David Marsh

Oregon's defense strength this year has been run defense. the defense did just that against the Utes. The defensive line showed out and got some pressure on the quarterback and more importantly got their hands up... Two pass deflections that led to two interceptions. I think they may have changed up how some of the coverages worked.... The defenders played a lot closer than they have been making some of those passes Rising threw a bit more difficult. Our defense isn't good... But this game really felt like everyone really understood what they were doing. The linebackers, namely Sewell, was everywhere and making plays. We match up better to a more traditional run-pass balanced offense. Washington is effectively an air raid offense and that is something the Ducks haven't been good dealing with. We don't have the personel this year to run Lanning's scheme... But we're going to get there. I also feel we match up defensively well against Oregon State and how they need to run their offense to be successful.

Oregon won. Beyond that... I think the Utes went with the same game plan as last year. Pin their ears back and attack the run and cover the screen passes. It was almost good enough but Bo stretched the field on them a couple times. But most importantly... The defense stepped up and made some critical plays.

So where we stand today... USC is in the championship game. Oregon is set up to be in the championship game. The ducks need to beat the Beavers next week and they're in. Washington gets in if they beat Washington State and Oregon loses to the beavers. So... I guess we are all coughs fans regardless this week because we can't have the championship game be between the Trojans and the Huskies... Those are the two most awful teams and fan bases in the entire conference. Ute fans... If it couldn't be Oregon I wanted it to be you guys. Can't let those Trojans win!

Utah and UCLA are eliminated from the Pac-12 championship race.

Dilly got too cute with that second down play call.

So do I!!! Dillingham seems to have a tendency of getting pass happy at times and it just doesn't set Oregon up for success. We need to run the ball!

I just want to see USC lose the championship game at this point.

Not fully blaming Ty... But it's more the fact that when he gets on the field bad things happen.

Dilly is giving up on the run game right now... Need to get the run game going again.

Nope... I mean I like Dilly giving the te some different looks to react to but this doesn't feel like the time.

Sooo.... Thompson comes on the field and that happens...

Adams also likely gets an invite to New York for the Heisman. Not saying he wins but he gets the invite.

This last week (which is why I will mention it) one of the pay sites noted that keeping Nix is a possibility and something being discussed. But it will come with a good chunk of NIL to keep him.... And and injury insurance. But senior day is for anyone who wants to be celebrated and is at this time planning on leaving. Some are out of eligibility while others just haven't fully decided yet. Lanning said as much this week that there are some who are being celebrated who may be returning next year.

I think they are close.... But that doesn't mean they are in sync with each other on the field. It does feel like some times they are too busy worrying about others and not doing their own jobs.

Our defense is absolutely suspect. Which is why I focused on the offensive side of things. Our defense might be getting Taki back today which might help sure up the interior a bit and maybe the secondary got the massive kick in the pants they need to actually communicate and cover guys. But our chances of winning this game don't rest on the defense but the offense.

2007 - Dennis Dixon... Enough said. 2013 - Mariota gets a partially torn MCL and that leads to a non-mobile Mariota in losses against Stanford and Arizona. 2015 - Vernon Adams... of which I wrote a what if article about. What If Vernon Adams Didn't Break His Finger in 2015? FISHDUCK.COM The 2015 season saw Oregon turn to a one-year graduate transfer in Vernon Adams, and that move could... 2017? - an injured Herbert did hurt the team's overall record but I don't think that team was really destined for anything too great but it did cost us at least two potential wins. I'll be honest my duck history is a bit limited in terms of time but the years I do know I know very well.

I'm for the all or nothing approach here... Either everyone reports or no one has to. Personally... I would like knowing as a fan. Not going to lie... the is Nix going to play? Question has been stressing me out this week.

Lanning is making a big push for some quality linemen. Avalos in 2019 was a solid coach inheriting a roster of veterans and capitalized on that. Our 2020 defense may have been good if we didn't have so many opt outs. I think that the lack of veterans has really hurt us in the long run. But 2020, 2021, and 2022's defenses have all had some major diminishing returns and many of these players were four stars as recruits.

We also have a pretty good Defensive Line class already set up... this is all about getting the personnel Lanning needs to make his defense work. This year they don't have the players they need on so many levels and are just trying to make do... and it's not working. They need a pass rush with only four to make Lanning's defense work and he needs linebackers who can cover.

I'm concerned we may not be seeing this personnel group in the near future because of potential injuries. I would have thought we'd see it against Washington late in the game and we didn't see it at all in the 4th quarter. I'm hoping some key injuries don't get rid of this group on the field because I think it could be one of the major keys to winning.

As NIL deals are not coming through any of the schools and are all private no one has to release the deals. But I am sure he is getting paid over a million to attend USC. USC is throwing money around on recruiting that no one else in the Pac-12 is currently. On the flip side it does look like Oregon might be picking up some steam on the NIL front, but again we don't know the actual deals unless anyone discloses them all of this is done outside of the university and the university itself isn't even allowed to engage in NIL talk... well they are not supposed to but we all know they do.

I heard a rumor that Nix was walking around just fine... I think Nix will probably be good to go but other players are still up in the air like Forsyth and Walk.

Can't be targeting because there was no helmet-to-helmet contact between the players and the crown of the helmet did not strike another helmet. It was mentioned above this would count as spearing because the defensive player really did lower his helmet and lead with his helmet into Nix and it hit around Nix's leg by the look of it. There probably should have been a call but there wasn't.

For some... not all. USC and UCLA are hoping they are on the right side of that revenue.

A CFP bid would be the ideal scenario but that just isn't going to happen this year by the looks of it. The Pac-12 has the most ranked teams right now with 6 over every other conference! A nine game conference schedule is absolutely brutal and we are seeing it again this year. Ideally the Pac-12 should make the CFP but the conference is just too competitive for that and we lack that "super team" like an Ohio State, or a Georgia, or an Alabama in a normal year. Also... it makes me sick to think that there is a way for the Huskies to make it into the Conference Championship game at this point.