HappyToBeADuck

Alex, it is fun to think about how OBD's would fair against other top teams around the country. My thoughts about Michigan: The Wolverines, as you say are a tough out. Upon review of their schedule they have played only 2 teams with winning records in PSU and Maryland. They struggled to win those games. The other 9 teams on UM's schedule have no pulse. They offered little challenge to the Wolverines. The Wolverines have played no offenses like the huskies, trojans or Ducks. They havent even played offenses as potent as the cougars, bears, wildcats and beavers. Against tOSU the Wolverines will truly be tested on both sides of the ball. TCU scored at will in the CFP on rhe vaunted 2022 UM defense. If UM and Oregon played now? Ducks would win at a neutral site. This Duck team maybe the most complete team Oregon has ever fielded. IMHO, the Beavers, in the Civil War game, present a greater challenge than the Wolverines. DL the staff and players, when focused can beat any team they face. Go Ducks! Don't look past a dangerous butt hurt Beaver team. After the CW game, you will only play teams ranked in the top 4..... this is so exciting for this fan!

1FunDuck lots of good tboughts in your post. IMHO, a one loss P-5 conference champ trumps a 1 loss P-5 team that does not win their conference title. (However, if Georgia loses in a tight, great game against Bama, i believe they will get in) Oregon gets to close with a ranked Beaver team. A solid beaver team. A victory over a ranked team boosts the SOS. Perception and decisive victories matter. So at this point nothing matters except beating the Beavers. Then and only then the game against the huskies will have bearing...... Tonight we will see if any 1 loss team jumps the Ducks. Go Ducks....revenge win against the beavers.....

David, great article and thanks for taking the time to write it and present it to the Forum...... One word in you article really stood out to me, especially as a 40 year plus fan, development! For me, since Belotti turned the reigns over to Chip, player and program development has slowly fallen off. Chip simply put, recruited what players fit his wide open scheme and turned the talent loose. No complaints about 46-7. However, Chip did not recruit or develope players who could handle the more physical Stanford, BSU and Auburn teams. The program development, or lack of, reared its head in the Natty against tOSU. Mark H and the players were no match for the Buckeyes. MH drove the Ferrarri off a cliff because he couldnt recruit and no QB1 was developed to follow Marcus. Transfer QB's provided a bandaid only. Vernon Adams was very good but their were too many weak spots to overcome. Willie T, was flash and no substance. He did prove that you can recruit players all over the country to Oregon. Mario kept the recruiting going, player developement was lacking and Justin H had only 1 player who could catch a ball. Mario would have had losing seasons without Justin. After Justin, back to QB transfers. In Marios tenure not one QB was developed. Thankfully Mario's dream job came calling and he became the Hurricanes never ending nightmare. When DL took over he needed the transfer portal to get a QB1. No QB1 on the roster was developed and ready. Thank you Bo for choosing Oregon. As for future QB1 development? We can see the vast improvement in TT. He may not be ready to take over but he is improving. After 24 games under DL and staff you can see the player development. Not just with the #1's. There is very little drop off when the #2's step in. 20-4 is not by accident. In one year the defense went from never getting off the field on 3rd and impossible to a baby beast in 2023. DL brought in the players and they are being developed and challenged. This week the Ducks face their 2nd biggest challenge. One that will test the very culture of DL's program, the Beavers. DL has yet to beat the beavers or huskies. This is a defining moment that tests this very article. Beat the Beavers and then onto the PAC Title game. Then you face your #1 challenge, the huskies. As we all know the Ducks are 0-2 against the putrid dogs. Beating the huskies will be the next defining moment. This week the nations fans, pundints, talking heads, future recruits and portal talents will be watching...... so will the committee. The DL culture, process and development program will be front and center. The rubber will meet the road.... Go Ducks.....beat the beavers

IMHO ,the academic PAC leadership brought this ALL upon themselves. One bad decision after another that LS continued in spades. The PAC simply destroyed itself. They all had a higher opinion of themselves and placed a dollar value upon that opinion. The market value together was greater than standing piecemeal or alone. They all know what they are worth now....... My problem is OSU/WSU actions. Those 2 have their rights to control the PAC going forward and exercising them according to the by laws. But to say, you did this to us, you hurt us so we get to hurt you back. No.......... My children would often try to justify their bad actions. Well he did this to me ao i did that to him. Sounded good but was not justified. OSU/WSU have no right to anyone elses portion of the shared revenue. Its called stealing........

Charles I am not sure where to start in response to your article except to state; well thought out, written and presented. As Flying Vee stated "Brutally honest take"...... I look forward to the Forums take on this article. So much is packed into your article but i will address media market value only. Unpacking and unraveling the PAC decisions by any school would take years. The free market spoke and numbers dont lie. USC and to some extent, UCLA, support your line of thinking on market value. The SoCal duo would have brought $200 million plus in media revenue into the coffers. The other 10 schools $300 million, annually. $100 million each vs $30 million each. Would you sell your home for $30 million when the market would pay $100 million? The SoCal schools asked to be compensated with uneven revenue shares. None of the 10 schools had any problem getting that extra $20 million each from the SoCal duos media market value. Hec Beavers were probably first in line. The entire conference had no problem taking money they didnt earn. Not just the poor little beavers. USC asked for a larger share over the years but LS said No...... The SoCal duo took their media value to market and Fox and the BIG were waiting with open arms. And the check book. They understood SoCals immediate and long term value..... The PAC took that value for granted. The sense of entitlement by the 10 was just as responsible as greed for the PAC 12 demise. Now, media market value is dictating what OSU and WSU are worth. Its not much...... So both schools want what they did not earn. They are entitled to nothing more than their share. Of course all the schools in the PAC want their fair share, now. They just weren't willing to give usc and ucla their's. But its not just the Beavers, Cougars or all the PAC schools doing this. The BIG is not giving the Ducks and huskies equal shares. Stanford and Cal get nothing from the ACC. And the biggest culprits, the media partners have coughed up very little in the short term. You get what you are worth! That is no ones fault but your own......

Well now! Shough? First reaction = No! Second reaction = Trust DL and Stein to make those decisions.... The Ducks will need a hungry proven QB in the portal. Why? Because... a After watching the game, the third time, TT is not the answer. He rarely ran thru his progressions. He locked onto his primary receiver and let the ball fly. Some throws were reckless! Now many on this forum will not agree with me and thats okay. However if you get a chance, watch the game and make your own coaching evaluation. On the pass that was intercepted, TT had an open, unguarded receiver (Kasper) 2 yards to the righr. TT never looked at his options. Whats worse is at the top of the screen, a Duck receiver was blowing by the safety for a bird bomb. TT had no idea because he never looked off his intended receiver. No excuse for throwing that pic. You don't play the games to get better.....you get better in practice and execute your plays and options during the game. When your number is called you deliver the goods. I like TT and want him to succeed. He has all the athleticism and talent needed. But after 3 springs and 2 complete summers, when his number is called, he doesn't even run thru his progressions? WOW... I was extremely disappointed. ASU had no defensive fight left in them when TT came into the game. Even with the 2's and 3's in the game, the Ducks should have scored a 2nd or 3rd TD.. This is not a personal attack on TT. This is about judging performance! We will not beat the top dogs in the BIG next year without a leader at the QB1 spot. DL and Stein will choose wisely!

The Heisman Award candidates are in a week to week, very fluid revolving door situation...... With a great deal of subjectivity amongst those casting votes. Or at the whim of the Southern voting block. WTH........ Some voters can reward a,QB who elevates a average team to a winning season. Like Daniels for LSU..... Those same voters can down vote Bo because the cast around him is so talented and deep. Does he elevate the team around him? How many voters saw all the candidates play? How many voters know Bo played less than 75% of the game. If the voters cant see and recognize how special Bo is then this award is empty and hollow..... For this fan the Heisman has been an empty award for a popularity contest...for others it has value and place value to it! What matters is the Duck team winning big. First the Beavers, then the huskies. The rest will take care of itself. Go Ducks! Go Bo beat Beavus....

The CFP committee could make their case for having Texas and Bama jump the Ducks Utah and SC getting thumped yesterday hurts the Duck SOS. The Ducks Top 25 victories have simply disappeared from the 2023 schedule....... Thankfully many talking heads are spouting that the Ducks are playing the best football now. I think Georgia and Bama may be right with Ducks. Beating a rank OSU snd a top 5 husky team will revive the SOS. Go Ducks.....

I am certain that this awesome Forum will be filled with Cival War football stories this week.... Rivalry week is such a special week for college football fans. No matter the teams season records the CW has had some epic battles. From 2000 thru 2009 the teams went 5-5 against each other. The Erickson years were special for Beaver fans. Jonathon Smith was a big part of some of those Beaver wins. I remember listening to Joey Harrington talk about how the Beavers spoiled a Rose Bowl trip for his Ducks. The Ducks were heavy favorites and simply lost. Anything and everything can happen in this matchup .. From 2010 thru 2019 the Ducks dominated 9-1 and made 2 Natty's. The Ducks fielded some special teams in that era. This years version may prove to be very special, too! Beavers win at home in 2020 Ducks win ar home in 2021 Beavers win at home in 2022 after an epic last 20 minute collapse on both sides of the ball. And some HC rookie mistakes by DL..... 2023? The outcome of this game will depend on the Duck D. JS and staff made tremendous half time adjustments against the huskies. Until the husky defense made a 4th down stop with a little over 2 minutes left in the game, Penix and company were on the field for only 6 minutes..... Beavus shut out Penix in the 2nd half. The Beaver O kept the Husky O on the sidelines. Cant score points if you are watching the game as the Beavers played ball control One Beaver scoring drive was just shy of 10 minutes. Damn! The Duck D needs to make stops and get Bo and the outstanding offense the ball. The Beavers are a good football team and they will leave it all on the field. However, the Ducks are a better, more complete team with depth. The only way the Beavers can win is to limit Bo's opportunities. The Duck D must make sure that doesn't happen. Go Ducks! Open that can of whup arse on Beavus........

Ryan, how on Earth did the Ducks lose to the huskies is the $64,000.00 dollar question..... . I agree with you that after the game in Sesttle both teams have been headed in opposite directions. The only common demonitor is they are both winning their games..... In every aspect the Ducks dominated the huskies except on the scoreboard. The huskies, including and since the Duck game have made the one or 2 plays needed each game to win. They do just enough. But they find away to hold on and win... That just makes me puke, again! Just like OBD's did against Texas Tech.... the huskies make the plays needed to win.... When the Ducks could have closed the game out in Sesttle, with a first down, the huskies stopped the Ducks. The huskies made the plays! Even then the Ducks drove down the field in the final seconds to tie the game. Sadly Cam missed the FG. Of course DL made some coaching decisions that kept potential points off the board. However, through out the game in critical 4th down situations, the husky D stopped the Duck O from executing! The huskies made the plays when needed to best the Ducks. Just typing that makes me puke, again! DL, his staff and some of the players are 0-3 against the huskies and beavers. They all get the chance for redemption the next 2 weeks. The stakes are high and for this fan will define DL's early coaching career. Win out, go 12-1, revenge your losses and make your case for a CFP invite. Thats all in the Ducks control! First things first, destroy the Beavers on national tv. Nothing in the Ducks football world matters...... Do not let Beavus send us to San Diego again! I am confident that DL and staff will have the players prepared and ready for the CFP play in game against the beavers. Go Ducks...beat the beavers!

Charles watching OBD's offense operate against ASU was pure joy for this fan... . The game plan was executed to near perfection! (Still some penalties and head scratching ref calls that muddied the waters for a play or 2!) This 2023 Duck O is the perfect storm of a emerging OC, dominant line, powerful, twitchy RB room, outstanding receivers/TE's being stirred and cooked by the most experienced QB ro play CF. Crafty? Okay..... Savory? Yes indeed.....

As long as the CFP committee keeps the Ducks at #6 or better then the Ducks have a good chance for an invite. Even though the Ducks SOS will drop slightly after this weekend, their eye test impressions will continue to rise as long as they beat Beavus decisively. It must be a all 3-phase dominant win. The loser of tOSU vs Michigan game must fall below OBD's in the rankings. If they don't then the path for the Ducks gets bumpier! (Why the committee values the buckeyes and wolverines so hi baffles me. The wolverines have only played 2 teams with a winning record......wth) 1 loss blue bloods without a conference title have jumped 1 loss champs in the PAC, little Big 12 and the ACC before. If Bama beats Georgia in a close exciting game rhen the door is wide open for 2 SEC teams. All the Ducks control is beating Beavs and huskies and beating them big.....DL has yet to beat them in 2 seasons. Those deamons must be excorcised in the next 2 weekends..... Go Duck! Beating Beavus is all that matters.....

Ducks win 59-3 2 turnovers 2 sacks 335 passing yards Hoping the Ducks keep focused and their eye on the prize. Utah beats Arizona and huskies beat the beavers. And chaos rains supreme outside the PAC......

Good point Log Haulin. Oregon has made a few coaching as names. However, not all big name hires work out. Jimbo Fisher was a big name hire and that didnt work out for the Aggies. The foundation, substance and culture at ATM central is less developed than it is at Oregon. I guess if both jobs were open and the pay equal, which job would a big name coach choose? Or if the job was open at usc. Would sc or Atm be more desirable? Or which is the better job? A good recruiter may choose Atm over Oregon because of Texas high school recruits. It's fertile and ripe for talent. That is a big plus. In my many business trips to Texas the last 50 years, when we discussed football Atm was always 2nd fiddle to the Longhorns. I imagine Oregon would probably be well behind Atm in the eyes of Texas football fans...... IMHO opinion, the money will enable Atm to get the big name coach they want. However, at best, that coach has to build a team that can win against The Real Dawgs, the Tide, LSU, Texas and Oklahoma. Ole Miss, The VOLS and Gators are formible, too. Big, impossible challenges require big pay day rewards. I love the thoughts and comments on this Forum.

Unless I am mistaken, the Ducks have made only 1 CFP appearance since it was established in 2014. The Ducks Natty appearance against Auburn was under the old, biased, self-serving BCS system. But the Oregon job and program, currently is head and shoulders above the cash machine known as ATM. Go Ducks.....beat ASU.....

Charles is there reason to be concerned? They play the games for a reason........and anything can happen! On paper and by every metric the Ducks should win this game and cover the spread. This is as complete a team the Ducks have had in, well as long as I can remember. Offensive fire power off the charts! Hungry, nasty, mean spirited defense with depth. Most of the Ducks number 2's would be starters for ASU......TT should even have a few TD passes and run for a score today.... However, as you mentioned there is something in that desert air and Dilly has his squad overachieving. Throw in the notice me #/@%&?, game changing, momentum killing PAC 12 refs and well, who knows. Thankfully its not a PAC after dark game on espn.......... If the Ducks play focused, minimize penalties and turnovers they should be home for a late supper. With smiles on their faces after a drubbing of ASU. Then begin prepping for the CW! One thing is for certain, when this old man makes a few potty trips in the middle of the night, DL, his staff and Bo will be focused and prepping for the Beavers. It's the same focus and prep that will allow the Ducks to have a big win in the desert this afternoon. Go Ducks! Beat ASU....

Great in depth article Charles! So much info, coupled with facts, to digest in a few readings. Well done! Who is the best OC? Defenses were not prepared for the schemes and tempos of CK/MH. Most defenses lacked the freaks and depth to go 60 minutes. tOSU, BSU and Stanford did and they bullied the Ducks O line. While their offenses used time consuming drives that kept the Ducks O on the sidelines. Difficult to not have CK/MH at the top. However, defenses are equipped for schemes and mixed tempos in this era. WS has a more complete team of talent to work with. Plus, depth. WS's schemes provide the QB with multiple options within each formation. The QB progression reads, decision making and execution are critical. QB audibles, when needed, are also critical to each plays success. Bo Nix is a special QB that works WS's offense to near perfection. I attribute Bo's slowing of the offense to many of the procedure penalties by the O. Big boys can only hold their water for so long. Does the 6th year senior QB make WS look good? Bo helps but its a team effort couple with the OC. WS can move to the top of the list once his sample size grows over the next few seasons. As long as the next QB can read the D, go thru progressions and execute. He must lead this offense....... Go Ducks....beat ASU.....

Well, so many of us have viewed offers as the opportunity of a lifetime. Most didnt pan out.. Life is a journey with many turns as we reach different destinations. Achievers can use excitement and rntusiasm to cloud common sense and caution. Some darn good comments as part of an annual conversation we have and will have as the season winds down. At this point, as others text, a G5 HC position is a step down for Stein. Stay with. DL and the Ducks, destroy BIG defenses in 2024 and 2025. Build your resume so AD's and boosters at other schools mention your name to head up their program. A 3 year G5 deal might pay a total of $5 million. Fail and you are potentially marked and back as an OC in a hungry P5 school. Put 40 plus games on that resume, learn from DL how to be a HC and you probably get $5 million plus each season. Play your cards right, produce at a high level and that contact/buy out and you are financially set. Food for thought......

Ryan, really enjoyed your article. Great job breaking down the many possible scenarios. A great deal to consider and ponder, for sure. Nothing matters without Ducks winning out..... Normally chaos rears its ugly head on at least one November weekend. This year there as been very little chaos, so OBD's need to focus on ASU. A lopsided win against the Sun Devils accomplishes 2 things, needed style points and a spot in the pac title game. Then the Duck SOS will improve with the Beavers and Huskies next on the schedule..... Texas cannot, will not, should not jump Oregon if they both win out. The little big 12 does not offer Texas elite opponents to build their SOS and perception. The loser of tOSU vs UM will not have a conference title or a 13th game. Loser should not be in the conversation Alabama is the threat.....if they beat The Dawgs they jump Oregon. And the Dawgs will, most likely, stay a head of the Ducks. (Earned bias) Best scenario, Ducks win big time their last 3 games. Make their case and leave no doubt....... Let chaos reign on FSU and Georgia beat Bama... Go Ducks...beat ASU....

Alex I agree with you and EastBayDuckDad and the candidates you mentioned. If I had a vote it would be cast for Bo! His resume, coupled with his leadership, speak volumes and shouts MVP........and the Heismam voters msy agree, too. What makes Bo a true MVP is he would give credit for his success to those around him.

The best thing about Coach Lanning is that he really is only focused on 2 things: The 1% improvement by the staff and players! Beating ASU. No Natty without improvement and destroying ASU. OBD's get passed by bama and texas with a mediocre win in the desert. Go Ducks.........

David, timely article a great analysis. I remember the usc AD at the time was so excited and over the top about the Riley hire. Riley would rescue usc football......... The dilusional usc fan and elitist trojan administration had their man. Flashy for sure.....Williams was the icing on the cake. It was all an illusiona in a town built on fantasy and illusion. The illusion continued in 2022, especially in a soft PAC 12 and the Ducks and huskies absent from the trojans schedule. Alas, the Utes shattered the glass of illusion in 2022. The Trojans blamed the refs, Oregon and PK.. Riley was touted for bringing in portal transfers to fix the D. The hype machine was back in action. 2023 would be the year. However, Riley and his staff cannot win without a few things.... Depth Players that fit Assistants who can coach Substance No amount of delusional hype will beat tOSU, Michigan, PSU, Oregon and uw. The trojans must build what DL is building now. It's so much fun to see the trojans reap what they sow.... Go Ducks....beat ASU

The few losses we have incurred in the desert seem to be memorable because some of those losses derailed some Duck Top 5 teams. Like the injury to our amazing QB at Arizona or being #3 and losing to ASU. Not so much the quantity of defeats but the outcome. To me Alabama and Georgia dont lose to teams they are expected to beat.....neither should the Ducks. This week ASU could be a trap game for our Ducks. DL and staff seem to keep the players on point, so far. They should shut out ASU and put up 45 plus points. And TT should be in the game all 2nd half.

Everybody who has seen film the last 23 games of the DL era knows what's coming. If Bo is lined up under center isn't it a high probability that the sneak is coming? Recognized tendencies can and will be seen by more coaches than the uw head coach. The last thing i want to see is the franchise QB at the bottom of 1500 to 2000 pounds of big bodies. I agree that more options should be available in this situation.....

Dilly has had a few good games from his defense this year. Any kind of offense and 1 less mistake and the huskies would be 9-1. But shoulda, coulda, woulda dont win games. Over the years the desert has not been kind to our Ducks. Thankfully this game is at 1 pm and not the dreaded PAC after Dark baloney. Play clean and sharp and keep ASU Defense off balance and lets put up a big number on the scoreboard. Running up the middle should not be a problem for the Ducks. .... But thats why they play the games! This would be a good weekend for the Duck D to pitch a shutout. Go Ducks....beat ASU.... Side note the Big only has 4 teams with a winning record. Talk about east coast bias when ranking Michigan... ..