David Marsh

Also likely to play against a ranked UCLA at that point as well.

I also anticipate a bump in the recruiting rankings once we hit December. It's pretty clear that Oregon likes to hang around in players recruitment even after they verbally committed. And it's December that Oregon is happy to get into a bidding war with players they need to over NIL. They won't do it before December because that doesn't help them... but come December we'll see how things play out. Also... you're right Charles... I am expecting Lanning to go into the transfer portal and grab the pieces we need. He has been surgical in using the portal to try and fill team needs.

Right now my gut feeling for the final four are in no particular order... Georgia, Oregon, Oklahoma and Michigan or Ohio State I see Florida State tripping somewhere and if they do they'll probably be gone. And if my current guy feeling holds, based on next year's conference realignment stuff... it's B1G v SEC.

It didn't last year... and he had two to Utah. Granted... the second one he was injured which is usually an end to a Heisman campaign as well but it was the conference championship game. It does feel like the media love him so much they'll ignore short comments that are usually Heisman killers for other players.

The picture you added to your post also has Tyler Shough in it. MC and co basically said to him that Brown was going to take his starting spot. The more I look at it the more it feels like a complete missplay from the staff at the time. They benched their guy for a transfer who was good but I think Shough would have been better if given the proper support. But that was the Cristobal era and proper support probably wasn't ever going to materialize. Shough found a home at Texas Tech and when not insured he has thrived there.

At least he didn't call a timeout before the first play of the game this time around. But MC is as stubborn as they get. He is slow to change if he ever does.

They certainly were NOT. If they were they would have won that game. Right? I mean if the runningback was more physical he wouldn't have fumbled the ball and gotten the first down. MORE PYSICAL!!!!!

Because he is a great recruiter and his players do love him. Remember it was Oregon players who created a petition for him to be the next head coach at Oregon which is how he got the job. He is very relational with players. But... development, scheme and play calling are all dubious. He will get Miami to a bowl this year probably and have a fantastic offense season of recruiting and Miami fans will be super optimistic about next season. Only for more of the same. He doesn't have Justin Herbert to carry him to a NY6 bowl... and even then he seemed to try and restrain Herbert asuvj as possible. Goes to show you how good Herbert is when he won a rose bowl while being chained to that playbook.

I think this is why Williams will win the Heisman again. He's good but half his team is awful... more than half really. And he gets to put on a highlight reel against inferior competition. Well... maybe not inferior because that implies USC has crushed everyone else and they let Colorado hang around until the last minute last week. USC is on track right now to probably lose to Oregon and Washington this season at least. Notre Dame will be interesting next weekend.

It's going to be the battle of the defenses. If which USC doesn't have one. Oregon is going to get plenty of pressure on USC by only rushing four. And our runningbacks are going to have lots of fun. The thing is that Williams might win another Heisman because he needs constant heroics which is is capable of.

I personally like Lanning's response in the unfiltered interview on a different thread. When asked what adjustments Oregon may need to make to deal with a move to the B1G Lanning's response was basically.... I think the B1G may have to adjust to us. And I feel that is probably true. Oregon is right in it right now for another top 10 recruiting class. This year's Oregon team is something special but I think Oregon will be fine in the B1G.

Quick someone make sure that Miami knows that there are no takesies-backsies. We're keeping that 8mil buyout and San Lanning!

Yep... We have gotten used to it over the years. Usually they are saying that sort of thing when USC hasn't earned anything. Williams at least has last year's Heisman.

Arizona is playing to win right now. They are going after USC. They are getting pressure on Williams which makes me feel pretty good for Oregon's chances against USC later. Though at this rate USC may not be ranked.

So Colorado barely survives ASU. How much of that might be playing a later kick off game and then relegated to the Pac-12 network rather than one of the biggies for this game?

The defense was what really lost those games. Oregon was only able to win by just out scoring the opponent. The defense didn't give us any wiggle room last year. Nix's injury should not be repeated this year. I have already ranted and raged about the empty set and won't do it again... but Lanning and Stein aren't running Nix like he was last year. No where near as much which is a good thing. He is still getting some run time in but fewer designed qb runs.

Need Colorado to win this one to make our win over them look a bit better.

Kinda odd... chip has a good defense but his offense is basically non-existent.

I would say that trend is across much of the country right now. I'd say Oregon, Georgia, and Michigan have some of the best line play overall this year. Ohio State looks vulnerable, Texas and Oklahoma aren't that deep on their lines either. Even with steller QB play much if the game is still won at the line of scrimmage.

My answer... probably. But it doesn't matter. Oregon just needs to continue to take care of business. They have No. 7 next week and if WSU wins today another top 15 math up at least if not potentially a top 10. USC should be ranked by the time Oregon plays them but where we'll have to find out. Utah could also be ranked but I'm not feeling super confident there at the moment. Oregon State will should also be ranked at the end of the season. If Oregon gets through that gauntlet they're in the the playoff. Texas and Oklahoma both see a drop off in their schedules for the remainder of the season.

I absolutely agree that the Ducks made a fantastic hire. And I also get why fans were like "who is Dan Lanning? And can't we get someone more high profile?" Admittingly I was a bit in that camp until I started to dig into who Lanning is as a coach and a person I was completely sold. I was actually thinking that Kiffin might be our best shot at getting the offense back. But I'm far happier with Lanning now than I'd ever be with Kiffin by a long shot. I also completely understand why program alumni and old timers wanted Wilcox or someone with deep connections to the program. We had gone through just losing two head coaches to schools in Florida. I think we'd still have Cristobal if it was any school besides Miami calling. Taggart was only a matter of time until he could return to Florida. Thankfully for the Ducks these two Floridians returning home gave us a nice windfall in money to help fund Lanning and his staff. But I get that there was a strong desire to not have to be in he market for a new coach in a few years. The truth is that we had a lifer at Oregon in Helfrich, this was his dream job and by the Bellotti standard Helfrich's record was plenty good enough to keep him around but the standard at Oregon has drastically changed. Lanning may oray not be a lifer but right now it feels like he probably is based on his comments.

But we'll be in the LA market for TV every year which is what it is now. And Oregon is geographicly fairly close to southern California so I'm not as worried. I would like to play USC and UCLA every year but I also understand why the schedule doesn't align that way.

Oklahoma is starting to pull ahead. Maybe Texas isn't as good as everyone was saying? Both teams have some issues and neither is unbeatable. But it looks like Texas has lost a few players due to injury and that shows a lack of depth. The Ducks have a ton of depth this year that's for sure.

The Texas Oklahoma game could determine which team has the inside track to winning the conference and a CFP spot. The rest of the Big 12 doesn't look so good. They might have to play each other again in the Big 12 Championship Game ... I believe they haven't changed their format with the new additions.

And my bet is that most of the pickers for that game are going to pick the Huskies over the Ducks. But the Ducks are going to win and make them look silly.