oregon123

I see 2026 for Oregon being like the last time LSU won it ALL. Yes, the O line is a question mark. All the other pieces are there. Some young (or portal) edge help is needed for a pass rush too. And the inside linebacker group has to come together. LSU was sooooo good that year, it didn't matter who they played. And it was mostly due to the passing attack. Oregon will have that plus a great running game too. They already have returning players who can stop the run and the Duck secondary is unique and special. Oregon lost a LOT of depth, so injuries could kill the season (see 2007). If Oregon plays to their potential, it doesn't matter who lines up against them. That is because all the super teams of the past 5 years are done. There is a real opportunity.

Building momentum. We are going to need a closing date to lock in. I am thinking before Spring camps because injuries can happen. Or we could extend to just before fall camps? But since we are already predicting, waiting gives everyone else an unfair advantage. I would say leave it open until and including the last day of February. And I also think pay end of season is good. We probably need at least 8 to 10 contestants to make it worth the while of a bet.

8-4, 16, 4, 295 Going with gut feeling. Replacements are not the same guys.

I was thinking we all put in (mail in) 10 bucks and follow it all season and let the drama unfold. Winner take all. (if Mr FishDuck is OK with it? and you guys want to do it? Lets get everyone in)

Unless the Ducks break down, they make the playoffs again. My most anticipated game in the final 4 of next year's playoffs... get one more step ahead and then play for a natty But other than that, I look forward to the Washington game. It is a good rivalry. West coast football.

Since we have a lot of varied opinions, why not? It sounds like fun. (It gives us something to do) Tie breakers: Indiana's College Football Playoff ranking / Indiana's ranking within the B1G / total points scored At conclusion of regular season before B1G championship game Example: 10 - 2, 9, 3, 400 Anyone up for this?

This Indiana season has a lot in common with the Ducks 2010 season under Chip Kelly. The Ducks in 2009 were good, but not good enough. 2010 brought the Ducks undefeated to the championship, but they could not close it out vs Auburn. This championship, Indiana got the game winning INT to close the deal. Compare that to the Ducks not being able to stop Dyer at the end of the game. What if 'Dyer was DOWN' and on the next play, the Ducks forced a fumble for a big return and the Ducks sealed the game? Both had a RED HOT new head coach who had a little different formula on how to win. I compare those Indiana back shoulder catches that were timed to perfection to Chip's zone read that nobody could stop. But college football caught up with Chip and then the Ducks HAD to grow in recruiting to keep up with the success. I suspect the same will happen for Cig. Indiana had a roster full of over achievers that got so much better than they were in high school. In fact, I see a similar season in 2026 for Indiana that Penn St had this year. Lose a few star players and it is not the same team anymore. Ohio St is losing some players as well. Michigan lost a few after their natty. Same with Georgia after their second championship. But I don't think Indiana will implode like Penn St did. Quite a few teams have had 'Cinderella' seasons: TCU, Hawaii, Boise St, and most recently Texas Tech. But Indiana was the only one to carry the juice all the way to the end. You could count SMU in the early 80s, but they cheated more than everybody else at the time AND they had players who were super stars in high school. If Cig can keep it going in 2026 and beyond, then there really is some kind of magic. But I look at this last season like drawing an inside strait in Las Vegas and cleaning out the casino - a one time thing with a lot of luck. I predict an (8-4) or at best (9-3) season for Indiana and missing the playoffs. But even so, Indiana should get all the credit in the world for being the one (and only?) team to go from the bottom to the top is such a short time frame with players who were not rated super highly in high school. Pretty soon, 'Google Me' is going to be like Prime Time's 'Do you Believe?'. I can't wait until the Ducks play them again.

I define success to be what the team does in the December early signing period and then what happens with the portal. The games just follow recruiting. The expanded playoffs were needed. When it was just the AP determining champions, every game was a playoff game - all charging ahead to get that number one spot and not lose it. Two years in and the teams with byes lost 7 out of 8. Time to go to 16. The top 4 or 5 will get warm up games. It is also time to dump the group of whatever. If they are good, they can get ranked high enough to get in. Or... let their top teams play top 5 teams in the first three weeks, get a win, and then build a case for playoffs.

Doesn't all this remind you of 'Prime Time' at Colorado? It does a little to me. If it follows the same script, Kiffen will win a few games, get all the attention, and then get beat down by a 'real team'.

I like that they are trending more athletic at linebacker. I think Sonny Styles from Ohio St is the prototype. Mario was bringing in bigger, bulkier guys. Modern defenses are like: 2 beasts at DT, 2 strong and fast guys at edge who can beat the OTs, and the rest who can run, cover and tackle.

Check out the portal activity: https://247sports.com/college/oregon/season/2026-football/transferportal/?institutionkey=24102 Seems like they broke the piggy bank on the 2026 season. Maybe that is the 'new formula'? Put all your eggs in one basket and shoot for the top. How far do you think that is going to take them? I hate to say it, but with that kind of talent, they could go all the way.

The formula to stop the Ducks offense: Big aggressive, strong, fast front 7. Pressure on Dante. All receivers covered. Shut down run game. Load the box. Don't give Dante time. Athletic linebackers give the Ducks trouble. This past season, the O line was getting burned on pass rush. So they could get away with crowding the line of scrimmage. In this case, screens don't work. RPO won't work either unless there is a deep threat. And Dante was a non runner for the most part. Even when he did run, he was not very effective. I suspect that teams caught up to Stein's bag of tricks. I think Lanning hired from within so he could put in his changes. Dante has the best pure arm Oregon ever had. At least recently. And they have speed at receivers. Time to open it up. If all you do is run (or screen) on 1st and 2nd down, and then throw just to the sticks on 3rd, that is very predictable. Even more so when they watch film and know all your plays.

This is about the only unit I have questions about going into next year. And it's just because I haven't seen a lot from the new starters. And it is really about giving Dante time when they get to the playoffs.

They didn't seem to pass protect as well as the 2024 guys, but I sure did like seeing Harkey throw some nasty blocks. That dude is an animal.

I am cautiously optimistic. These players have been developing in the system, so there should be more of a known factor than bringing a guy from the portal. I think the biggest 'win' was not seeing so many of leave like the D line just did. On the upside, we should see them play well as a unit because they have been practicing together for so long in the same system. Last point: Seaton was great in the Big 12, but they don't have same kind of defensive players as the Big 10, except for Texas Tech. It will be interesting to see how he does vs SEC rushers.