HappyToBeADuck

Solid article Charles that lays out the recipe for annual trips to the CFP. Staying in the PAC and scheduling are critical components to staying unbeaten or at worst a one loss conference champion. However, without the PAC expanding, the Ducks will have Utah and a trip to the desert every year. Sometimes as U dumb dub discovered the road is easier when you dont have road trips to Utah and usc on your schedule. Expansion to 12 or 16 would create a much needed rotation schedule. Georgia's road would be more difficult if Bama and LSU were on their schedule every year. Stacking Top 10 recruiting classes, year after year is truly a key component to annual CFP visits. Coach Lanning and staff are talented enough to get that done. Recruiting and developing the players to the scheme is perhaps the key. The 4-2-5 defense works when you are sending your edge rusher, inside space eater and 1 linebacker to the NFL in the first round. Can DL and staff recruit multiple 5 star players for the front 6, annually? Someone has to get penetration and pressure the QB. Linebackers have to run down a scrambling QB. And for goodness sakes someone has to hold the edge. Sometimes your offense gets throttled (TCU) and your defense must win the game. Georgia, Bama and tOSU field 10 plus 5 stars on both sides of the ball most years. Can DL bring that many top players to Eugene? Can we move from 66 Blue Chippers on the roster to 75 plus? IMHO, yes he can... Can DL and staff develope that talent into a elite unit that wins a Natty? I think so but time will tell.

Just a gut feeling but maybe these talented players are finding that the NIL money for starters in the PAC is better than being a 2nd or 3td string back up in the SEC, BIG and ACC. Or for those who are currently starting at their current school find that the late night exposure (on Friday and Saturday night) is better than playing at the same time as 40 or 50 other games. How much National exposure do the BIG, SEC, and ACC teams get that arent named BAMA, Georgia, LSU, Clemson, Michigan, tOSU and soon to be USC? Networks cover the top games. Soon Oregon, Utah and Washington will be dominating West Coast Primetime. Also, outside KW (Utah) the PAC coaching tree is stacked with younger, hipper, relatable coaches. . ... Probably many more reasons for them heading West. Just as long as Oregon gets the ones they want and coaches them up. Go Ducks.........

Thanks Alex for the article and the 2024 recruit update. So many potential pieces moving all at once makes it difficult to keep up. As an observation only, It appears to me that MC recruited high star recruits for the purpose of achieving Top 10 classes. Not always targeting players who filled a need. Thus some very under achieving star studded defensive units took the field. In reflection, when have the Ducks had 2-5☆linebackers side by side on the field? And yet the D units regressed each year after 2019. Of course its to early to tell but it appears that DL is recruiting top players who fit and fill needs. Whether thru the portal or the best high school recruits. I know there are those on this thread who have the knowledge and chops to bring better analysis on this subject and i am curious to read those posts. IMHO, its not the subjective stars behind a players name that bring results. Its the player being developed who matches or out performs their ☆ rankings on the field. Exciting times ahead for the Ducks with DL and staff recruiting for the future. The only way we play Georgia, Bama, Michigan or tOSU next season is in the CFP.(Maybe Rose Bowl). We cannot reach that pinnacle unless the players are developed to execute the schemes. If they can, the road to the CFP will be filled with road kill leftovers of victories over USC, Utah, OSU, little doggies and Texas Tech. And a probable rematch against one of the first 4. That is no easy task but the 2023 Ducks will have the star talent to acieve it. Will the player development be up to the task and some better in game coaching? Go Ducks.....

Thanks Pennsylvania Duck for finding and sharing this article with Forum. Appreciate your relentless efforts......... This article helped clarify a few things about who must move on and who can potentially return. For those with remaining eligibility they certainly have big decisions to make in the next 10 days. NIL money may play a role in whether a player stays, transfers or gambles on their future in the NFL. Hope each one of these Ducks make the best decision for their football future........ This Duck fan wishes the very best future for those who have completed their eligibility. Whether that future includes playing on Sunday or in their chosen profession, best success and thank you to all. Once a Duck, always a Duck.......

So far, as a fan, following the journey and evolution of Dan Lanning as a head coach has been positive, exciting and fun. This young man and his staff have proved that they are elite reruiters. That part for me is no longer in the "to be determined" category. Unlike any previous Oregon HC and staff, DL has NIL money to sweeten the pot. Not to mention the annual wild wild west scenario of the transfer portal. This allows HC's to reshape their roster and fill needs every season. Top 10 recruiting classes and portal classes should be the norm for DL and staff. Exciting times and OBD's are in great hands. One season, IMHO, is not enough to judge DL and his staff on their player development or coaching decisions. As fans we were certainly baffled by a few decisions in the Washington game. And the last 20 minutes against the Beavers. (I am throwing out the Georgia game and placing it in the "WTH Category".) After the Georgia beatdown the Ducks played 12 games. Making coaching decisions on maybe 1500 offensive and defensive snaps. Yet i feel DL and staff only made less than a dozen critical decisions. However those decisions, coupled with poor player performance and decision making took the luster off what could have been a great season. The PAC title and CFP were in the grasp. Time and games will give us more answers in 2023. So we shall see what improvement DL and staff make in 2023. Will the linebackers improve with player development or will we discover that Sewell and Flowe refused to buy in to their roles. Or did these 5 star talents lack the specific skill set to fit DL's scheme? We will soon find out if DL can recruit and develope the necessary talent to field a SEC type defense. (TS And the TT Red Raiders will be testing OBD's all over the field next September. Not to mention 2 QB's in the PAC who will be taken in the 1st round of the NFL Draft). It's a great time to be a Duck and I am confident that Coach Dan Lanning will improve his in game decisions and coupled with top level recruits win PAC Titles. The coaching improvement is still in the "to be detetmined category". The only question, for me, is can they develope the players and coach them into a CFP caliber team? Can they make the right critical in game decisions that bring victory? Time will tell...... I am confident DL and staff have higher expectations for their team than i do. These are vibrant, goal orientated and driven competitors. You know DL wants another Natty Ring on his fingers. Aren't you excited for the journey?

For me the offensive line set the tone all season for Bo, Bucky and all the receivers to have a great season. The O Line put their exclamation point on the season in the Holiday Bowl. This unit can run block, pass protect and they even moved the ball against Georgia. Without their stellar play the stars on offense don't shine as bright! Hats off and a special shout out to Cam for destroying 2 Tarheel defenders to help spring Bucky on his exciting 66 yard TD run. Well done Cam....... Mase Funa and Keith Brown played solid positional football for most of the game. Pressue and containment enable the back end to perform better. Looking forward to both players stepping up and leading the D next season, along with Bridges and Manning. Congratulations to DL, his staff and all the players for the season ending victory to cap a 10-3 season. The non NY6 bowls may not matter to many fans buy winning a bowl game matters. The narrative going forward improves for the Ducks and the PAC. The PAC should have 4 teams ranked in the top 15 in the preseason polls. Thanks to the Holiday Bowl victory OBD's should be one of those teams. GO DUCKS!

Neel covers the needs pretty well. This great forum has been discussing all of these items since the conclusion of the Washington game. After watching those great CFP semis, yesterday, its obvious your offense needs to put up 50 points just to stay in the game. With Nix at the helm everything is in place for the Ducks to put up 50 against most teams. However, OBD's lack a proven back up QB..... IMHO, that is a must fix in order to have a 15 game season that starts in 2023 and ends in January of 2024 However, the Ducks will not put up 50 on the road against the Utes. If OBD's want to beat Utah (maybe twice) then the needs on defense must be addressed. I feel confident that DL and staff will bring in the talent and then develope that talent. This years players will understand and execute better in year 2 of the scheme. The new recruits and transfers will fit in nicely. Giving up 23 or 24 points per game average will go along ways to a CFP appearance. Go Ducks.......

To support 1Ducker1 we do need D players with bulk....... I would like to had to that bulk, speed! The Vols front 6 or 7, depending on the set, simply blew by the Tigers line. They were big, strong, fast and quick. Get me some of that on OBD's defense.

During our hiring process we interview potential candidates, with a specific pattern of questions. We want to know what their life and career goals are. Do their goals match or line up with our goals? We dont need a person who is looking for a job. We need a person who wants to come to work to do a job that fills our need. Do they fit with our team members and can they grow our brand? As I watched the Clemson vs Tennessee game I couldn't help but notice how the Vols D stuffed the run and lived in the Tigers backfield. Ask yourself, Do OBD's need defensive players who can stuff the run and live in our opponents backfield? Of course the Ducks do! I trust DL and his staff on their choices for recruits and portal transfers. Feel confident that DL will lay out his vision and goals for this talented young man. No matter what position DL envisions for him and then the player will decide. If he wants to put on the extra weight to play D line, yhen bring him in. Fill the immediate need..... The PAC will have 6 teams listed in next years top 25. Why? Because of the future NFL talent at the QB position on those teams. The league in 2023 will be high scoring and wide open. The team with the best defense may be the difference in playing in the PAC title game or playing on a sloppy field in San Diego........ As a fan, i would like to see the Ducks use their scholarships to build their D. The Ducks have a clear path to the CFP in 2023. They have no chance if Williams and Penix (and other QB's) have all day to throw the ball. Fill the needs on D.. We don't have Georgia on our regular season schedule. But they will be waiting for us in the CFP. Fill the team with players who can take us there. If not for the lack of one more stop, on 3rd or 4th down, by our Defense against the Huskies and Beavers we would be playing the Real Dawgs tonight. Let's bring in the D players now that can make that happen. Afterall, PK isnt the only Duck fan getting long in the tooth......

Ducks win...... 45-42 3 1 402 passing yards Go Ducks!

Drex, very solid points and thanks for the article. IMHO, the offense will score points with Bo running the show behind that solid O line. Chances are the O may not be in synch, due to the long layoff. However the Ducks have the horses to control the game on the ground. Also, UNC's secondary is depleted and we can expect any play caller to exploit that. On defense and special teams????? Unless the true freshmen step up in a special way then its probably gonna be a high scoring game. Should be a wild, fun ride for the fans and a long day for both defenses. Go Ducks..........

Alex, while reading and then rereading your article, I couldn't help thinking about how different your article may have had to be written if Coach Lanning and staff hadn't been "Superlative" in their recruiting efforts. From this fan the superlatives to be written about recruiting these top level recruits will start with DL and his staff. Suprising, relentless, tireless, secretive and top notch come to mind. Well done DL..... Most of these players who signed were such a suprise that i know very little about them. Looking forward to reading what the more informed members of the Forum share in this thread. And i look forward to seeing this group of talented players perform over the next few years..... For years, the Duck greybeards only dreamed of signing a recruit in the top 300. 20 years ago a class like this was just a dream. No doubt NIL money helped. Hats off to Phil, Penny and the NIL team for their superb effort and program. In his last article, David Marsh asked us to have faith in DL and his staff. For those who had faith, DL and staff delivered. For those who didn't have faith, hopefully you feel a little better. GO DUCKS and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Great points and as Smith72 pointed out "I like your summary statement". With the portal and NIL the college landscape at times will be standing on quicksand. Other times, rocking and rolling thru a 7.1 quake. IMHO, maybe the 3rd string QB position gives 3☆ talent a chance to have a scholarship, basic NIL offer and valuable practice time on a Power 5 roster. Who knows, right?

This is going to be a wild and crazy week, for sure....... It is obvious that Coach Lanning and his staff have been working non stop to bring some of this talent to Eugene. This fan is full of optimism and send nothing but positive thoughts to the Ducks staff. GO DUCKS.......

This is truly exciting and solidifies a critical position of need for our Ducks. Not to mention the value of Bo's leadership. Great positive news. I believe DL and staff will fill in the O Line needs and the Duck offense will score 40 plus points a game. Excited to see DL and the staff bring the players in on D with the skill set to implement and execute DL's scheme. Go Ducks, it's going to be a great week.

Jordan, thank you for this timely article. You are correct that the transfer portal, coupled with the lure of NIL money has created some chaos. I am looking forward to the Forum members responses because this portal onion has many layers to peel and consider. Of course not all players are transfering for NIL money or a chance at more NIL money. Some find that they can't or won't get significant playing time. Other than Flowe, how many of the Ducks in the portal were on the 2 deep roster? Of the 16 Ducks transfering how many were significant contributors? Doesn't mean those players don't have potential or solid upside. It may mean they aren't developed enough or lack the talent to crack the 2 deep on a top 25 FBS school! Best to look elsewhere. There are 2 names on the Ducks portal list who played well below their potential. Both were defensive players and they were given ample playing time to prove their worth. They didn't and I wish them both the very best in their future. As well as all the Ducks in the portal. Because of coach speak and their brotherhood of sealed lips, we will probably never know how many players were nudged to leave. Or during their season end review the player determined they were not going to see the field. The road ahead was too difficult, so greener pastures came calling. Thats part of football...... Who knows what alluring words are being whispered into a players ears from other schools? When there are no rules the people who never play by the rules come out of the woodwork like cockroaches. Jordan, I appreciate the statistics and percentages you shared from the 2020 and 2021 transfer portal. The true number that matters to me is how many players did not find a home or scholarship. Was that number 62 players or 412 players? Those are the players who gambled and lost a free college degree with benefits. These young men were now just a statistic within the chaos....... If a FBS player ends up with a FCS scholarship then that was the players choice. That was their market value. Some players will win big in the portal, while most will do okay. Some will get left out and learn a valuable, yet costly lesson.

Fun topic to consider and ponder... My confidence in Coach Lanning is as high today as it was when Oregon hired him. The story of DL as a head coach is just being written. DL salvaged an imploding 2022 recruiting class, brought key transfers into the program who produced at a high level and can hit 10 wins. Many on this Forum thought 8-4 would be difficult to achieve in season one. DL exceeded those expectations. Recruiting expectations, both high school and portal are very high. I guess we will have our answers for 2023 in the next few months. DL and staff have a tall task to field a better than average defense. Immediate playing time for recruits and transfers should be appealing. As for in game coaching decisions my confidence is high medium. This Duck fan is very disappointed that a 10-2 or 11-1 regular season was not achieved. Disappointed that the Ducks did not reach the PAC Title game and at a minimum a Rose Bowl invite. CK set the bar high by laying the foundation for NY6 bowls and Natty game appearances. MC reached and won PAC Titles and NY6 bowls. That to me is the Oregon standard. Poor coaching and player execution in the last 20 minutes of the regular season derailed all of that. Just one more Oregon first down or one (just one) 3rd or 4th down stop against Beavus and we make the RB. That was an epic meltdown on a national stage with everything on the line. It tarnished my confidence but not enough to be down on DL or staff. If that repeats in 2023, well? When it's within your grasp and your goals can be achieved, the great coaches capture the prize. We have Utah and Washington on the road and no Georgia on the schedule in 2023. If the Ducks fail to win the PAC my confidence will drop going forward....... Not my love for the Ducks, just my confidence in DL. My confidence in DL staying is high. He stayed at Georgia to finish the season. Yes the stakes were as high as they get. Thats more that can be said for Slick, MC (most of his staff) and Dilly. However, its a new world and anything can happen. Any SEC team can offer a HC $8 million per year and come calling at anytime. To me, DL has a track record of finishing what he starts. My expectatation is that after the 2023 PAC Title game, DL's head coaching record should be 22-4. And off to the CFP. That kind of success will bring DL some very tempting, high paying offers.

Personally, i feel the PAC10 is not in a position of strength. The Conference, including Oregon and Washington, has very little to bargain with. No conference is ch Late window viewing on Friday and Saturday night is all the PAC has to offer TV Networks. And that in itself is a numbers game. Every Satuday night the BIG can have either USC/UCLA in prime time competing against the PAC. The numbers dont pencil out. FOX does not need the PAC for west coast viewing because they have the whore sisters in socal. ESPN offered $300 million annually for media rights. Now it comes down to streaming and what dollars will flow.

Thank you Dazed for the well thought out and detailed article. This just leaves me with just one question about the coaches and players, why? Stopping the run is basic football. Now it's not always easy to stop a powerful ground game. Student body right at uscsuck was nearly impossible to stop for decades. But 19 straight runs to close out the game? Up 31-10 with 20 minutes left and you let your one dimensional opponent beat you? WHY? I really am looking forward to the Forums comments today. DL and TL the scheme was on you. The lack of adjustments, well that's on you also. If the players failed to execute in game 12 then thats also on the coaches. I have been very critical of the linebackers disappearing act in the 4th quarter against Beavus. I was wrong. The scheme may have set them up to fail. Dazed I am concerned and ask myself do DL and TL need 5 first round draft picks on the field to win big games? Well that is not going to happen in Eugene. It will take consistent top 5 recruiting classes, key portal acquisitions and annual CFP appearances to accomplish. As well ad a Natty or 2........ I am not down on DL or TL, just concerned. The Duck D let the huskies (a program who has not been releavant on the national scene since KW pick 6) and the Beavers (who have never been nationally relevant) keep us from the CFP/RB. If you can't make in game adjustments or develope your players (12 games into the season) then how do you expect to beat Georgia, Bama, Michigan or tOSU? We already had a taste of what that looks like against the Dawgs! I am looking forward to next season. That will tell us alot about how much DL and TL learned from the 2022 season. GO DUCKS........

For what its worth, i do remember after the Georgia beating that DL said they tried to give to much to the defensive players. They couldnt absorb the scheme and execute. He was going to scale back and bring more each week. OBDF members, some of these players either never got it or couldnt execute it. Either way, when it mattered themost the D unit could not stop the Beavers run game. You rewatch that game, the 12th game of the season and those linebackers were either out of position or sealed off. Hell you could have put 9 in the box and Beavus still couldnt complete a pass.

Thanks DNC, your article certainly provides much info to ponder. For me, it invokes more head scratching about the Ducks 2022 Defense. Still painful to discuss or ponder. More therapy needed......... In the Husky game the bend don't break cover 2 defense failed. Penix destroyed the Duck secondary with quick scoring strikes. With no up front pressure applied Penix put the Broke part front and center. Whether it was scheme or poor player execution the D let the team down. I agree mixing it up may have helped. I am with Smith72, still confused why the Ducks could not stop the Beavers run game in the 4th quarter. Just one stop by the D, just one, and win or lose in the PAC title game, we are in the Rose Bowl. Looking forward to the thoughts and comments on the OBDF today.....

Well done Coach Lanning and D staff. This young man knows how to play linebacker. One great season at Oregon and onto the NFL. Keep them coming Coach. A better than average Duck D will help win alot of games in 2023.

Charles this is exciting and very possible for the 2023 class. DL and his staff have had a full year to build for this class. There's every reason, as a fan, to be optimistic. Looking forward to that high level recruit that the Ducks flip and move the 2023 class into the Top 10. I share your excitement and belief. GO DUCKS!

After completion of the 2021 football season, the Ducks, trojans and huskies were a combined 18-20. LR and the trojans brought the most portal players in, overhauled the roster with future NFL players and turned the program around. The Ducks and huskies brought in less players via the portal than the trojans. Both schools filled immediate needs with those portal players and had good seasons. Currently the 3 PAC schools are a combined 30-7. All 3 schools landed top, elite QB's. Heisman talk, on a national level, swirled around the PAC. How often will that happen? How often will lightning in a bottle strike? Oregon is not 9-3 without Bo, Gonzo and others. Beavus, Utah and the bruins were dominated by long term players. Players developed in a system by great coaches. I am certain that those 3 schools utilized the portal where needed. Those 3 schools represent the tradition of building a long term program. On the other side of the coin, TA&M (ATM Cash Machine University) poured untold millions into high school recruits. What a flop that was....... Charles, i agree that heavy use of the portal is risky. Due diligence and caution should be applied. But that route is no more risky than the high school recruiting trail. As a coach you sre rolling the dice either way. Do i want potential high level yet unproven talent that can maybe be developed? Or...... Players with developed potential, game film and their man bodies already developed? Players with skills to fill in needs? Win now or 3 years from now...... Every school risks losing developed talent via the portal. Even Bama. Well, I guess I want both routes, coupled with great coaching. Based upon the players currently on the roster, without the portal we will not be able to replace Gonzo or Bo. Nor does there appear to be a top 5 edge rusher on the current roster. Those are positions of immediate need that need filling by experienced players. Thank goodness for the portal and the opportunities presented. As a Duck fan i want a PAC title and a CFP appearance in 2023. 2024 and beyond mean nothing to me. In 2023, we have Beavus, wazzou and uscsuck in are backyard and the utes and huskies on the road. Darn it, i would like to win those games... Bring in the best players who can get that done, no matter the route.

If Dante comes to Oregon he will be competing for PAC Conference Titles, Rose Bowl and NY6 Bowls. In 2024 and 2025, CFP invites. He will be playing at the highest level on national tv. At UCLA, very little of the above. UCLA has to replace a number of 5th and 6th year players and Chip will have to get busy in the portal. Dante and his teammates will have to go thru usuck, tOSU, Penn State and Michigan to even sniff a BIG title game, RB, NY6 bowl or a CFP invite. Oregon is positioned to show case Dante and the Bruins? Maybe not so much.......