1Funduck

Wasn't he slayed to be an Edge player as well? If memory serves, he was like a 5*. Also if memeory serves, he really didn't want to play defense. Apparently got his wish playing receiver. Now he's Port'ling? Wow!! Recruit the 4/5* like mad and pick them up in the portal next year Dann'O

So many points to speculate on. I will touch on 2. Washington winning a NC sounds wrong. But Michigan winning, due in part to cheating, is even worse!! I will not root for the Huskies. I truly do want them to lose and here's why. Washington winning a Natty will give them 2 banners. When will be the next time Oregon wins 2 NC's, let alone 3 to out rank the Mutts? But. If the puppies lose then they only have a split championship. When we win ours we will have bragging rights. But, I see your point. If Washington wins and by a fair margin, thats going to make everyone sit up and take notice of the freight train coming to the B!G. Either way, it's the B!G conference Championship next Monday night. 'B!G, It Just Means More!'

Boy, it sure is tough coming to terms with Transfer portal and NIL's. These kids wanted NIL and deservedly so. But, with that comes the Portal and 'Free Agency'. In other words, it cuts both ways, right? This is reality whether I like it or not. It forces us into the win at all coat mantra every year. Oregon is not going to let its foot off the gas. There are a ton of D-lineman that are great but on a team that isn't so, he's Portaled. QB's are in the same boat. Nix, Ward, Penix, and Jayden Daniels are proof of that. Qb's on sub par teams with over producing QB's. Better believe Oregon can ALWAYS get a top notch QB through Portal. Portal is what it is. I have accepted it because I want to win a Natty.

I am beyond STOKED!!! No SEC team in the Championship game!!!

Someone call the cops. There's going to be a murder

Is that like a derogatory question? I'll bite if so. "They got no business being in the Fiesta Bowl"...FSU

As I watched each video I harkened back to the Blur offense with Chip'r. Man!!! I loved that Era. I believe the Linebackers and safeties are the difference in this game as a running QB can take the wind out of the defense' sails. We have sideline to sideline speed in that department. My prediction is that the first half is Oregon finding themselves on both sides of the ball. 24-17 or something like that. Then to finish the game a blow out. 52-17 Bo wins the 'Oregon Heisman' errr Harrington.

I drove from Oregon to Arizona for the 2002 Fiesta Bowl. Was my first in person Bowl game. Took about 18 hours. Grabbed Magic Mountain on the way back. Was absolutely worth it!! It was 5 of us total with my oldest, elementary aged son and 2 buddies along with one of their sons. We set up an old 13" tube television and a Nintendo 64 for them to play all the way down. Pulled out the middle row of seats in our minivan, left the 3 seater bench in the back as well as a blanket on the floor. Kids we're the quietest I've ever experienced on a road trip. Then going to Magic Mountain was already baked into the travel cost. Essentially $0. Grabbed a park ticket and had the time of our lives. Left at closing and shared the driving task back to the barn in Oregon. I still think about the different memories along that trip. It was relatively short, about 4-5 days, and jam packed, but it was worth every second.

Drive.

MSN WWW.MSN.COM Jurion Dickey's journey back to playing time.

Absolutely do NOT agree. The second criteria is demonstrably flawed. Strength of Schedule is subjective at best because it starts with a ranking in the preseason. Ranking teams is an opinion based process..period. It's incredibly biased. By the committees own words, these teams aren't the same in week 2 as they are at the end of the season. Why? Because you have to play the games to get the team to gel. Then they go and destroy their own argument and say that Texas should be above Alabama because they beat them 2-1/2 months ago? Doesn't Alabama deserve to be above Texas for beating Georgia? Wouldn't Georgia beat Texas? Again, says who? It's opinion based when it's convenient. So, which is it? Is it the overall record and the head to head? Or is it the opinion of what you THINK would happen on the field in the future? Doesn't FSU's stellar defense deserve the opportunity to shut down a playoff contender? 2011 Alabama-LSU thinks so. A game where field goals were the only offense because the Defense was out of this world. Think of it. Alabama offense couldn't score a TD. They should never have played in the Championship game. Their offense was.... Oh wait! Not only did they play but the WON the 2012 Championship. They didn't get there by offense, but by defense. Offense was fine but defense was otherworldly. Did Utah deserve to play Alabama? Mighty mouse against vaunted Alabama? My opinion is.... Who cares? They played and it was settled on the field. So, should FSU get a chance because they are undefeated. Should they play in the playoffs because their defense is fully intact? Should the go to the dance because they're conference Champions from a Power 5 conference? The argument is flawed. One metric makes the argument moot. Would FSU beat Michigan? I think...who cares what anyone thinks. The reality is an undefeated Power 5 Champion won't get a chance to prove it. After all, Michigan's 1/2 without a single pass says you aren't good enough without your starting QB. This argument truly is aggravating. 350 million opinions tells CFB who plays whom at the end of the season. Rigged.

Another point is that Phil Knight ain't getting any younger. He deserves it right about now!!

I love winning!! It's clear to me that this new format is going to fast track Oregon's path to the Playoffs. I personally don't get connected to the kids. It's because I have linked my love of CFB long before these kids parents got together. And Oregon is my team. With that said.. DanL, I feal your pain. NIL is still pretty new. Getting used to the new format will take time. You should be able to express your love of Oregon in your way. Tradition means something, it's College Football. We are in the middle of a convergence of loyalty, or lack thereof, to individualism and team. I personally am beyond STOKED for this recruiting class as well as the transfers. It's obscene what we hauled in. Please don't let yourself get too down. It's they way of it all and you will most likely do better if you keep your distance from the players and just think about the Team.

I didn't know what I was looking at back in 2010 and 2014. But, now I see that Helfrich was a great OC, HC not so much. From 2013-2016 Oregon went from a Natty show to a losing record all under Helfrich. I would argue that MH was a benefactor of the CK spread offense with some good players left over from Chip'r. MH didn't stock the cupboard and the coaching didn't innovate. It was garbage either, but the result was a losing record for 2016. In retrospect, I don't believe MH was a good HC. I believe he is a Great OC. Where is he working now? Dan Lanning came in out of the blue and played for a conference championship 15 months later. Played 3 points from the playoffs within 15 months of field time. He is going up while Mark went down. And don't give me combine numbers 4 years after he left. Thats more on Mari° than Helfrich. That argument is pathetic. Again, Mark going to the Natty is more about taking the reigns of a thoroughbred offense by the Heisman winner to be, basically 1 season (3 months) later. Mark just had to not screw it up and Oregon was going to reign. If Mark was THAT good then Oregon should have maintained their dominance. They didn't because he couldn't. No shame, just lacked ability.

Now THAT is a guy we need!!!!

I believe I sat in (section 39) right up towards the top by a bunch of Wisconsin fans for my first foray into College Football. I didn't care much for football, sans the Super Bowl commercials, let alone going to a sub professional game by the hometown team. But, my buddy was a life long fan from childhood and it sounded interesting. The hot dog was good, the crowd was electric, and I was stunned by the intricacy of 22 players trying to make sense of a purpose in moving an oblong ball up and down the field. Intrigued, fascinated, stunned. I was forever hooked. As my love for the game grew into season tickets, my education grew as well. I started picking up holding calls before the Ref threw the laundry. I could see lanes open up before they actually did just by the movement of about 8 men and their flow through the play. BAM!!! TD!! I called it as I was jumping out of my seat before the receiver actually caught it. Surely the QB saw that as well right? I became the 12th man on the field, at least thats the way it felt. I was developing into a student of the game while being a fan. Then came the madness that is uniquely College Football. I mentioned Wisconsin. The year is 2001 and my entry into CFB couldn't have been more perfect. Joey was putting his stamp on Oregon Athletics and I didn't even know what a holding penalty was. Captain Comeback had every fan who paid for their seat only using the edge. A slip from a trifecta of UCLA dedenders, a knock down drag out rain infused Civil War. Oregon loses one game by a TD. (sigh). Oh...that game.. Up 42-28 and then the tide changes with interceptions, blocked punts, and 1 play TD passes by Ferd. But, all is not lost. Oregon is ranked #2 to finish the season and play for the National Championship!! I was beyond hyped. In 3 short months, I went from clueless to all in fan of 'My Oregon Ducks'! Then....WHAT??!!??!! Nebraska!!?? Did they even win their conference? I was in disbelief. College Football is the only sport where you truly do NOT settle it on the field. Washington has a split NC under this exact metric. People who do NOT watch the game give their opinion on who is better. Are the teams great? I would like to think so. Are they better than the other ranked team? Says who? My love and my pain for College Football has a foundation in opinion. I dream of getting to the Natty. Are we ranked high enough this year preseason? Is our conference represented enough preseason? Is our non-con schedule perceived strong enough? If we were undefeated would opinions view the PAC-12 strong enough to send a representative to the playoffs. Opinion opinion opinion. I'm sick of opinion in sports. No...seriously. It's all biased, even mine. So, how do you fix that? Next step is a 12 team play-off. And yet, that is opinion oriented as well. It's marginally flawed. At least each Power 5(4) conference champion gets in, that's a start. But, my inner purity says that ALL Division 1 Conference Champions should get in. Oh, they would get crushed Fun, it wouldn't be fair Fun, nobody would want to watch it Fun. Oregon -vs- Liberty Bibberty? Hmm, Michigan vs Appalachian St. Upsets happen. But are you intrigued by the game or by the outcome? Would you turn the game on pre start? Nope. You are only thinking of that game as an afterthought and rubber necking the carnage of what is shocking. Its simply the carnage of it all and not the game that could have been that drew your attention. Why? Because deep down we all know that Appalachian St. will NEVER sniff a playoff win. Not that they couldn't win their Conference mind you, but simply don't have the squad to keep up for 20 let alone 60 minutes of playoff contention. They beat UM because UM was a dumpster fire and everything that could, did go wrong for UM to start the season. UM barely finished the season in the top 25 with a 9-4 record. Best CFB season by far in my opinion. But would A st. beat Georgia, Alabama, tOSU, Oregon, Notre Dame, Washington? Not even close. Opinion opinion opinion. OK... Then stop pretending and break the League up. The bottom 69 will never win a Championship. Tulane? Nevada? Marshall? Miami of Ohio? Liberty Bibberty? Not one of them will ever sniff the playoffs. That is just facts. So, why not break these schools into 2 parts, the 'Have's and the Have not's'? The Have Not's will still get their education paid for. School programs will have a budget that breaks even. If said school has some end of year profit then it gets distributed accordingly. However, the 'Have's' are on National TV. Million$ are paid for being on Prime Time. Everyone wants to see an Alabama -vs- Oregon or tOSU -vs- Georgia in the playoffs. Nobody wants to see Liberty Bibberty in the playoffs except Liberty. So let's make the move to what everyone is screaming for already. NFL lite. The Power League gets minimum salary contracts for all players. Revenue sharing as a bonus at end of year. Contract payouts linked to performance in post season, just like the coaches. The bottom 69 doesn't produce profit. But, if a kid excels in the 'minors' then he can be called up to the 'Bigs'. Then the kid gets paid accordingly. The inverse is the same as well. Since we aren't leaving the opinion polls anytime soon, take the 4 Power conference champions along with 8 at large and make your playoffs. My twisted scenario is as follows; The Conference Championship IS a playoff game. Move that game to 14 days after the regular season. 1 on Friday evening, 2 on Saturday and 1 on Monday evening. This leaves 4 teams. All champions play regions and inside stadiums. Winner takes all. Independent teams need to join a league or be relegated to the 'Grouo of 5'. Hear that Notre Dame? This scenario makes every single game enormously important. It also makes non con an absolute blissful event that won't crush you and your season. Play creme puffs of schedule a power game for serious cash. But, what do I know? It's just my (opinion).

All it would take is.......... a Players Union. Yep, thats coming and in a hurry.

In my limited view, it seems that OBD was missing a DT to get to the playoffs. They also found youth in the secondary by the end of the year. It seems to me that the real need is QB (got that covered) and defensive backfield. Safety is coming and the Corners will get even better. Now we need a DT in the middle. We need 4 deep. The DE's are set, no pun intended. Im just not seeing a screaming need other than DT.

5* Ty Thomoson didnt turn out. 5* Dante Moore is transferring and requesting more developmental time. 5* Malyk Murphy is transferring. 5* Malachi Nelson is transferring. 3* Johnny Manzel wins the Heisman. 3* Marcas Mariota wins the Heisman. Joe Burrow 4* wins Heisman. Dillon Gabriel 3*(Next Heisman winner?) Point is that you have it or you don't. Greatness in star rankings rarely translates from HS to College when it comes to QB's. Its in the Grey where they excel. Tom Brady is a pathetic athlete. His brain has won more SB's than I can count. Herbert is a stinking Scholar. It shows on the field in the NFL. By the way, he was a 3* and unranked nationally. Just sayin....

I think Arizona wins. Also, I believe UCLA wins. Oregon should decimate.

The 'Playoffs' have always been a joke. Teams don't get in by what they produce on the field. They get in by popularity contest. Best thing that happened was next years format. At least the 'Conference Champion' is selected with a handful of 'at-large'. Even then, ALL conference champions should be 'selected'. All of them. Doesn't matter if they get blown out. Just win your conference.

Jon, I respectfully disagree with your POV that AAU means anything anymore. Sure, it does have some relevance, but if you don't strike when you have the chance, then your conference could pay dearly. The B1G is about making the most prestigious conference in 'FootBall' and basketball as its sidekick. Hands Down. As for ND, they are an afterthought and fading. They have been resting on their laurels for decades now. The last 10 years, they made it to the playoffs only to get waxed. IMO, they are drifting into irrelevancy. They won't change if they don't have to. By the time they do, it may be too late. They may be a bottom feeder. Everybody has $10's of millions of dollars...... Everybody.

FSU would need a buddy to come along. No, it won't ever be ND. ND has 1/12 shot of making the playoffs every year, why would they ever join a conference now? FSU and Clemson. The iron is hot!!!

(sigh....) Liberty Bibberty

There is so much opinion on what should be done with NIL. The bottom line is that we live in a supply and demand society. No one here would like to be limited in salary and locked into a contract time line unless you are paid. Wouldn't you like to get paid and have the opportunity to move to a different job if another employer finds you more valuable than your current one? These kids get one shot to make as much as possible before they enter the working world. Most will never reach the NFL. They can leave college, limited to around 4 years, debt free and set for life. If you could go back in time, what advice would you tell your younger self? Play for a scholarship only, or get an additional $1 million per year by going to 2-3 schools? You would chose the latter. We all would. I believe we tend to associate our ideas based on our Fandom link to a specific school. It gets a bit self-righteous at times especially when we forget how we act along the way ourselves.