HappyToBeADuck

Thanks Charles for putting some perspective to what we witnessed yesterday during the spring game. Totally agree the game presented a mixed bag of good and not so good. However, IMHO Coach Lanning didnt expose that much of what the end result will be or what we will see against Georgia. He simply let the players play and have fun. He let the fans have fun, too......... This spring game appears to be the beginning of the end of the bad taste that MC left in our mouths. Not to mention our brains. No pistol! No 3 yards and the inevitable punt! Actual downfield pass attempts and actual completions. Once the starters are in place this summer the repetition in practice should pay dividends. There is a lot of talent on this team. The defense could be a monster to handle. The D will have its hands full against Georgia. I watched the Georgia spring game. DAMN...... Their receivers get open and the returning starting QB was impressive. Their D could not stop him. But they handled the back ups pretty well. Again it was a spring game. But our QB's need to improve their decision making and accuracy against the Dawgs. Or it could be a long day in the hot, humid South for the Baby Ducks. Hope not........ Just an observation but Thompson didnt always work thru his progressions. He honed in on 1 receiver. He made it easy for the D. Needs to improve his accuracy and stop trying to just run the play. Work the defense and kerp yhem off bslance. Butterfield did work thru his progressions and found the open receivers. Too many drops by those receivers hurt his numbers. But he appears to be ahead of TT...... Nix looked comfortable on the field. Soft, accurate throws and in command. But he is too far along in his career to make bonehead decisions. Hope he does a self check and starts to discipline his decision making. All in all, a good start. Some red flags? Yes...... Nothing that cant be fixed. Go Ducks........

Joshua, as always thank you and all the writers for taking the time to write and present these articles. Scoring more points than your opponents has always been the goal for football coaches. But that is easier said than done. IMHO it starts with assembling a great staff that believes in you as the head coach. A staff that supports your vision and plan for all 3 phases of the game. That staff best bring in top recruits and have a passion to develope those players skill sets. Then Coach Lanning needs to let his coordinators coach and execute the game plan. Win or lose, the players need to see the HC and staff on the same page. The previous HC often talked about scoring alot of points but throttled down his OC. The result was the near destruction of a well oiled, high performing offense. Charles sounded the alarm very early on..... So far Coach Lanning is making some good decisions. Good hires have brought in great recruits. Now we have to wait and see if the staff and players have truly bought in. After the game in Pullman we will have a good idea of how well the coaches can make in game adjustments. Also how well the players are being developed and whether or not the offense will attempt explosion plays. More importantly can the team execute those explosion plays and put points on the board. Lots of points. We wont really know for a few years whether Coach Lanning will be a great hire, an average hire or a bust. Its to early in his journey as a HC..... Be patient Duck fans because their will be ups and downs along the way. By all accounts Dan Lanning really appears genuine and humble. That in itself is a good start.......

Excellent comments. But Jon Joseph hit the nail square on the head....... It starts at the top. Ask yourself this question: Are the 12 PAC Presidents trained and qualified to be making these types of decisions? Their track record proves they are not. These arrogant knuckleheads kept King Larry around 5 years too long. They cost the schools millions in wasted expenditures. I may be breaking a rule here but their failure to expand membership to at least 4 schools will cost each school millions in future revenues. This leadership group moves too slowly. Ask yourself this question: Do all 12 of the presidents really love athletics? I dont think they care in the least. Change usually comes from people who care. People who have the passion to bring about change. True change....... Officiating, expansion or media rights need to be handled by those that care. Handled by those whose paychecks depend on it. Do the PAC 12 Presidebts paychecks depend on any of these items? Absolutely not..... Where is their motivation to change?

Kurt Rambis, great point about coaching or lack of coaching. Sir Charles, thanks for posting these numbers. On field results prove that some PAC teams are doing more with less. Since the end of the disastrous Alamo Bowl against TCU, the Oregon coaching staffs have underperformed. First, Helfrich in recruiting and social technology. He and his staff could coach lesser talent to great levels of achievement. They simply did more with less.......but recruiting poorly and created no depth. Then the snake and he who mastered useless coach speak started filling the locker room with talent. They brought in 5☆and top 150 talent. (Remember it wasnt that long ago that we couldnt bring in top 300 talent) But their player development skills and in game management adjustments were lacking. They truly did less with more quality talent. (In fairness to the snake, he kept his foot on the offensive throttle and scored points.) The offense wasnt broke so he didnt try to fix it. Unlike MC.......... The PAC is so soft that the talent at Oregon could win championchips and go to a few New Years 6 bowls. Inspite of the lack of development and lack of in game management skills. So here the Ducks roster sits with the most 4 and 5 stars in the PAC. Can Coach Lanning and his staff further develope this talented roster? Do the players want to be coached and developed? Can this staff build game plans and make adjustments to beat teams with lesser talent? Can this coaching staff and players aspire to put in the work and effort to become National Champuons? The opportunity is before them, will they meet that opportunity with preparedness?

Really nice words of praise from the Georgia fans. Coach Lanning earned their praise by his actions. As we know, actions speak louder than words. Coach Lanning earned his shot as a head coach and Georgia fans recognized that fact. Now Coach Lanning gets to cut his teeth as the Oregon Ducks head coach. Many on this forum expect a learning curve for Coach Lanning and his staff. That is reasonable and i hope Duck fans appreciate that ups and downs will occur. Coach Saban didnt win Nattys his first 5 years as a head coach. Check out his record at MSU and first season at Bama. IMHO Coach is laying the foundation and prepping this talented roster to learn, grow and improve daily. This preparation will serve the team handily. Whether they start up (3-1) or down (1-3) the roster will be prepared by the staff to handle it. Handling success is just as important as handling adversity. How Coach Lanning handles that will be part of his journey as a head coach. Just as Coach Saban did. The difference is that Coach Saban has more yesterdays on his resume than tomorrows. Arent you excited to be part of Coach Lanning's coaching tomorrows? Lets enjoy the journey.

You can see, hear and feel the passion from Coach Lanning and his staff. I dont jump up and down anymore but if i could i would be joining in. Well done Ducks staff. Coach em up and lets win the PAC 12 title.

Big time recruiting victory for the Oregon coaching staff........... Traveling on vacation this week in California has been grueling. $6.75 per gallon for fuel. $335 a night for hotels was taking the fun out of the trip. But true to form the 8 grandkids in Cali brought joy to my heart and a smile to my face . ....... Reading that we stole a top recruit from Riley, MC and the always smelly butt sniffers was, well, Not only priceless but icing on the cake!

Some recruits may be hesitant to committ to an unproven staff. They and their parents may not be sure of what they are getting into. A successful 2022 and a dominant 2023 season with a CFP appearance and top recruits will have a full vision to fit their talents into. Oregon boosters and the program may have to reconsider the NIL money available to future Duck recruits. Like it or not, Top 100 recruits are going to cost top dollar to land. Keeping top, proven players on your roster will be expensive. Think about it......... Coach Lanning and staff should have landed a few of those 5 star and top 4 star recruits. But they didnt....... It wasnt for lack of effort, lack of facilities, lack of brand. Why do youngsters who say that Oregon has always been their dream school go to schools who have zero chance at a Natty? Or zero chance at winning their conference title or division title? MONEY DRIVES THIS BUS....... Lack of top NIL money at Oregon may be causing these top recruits and transfers to get on a different bus..........

Jon, only those with extreme academic prowess and massive egos will keep a terminally ill sports network on life support. Everytime a golden oppoetunity arises these ego driven know it alls pass on it. Perhaps our educators dont, cant or wont recognize opportunity. Professional do nothing educators are rarely business minded forward thinkers. They are normally traditionalists. If you cannot recognize its time to make out of the box decisions then pull the plug and hold the funeral. The board members and trustees need to send out 12 pink slips or appoint snd create a Dean of Sports position. Bring in a successful business person to work with other Dean of Sports. With the goal of growing a sports based revenue stream for the schools. A 21st century plan to be a big time leading conference.

Drake, good point. Most big dollar boosters will want and demand results. Results or lack of results, over the next few years, will drive the NIL Pay To Play Bus. The crazy fanatic booster will keep paying regardless of the results. Coaches, not players, will get fired when the reality on the field doesnt match big dollar booster expectations......... Afterall only 1 SEC team can win the SEC Championship. And only 1 SEC team can win the Natty when they play each other again in the National Title game.... Besides, tOSU and Clemson, who outside the real conference of champions (insert SEC) will truly have a chance? Most all teams who get to dance at the CFP Party fall short. Nice payday but no slipper.

LuckeyDuck the fever is truly running wild. The need for a hard hitting, well played Duck game is driving many a fan right to the edge......... It doesnt matter if its Obi Wan, Yoda or the Ghostbusters. Who ever can get the ball on the tee ready for kickoff.... Go Ducks.........

Jon great breakdown, analysis and comment. This August the schools meet to decide the future of the divisions. And what rules to live by. The landscape and resulting fallout will make and break a number of schools. Just for arguement sake, lets say everything stays the same. Its possible as long as the SEC gets its way and can flex its God given muscle. At this point, i could see ACC schools jumping to a new conference. Getting out of a low paying media rights deal 10 years early could be appealing. I could see some BIG 12 teams leaving to join a conference thst includes heavy weights like Clemson, USC and Oregon. Those 3 schools being involved will automatically add dollars to the media rights. I could see the Networks in a bidding war to lock down eyeballs in Ohio to North Carolina to Florida. Eyeballs in the football monster that is the state of Texas to the 50 million plus eyeballs on the West Coast. And all parts in between. WOW! Football games from 9 am PST (Noon EST) to Midnight PST (3 AM EST) Over 100 million plus people. That potential would command big money. The contract should expire the same time the SEC and BIG media rights contracts expire. Position yourself to be a major player at the right time. Of course the only certainty in this is that the PAC 12 Brain Trust will want no part in this. Afterall the PAC is convinced it should just stand pat. Dumb...es

Jon thanks for continuing to provide your in depth thoughts and feelings about the state of the PAC. Love your passion. The inexplicable decision to not act when the remnants of the BIG 12 were in desperate need of a helping partner still leaves the taste of a vomit burp in my mouth. Or thoughts of my ex. On this forum many wanted that merger while many did not. Lots of pros and cons. No real right answer. What mattered most was what would the Networks think about a 4 time zone mega conference? It appears the PAC Academic Brain Trust didnt even try to find out. GEEZ....... IMHO, the one way that the PAC can increase the value of its media rights is to win big time, high profile games. Oregon beat Georgia Utah beat Florida USC beat Notre Dame Stop losing to no names Stop losing bowl games Get a team in the 2022 CFP USC or Utah or Oregon win the Natty in 2023-2024 ESPN, FOX, ABC and CBS will give the PAC respect and money when they earn it. Stop talking about it and get it done. Winning the Natty will drive eyeballs to the conference. It will keep California 5 stars out west. Advertisers pay for winners. Lets play to win it all.

All 3 QB's should get first team reps right up to the kick off against Georgia. Competing against each other should bring out the best in each player. If either Ty or Jay feel they are not getting a real opportunity to be QB1 then the transfer portal could be their answer to getting playing time. If the Georgia game gets out of hand then i hope all three get playing time. Gaining valuable experience in the new system to get them ready for BYU. All three should play against Eastern Washington. Get them all ready for conference play. Either Ty or Jay didnt earn playing time or the previous coaching staff foolishly robbed them of their opportunity for growth.

Hopefully the Utah coaching staff heads to Florida on Monday before the game. Give the players the opportunity to adjust to the time change and the humidity. This is a winnable, high profile game that will keep Utah in the top 10. If you wamt to play in the CFP then you need to play like it from day 1. Oregon should head to Georgia early in the week, also. Give the players every advantage possible. The Ducks are definitely in a high profile game. Is it winnable? Anything is possible with the talent on this team. Georgia will not overlook the Ducks like the entitled Buckeyes did. SEC teams play like its life and death. They rarely miss an opportunity to destroy a high profile OOC opponent. Dont know enough about the Ducks confidence or game plan at this point. But i will be rooting for a great game from our Ducks........

Wrathis, my expectations are stuck in neutral until the Ducks play their first 3 games. The team is filled with talent on both sides of the ball, no doubt. 50 plus youngsters who were thrown into the mix in 2021 will bring battle hardened experience to the field. Having Sewell, Flowe, Manning, Dorlus, Swinson and others executing Coach Lannings defense is appealing But my excitement will ramp up once I see what the coaching staff does with that talent, how they game plan and how they make in game adjustments. More important, how do the players respond and execute what is taught? MC and staff took the fun out of watching Duck games. Even with all the wins. When I watch a game I want to get amped up, get excited and anticipate great things. Not repeatedly go WTH........ Just the thoughts of an old Grey Beard..........

Joshua thanks, as always for taking the time to create this article. I agree with Badwater that seeing who pops at the spring game will give us a better picture. Next man up has always been the continuing story for all teams no matter the sport. Here's your chance, your opportunity are you ready willing and able to seize it? Some rise to the occasion while others do not. This year more than ever it may not be about who pops or stands out. Rather who stays, transfers out or transfers in. The new landscape of college sports is ever evolving. Some for the good and some for the bad. Such is life..........

Multiple times a week I meet with business owners who want our team to establish whatever process is necessary to build a high quality, long term, successful culture. Just like in the responses above each of these owners have different definitions of what culture means to them. TAMJ--some of these highly successful business owners agree with you that the term has lost all meaning. However, TAMJ I respond to them with this question: How did you build such a great company without building and establishing a long term, successful culture?..... At that point, 90% just stare at me without a reply. (The next person who speaks loses so I wait for their reply) These are highly intelligent, hard working men and women. They know how they got to this point...... Eventually they start talking and reveal the steps they took on their road to success. 1Ducker1 asked about philosophy and that is one of the first steps. These people had an idea or product and believed that they had a plan(philosophy) to get it done. Or as Duck 1972 mentioned a philosophic idea and a plan to achieve it. At this point you have an idea, a product or service and a plan to put in motion. Nothing tangible..... You throw in belief, work ethic, trial and error and repetition of what works. You take what you sell to the market place. Your customer base grows, orders increase and now you need employees to fill those orders. You teach your new employees your successful process and procedures and production increases to meet demand. You are now building your culture. McDonalds, Starbucks etc have successful process and procedures. When you come to work for them or walk in the door you know what to expect. Their culture is a given. Let's hope that Coach Lanning can build a successful culture at Oregon. Just like McDonald's and Starbucks. You know the kind that dominates it's competition. In football terms, like Bama, Georgia, tOSU.

Great comments by all on this thread. So early in the game of NIL to have any concrete results. Will boosters continue to pay millions without Natty's? In Texas boosters have been paying big bucks for decades. Limited Natty's has not slowed the money train. A & M will probably pump it out until they get one. Others schools maybe not. We live in a results orientated world. To early for results. Let's let this topic percolate for a few years.

Charles thanks for the article. Leadership is so crucial to the success of any organization or venture. Leaders, by example and experience, can and should inspire those around them. To me the 2019 team had leaders on both sides of the ball. They played together like brothers and family. That leadership was spawned from upperclassmen who endured 4-8 and 7-6 seasons. If respect and trust are truly earned then players like Herbert and Dye left no doubt by their dedication and work ethic. They made it easy for others to follow. Those talking heads and click bait fools proudly proclaimed that Justin Herbert was not vocal enough to be a leader. It took just one start for Justin to prove his leadership. Nobody ever won a football game by yelling the loudest. Justin was prepared and let his execution do the talking. Those pundits sing a different tune now. In the 2021 victory against tOSU the team played inspired and as brothers. They left it all on the field against a true blue bloods home turf. We, as fans, were proud, excited and inspired for the future. One young fan was so proud of his team that he left a little tiny toy Duck on the defeated buckeye field. The final blow to add insult to injury. This young fan said nothing but his action spike volumes. The mountainous number of injuries in 2021 limited the Ducks from that moment on. Who knows what levels of leadership were no longer on the field to lead by example. In some games 7 or more true freshmen were on the field playing defense. Some in new positions. Noah was the one constant. Did these youngsters even have a chance to build trust with each other? It takes scheme, leadership, experience and player trust to stop third and long plays. The 2021 defense had very little of those components. 2022 and beyond will be all about leadership. Leadership from Coach Lanning and staff as well as players earning their leadership roles. I am confident the roster is full of potential leadership. Can the coaches find it, nurture it and develop it. But more important can those leaders find it within themselves and do they want to? Great ponder point Sir Charles........

Charles thanks for this article and topic. I have reread this 3 times. There is a great deal to think about and ponder. I like the idea of putting the players and coaches in a sort of a pressure cooker. Will they be shaped into hard diamonds or simply, spit out? Without a doubt, very talented players will transfer out. It is usually easier to quit than finish within difficult situations. The Ducks will be as prepared, motivated and in shape as the Bulldogs when they step on the field in September. Maybe not as talented. The question is will they be as prepared, motivated and in shape late in the season against Utah or USC/Utah in the P-12 title game? Or better yet in a rematch with Georgia? Many on this team played and experienced 3 losses in 4 games to close out 2021. They played uninspired and seemed tired. My hat is off to them for sticking it out under a quitting coaching staff. Their staff will not be quitting on them in 2022. The opportunity is theirs for the taking. We will all see who rises to the challenge. I feel confident Coach Lanning and his staff will teach and drive these young men hard Go Ducks........

I truly hope that the connections being built between the coaches and players helps the new staff truly find out why this talented squad got destroyed on the field at the end of the season. Did they lose trust in MC and his staff? Did they stop caring for each other, the team and staff? Did the players feel betrayed? Emotional damage control will go along ways to bringing back the swagger that apparently was left in Columbus ,Ohio. I like that Coach Lanning and staff are building that bridge of trust, again. A commitment of trust for each other, the staff and team is critical to the journey to Athens and beyond.

Gonzaga is not playing its best basketball right now. St. Mary's laid out a blue print to confuse and stymie Gonzaga's bigs. They are very vulnerable even though their talent and depth is off the charts. Being born and raised in Spokane I am an avid Zag fanatic. A lifelong friend and I attended games in the old Kennel in the early sixties. We were 10 year olds. That friend attended the WCC tournament and expressed concern over the team not firing on all cylinders. We shall see. If the back court and wings keep the ball moving and hit those jumpers then the Zags make the final four. If not an upset in the Sweet 16 is possible. Go Zags. Let's hang that banner. 60 years is a long wait.

Player development......... Take what the staff teaches you to build and grow as a man and as a player. Add to your God given raw talent and develope your individual skill set. Learn from your mistakes, daily. Grow your skill set daily. Be prepared and ready. Then learn your role(s) within the team. Grow within the team and its process and schemes. Give 110% in practice. Be a better team player each practice and each week. Win games.

EastBayDuckDad, thank you for posting this information. I agree with Jon that alot goes into bringing high 4☆ and 5☆ talent to Oregon. Especially when they seemed to be entrenched in the southeast. Money is a big factor to some. Mommas home cooking is another. Most of all, Coach Lanning and staff must get to the CFP and eventually put a Natty on the books. It's one thing to have the best facilities, as Oregon does. But we need the proven championship pedigree. Coach Lanning will bring some of the best defensive talent to Oregon, ever. Why, because when he gets that ring on his finger his credibility will skyrocket. Great times ahead but we might want to consider being patient, maybe? Maybe not?