school but no longer THE top football school. They have the prestige but what coach in their right mind is going to want to enter that pressure cooker? Not when they have what they need to make a title run where they're at right now.

Just ok? I feel it is turning out to be a whole lot better than just ok. Now if we can get some news that DeBoer is leaving Washington for some of those sweet sweet Husky tears we are looking at an almost perfect off-season day.

That would have been me but I had parent-teacher conference last night (and night ugghh) and those just wiped me out... but I didn't sleep well lastnight that's for sure. But now it is far more fun watching the Bama drama knowing that we don't suffer because of it.

He won't consider the NFL until he gets a National Championship for the Ducks... and even then he is too good at recruiting and could build something truly special.

Or two hats... that were just different version of an Oregon hat... one green and one yellow...

It's over for now. We all HATE that our coach is constantly being looked at for "better" jobs but at the same time we need to be honored that we have a coach that is THAT good.

I won't trust it personally until it comes out of his mouth. But I can see him getting tired of the process because recruiting itself is hard... but now coaches have to constantly recruit their own rosters which is rough. I could see him feeling done with the whole state of college football. But... I could also see this being a whole lot of smoke.

Well.. it does open the door potentially for some coaching movement at the college level. Rumor has it that DeBoer may be interested in leaving for the NFL and Seattle would be an easy move.

First half... Bucky Irving, he was a beast early in the season but seemed to drop off a bit as the season wore on. Second half... Troy Franklin, he just couldn't be stopped it felt like.

And a senior class laden with 4,5 and 6th year players. This is a roster that Petersen and Lake brought in. Lake for his on field flaws was still a pretty good defensive recruiter. This is a team that DeBoer added some key transfers to and a better offensive scheme and made it into a very good team. However, Washington is in for rough seasons ahead as they have not matched the recruiting of 2018-2020, of which many of the players on the roster do come from that time period. Like what Lanning has done at Oregon... it's amazing what a good scheme can do with players and how a bad scheme can take talented players and make them look pedestrian. But can Washington make up for their lost talent? Maybe a bit... but this is probably as close to a National Championship the butt sniffers are going to get to for some time.

Burch went down early in the second game and that really hurt our pass rush I feel... he got a lot better in Lanning's D by the end of the season than he was by mid season.

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!