oregon123

Last year, I was worried about Ohio St and for good reason. (and the 2014 national championship too) 2011, I was worried about LSU. Natty 2010, was worried about Auburn. 2022, Ducks got spanked by Georgia. In big games where they came out on top, Ducks beat Oklahoma and Michigan in 2006 and 2007. Also beat Fla st in the 2014 playoff first round. What I am NOT worried about this playoff season - is the Ducks getting physically dominated. This is what makes this year so much different than all the other years. Oregon has BEASTS for linemen and linebackers. And the skills players are as good as anybody else's if not better. From 2019 to 2024, Oregon was good, but not good all the way through as a total team. This year, they are good at every position, but the pass rush could be better. I think we will see the Ducks peak in the playoffs. We will see the Ducks do to teams what the good teams used to do to the Ducks. That is, control the line of scrimmage.

I couldn't draw it up better for the Ducks if I had the pen and paper in my hand the whole time. This is the best path for the Ducks. For other teams, it may be different. Last year, we squeaked out a win when OSU did not play their best in the regular season and we got by Penn St in the conf champ game. We were on top of the world and then it came crashing down hard and fast. This year, we had some tough games that forced the team to fight hard at the end of some games. These players should be more battle ready than last year. Each game in the playoffs should get progressively harder, so the Ducks should not get surprised by a competitive game. They will go as far as their talent will take them.

Part of the reason I follow the Ducks and college football is to get away from 'real life'. I understand that people mess up. An 18 year old kid can do something and learn from it. A nearly 40 year old man should know better. Best thing for college football is to kick out the perps. We need positive role models. I quit following the NBA when the Portland 'Jail blazers' went off the hook. And I never went back. There is a big difference between being 'caught up in the moment' and deliberately making bad decisions.

Whatever he was in high school, that was some time ago and he has not been training with the team. Maybe he has been doing some things on his own? I hope so. If he turned into a couch potato, it might be too late. I hope he has been running every day he was gone.

I would like to remind everybody that what we have seen from all the backups is a very small sample size that does not indicate in any way which ones would or would not work out in a real competitive game. So we are biased by recruiting stars and offers and things like that. For the rest of this season, I don't think they have a backup plan. It is Dante or nothing. Like Dennis Dixon in 2007. Dan Lanning has been putting it all together so far and I am sure he has a plan for 2026. I am just going to hope Dante stays good for a few more games this year. If not, I don't expect to win.

I don't know which way would make me happier: if Notre Dame did not get in or if Miami did not get in.

I think it is likely to go to 16. number 17 is so low on the totem pole, that nobody will care if they don't get in (But they will still cry) Tech will get a bye and then most likely have to play Oregon, so they will be playing a better team after getting a bye, just like Oregon did last year vs Ohio St. That feels like more of a punishment than a reward. Too much crying from the SEC some of the automatic bids are not as good of teams as some of the at larges that don't get in Crying from Notre Dame Losers of conf champ games complicating who gets in Any more than 16 is just too many - this isn't basketball, players get banged up and injured Nobody cares about bowl games anymore, except maybe Beaver fans and Boise St fans Going to 16 could let in some teams that could be having good seasons for them, like an Iowa, Minnesota, South Carolina, Vanderbuilt etc. that otherwise would have a hard if not impossible task of making it in - its good for football to let some new kids come to the party. (not saying those teams would be in this year, but those are kind of teams that could squeak in with a 16 team playoff and never have much of a real chance with 12) And the reason NOT to do it is because nbr 1 vs 16 would be a blood bath.

Kiffen is used to being hated. He may even miss it a little? Campbell's new life is going to be a living hell and the money won't help. Oregon, Washington, USC, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio St, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, can all beat Penn St. Penn St used to kind of be top tier in the conference because there were only two good teams before. Now, they have clearly dropped a level. They should have went with some young, hip, urban hot recruiter who was an assistant at a named program. Now they are just going to try to win with 3 star guys.

Ohio St is the better team. Sayin is not an all around QB, just an accurate arm when he is not pressured. Ohio St blew it on their last two drives, which they moved the ball. Indiana has a lot of energy and they get stronger as the game wears on. But their receivers do not get open. Mendoza throws it to them when they are covered. The window is about as large as a postage stamp. Oregon could beat either of those teams. They could lose to both just as well. Georgia looks tough. Time to get the 5 seed and beat up on somebody.

Why doesn't Penn State just go after Willie Taggart??? Why not? They don't want a good coach with integrity. We just saw that. If Campbell does go to Penn St, he just might be the next Willie Taggart. Penn St and LSU are the two worst coaching openings out there. Why? Because they are expected to be like Ohio ST and Alabama, but are more like Washington or Tennessee. No way anybody can succeed there. Get paid and get bood and get kicked out and take a money bag with you. You get rich but lose all respect and your career is in the trash and your name is mud. You know who might do well at Penn St AND be very dangerous... Chip Kelly. Think about it. He was great at Oregon with Oregon's reputation, recruiting and resources. He couldn't wake up a dead body at UCLA, but nobody else could either. Chip guided Ohio St to a championship as OC. He can still coach. You put a Chip Kelly offense with Penn State's defense and linemen and athletes, you have a team that can compete with the big boys.

I am more excited about Jalen Lott. What a top speed athlete. Henry might end up being like Kyler Kasper. What bothers me the most is losing a Matre Dei kid to east of the Rockies. Time to get some more D linemen

I see a mix from last year to this year. the secondary - would ANY of those guys last year start for them this year - absolutely not this O line better run blocking, last year better pass blocking D line - better last year, Jordan Burch has not been replaced, Derrick Harmon was a stud Linbackers - Betcher is better this year with more experience, the other side mostly about the same QB - I like Dante's throws, but I like Dillon's decision making better Running Backs - this year is far better Receivers and TE - this year is more explosive, but there are injuries, last year Dillon was 'dialed in' with his receivers Overall, I like this year's team better. Higher ceiling almost everywhere except the pass rush. Better run offense, better run defense Better pass defense (worse pass rush, too many PI penalties), spotty pass offense, but can be great at times I don't see this year's team being taken out of a game by a more physical team. That includes everybody. The playoffs are Oregon's to win it, or blow it, depending on what they do. I don't think the Ducks are 'crisp' enough to play enough mistake-free football, unless they somehow can put it all together. I give Oregon a real solid chance to compete for a title. But they are going to need to clean up issues they had all season long.

It should have been at the big10 just because Indiana is such a cinderella story, and it would be a true test to go up against Ohio St, who crushed them last year. SEC game is just another game. One team will win, but who really cares? It is just an exhibition game before the playoffs.

Outside of playoff games, signing day is the most important day in college football - everything is based on what happens today for each and every team. Chip signed some great ones, but not the whole roster. Clearly a case of quality over quantity. But not enough quantity. Chip also got guys not super highly rated who turned out to be studs. Mario had some super stars: Kayvon and Sewell, but a lot of overhyped that did not fill their big potential. Dan Lanning is and has gotten the big stars and filled in a roster full of talent. On top of that, he has picked and chosen the portal very wisely and not lost top talent to the portal either. There are still some good players out there who can be flipped.

I have a question that maybe one of you can help me out on... Did anyone find a replay on the internet of the game? (I missed it) Much thanks if you did, I did not have any luck.

"All they have left is an unproven assistant at Alabama?" Didn't we get an unproven assistant from Georgia just a few years ago? I think it turned out OK. Beavers need to get the right guy who can do well at Corvallis. Like how Chip did well at Eugene, but not so great at head coach anywhere else. I don't think an established coach from somewhere else will work for them. Neither will a has-been player jock. They need somebody HUNGRY to kick butt and prove himself. I'd like to see the beavs do well again. I'd like to see them win their conf and get a playoff game. Wouldn't be great for the Ducks to play them in the playoff (instead of a beat down exhibition game)? I want the northwest to make noise in the college football world. (Ducks, beavs, Doggiestyle, WAZZU and Boise St).

"In my opinion the conference champ game is a waste of time." Not always great for strategy of your favorite team... but it's the best football weekend of the year! I think the reason why 'we' are not quite so into it is because our old pac12 is gone. If we were playing Washington or USC for the pac12 title, we would all be jacked up for it! Right? Especially a Friday night game in Vegas, bro. If I had the extra time and cash, I would buy a ticket and travel to it. As far as winning the Big10 goes, we did it last year. Kind of did the deed, and bought the t-shirt. Now its is on to bigger things like winning a home playoff game.

I don't think playing Alabama in the playoffs is an easy win. I'll take another conf champ game - just don't play the guys who need the rest and rehab. Other teams are banged up too.

Washington is a good team in all phases, but not a threat to beat the top teams. The can certainly stay in it though. Oregon has been over achieving in the running game and doing well in the passing game, and also pretty good on run defense. But pass defense has been pretty under par. From linebackers not keeping up in man coverage, to too many PI calls, some receivers left open, not defending jump balls and the disappointing lack of pass rush, my X factor is somebody doing better. Anybody. So I will pick Mr Canady to come through. He seems fairly active and he looks like he knows what he is doing out there. I don't recall a game where I thought he was a liability or an under achiever. Sometimes it is this kind of player who steps up and becomes a leader on the field. But I expect this game to be one of those where I think the Ducks are pretty close to putting it together, but still have some work to do. Overall talent should carry the Ducks to victory.

First of all, Washington looks like a complete and well coached team tonight, although UCLA looked like a clown show. Second, too many Oregon players are banged up and need the rest and rehab. Third, Oregon does not need a rematch with Indiana - that would be brutal and more injuries could result. Fourth, with a 12 team playoff, and no longer conf champs getting 1st round byes, winning the conf champ game is good for another trophy, but bad for business down the road. That is the logical part. Now the entertainment part: the conf champ games are great and no other real college football that weekend. It is better to determine a conf champ by playing a game than to just go by records. And, a conf championship is still something of an accomplishment that doesn't happen to any team each and every year. The conf champions should always get a higher seed for playing and winning that game, unless they are in a sucky conference and play a mediocre team. I don't like the bye week in the playoffs. I'd rather go to 16 and let the conf champions host a first round home game. That would give teams an incentive to get there and win it (the conf champ game). Michigan might play OSU pretty tough for a while? Beating them would be their superbowl.

"I'm a Duck fan living smack dab in the middle of SEC country, and I can tell you with an absolute certainty, this game was not big enough. Lol, unfortunately, southern fan bases will NEVER take OBD seriously until they win a national championship." This is the week that I think most of the SEC plays cupcakes to pad their win column and rest up a little for post season play... so I don't really care what SEC fans think of Oregon. Today, USC would have beaten half the teams in the SEC, maybe more. Most Duck fans get excited when the beavs, Huskies or USC lose... I get fired up when the top SEC teams lose. If Alabama loses next week, it will be party time.

"Which is better?" What is best is a solid Oregon win over a USC team that came to play with some future NFL talent. Second best is the SEC going down.

How bout those backup O linemen? They filled in nicely. And how about USC? They did well to come up to Eugene and put up a fight. Even up by 15 late, I didn't feel secure until time actually ran out for good. I want a strong B1G conference. The SEC has been on top for too long.

I expected a tough game. Ducks did good to stay in front with the lead they built by half time - and that was not an easy task. They need to coach some new techniques, since some of those PI calls looked like not much interference at times. This was one those games where the refs had far too much influence on the game. But it went both ways. On to the next one.

Pressure is also my comment: it has been missing against good (or pretty good) teams all season. Run D is very good though. They might as well experiment with some blitz packages. Matayo is not Kayvon Thib. And Tuioti is not much of a threat either, although both are very good at run defense. Maybe sub in other pass rushers? Maybe take out the nickel (or nose tackle) and add another pass rusher?