HappyToBeADuck

Well I loathe the huskies to the point that new 4 letters words will need to be added to the English language dictionary to explain it. My Mom's family settled in Spokane in the early 1900's. So I grew up in Spokane Washington. Big Cougar fan. Started attending games in Pullman in 60's. First season tickets in 1975. Miserable cold place to watch a game. When the wind blows on the Palouse it gives a new meaning to cold. But when those Arrogant, butt sniffing Husky fans came to Pullman for the Apple Cup they made your blood boil. Never felt the cold....... Jack Daniel's, hot Totties etc. Helped too. The sheer disgust and name calling they showed toward Cougar fans was disappointing. My ex wife was called disrespectful names for wearing the Cougar colors. Classless...... When the Apple Cup was played west of the cascades in the out door potty stadium, my ex wife and I always attended. The Cougars were granted about 5,000 seats in the lowest southeast section of the toilet. In late November the sun never touched that section. So the night before the game the miserable excuse for fans or the grounds keeper watered downed those concrete seats. The whole section was a sheet of ice. The stairs, the seats and the floor, pure ice. Elderly people were slipping and falling. We couldn't sit down even with blankets. Our boots and feet were frozen. It was a typical classless act by the unpotty trained. Fortunately, in 1984 I moved to Oregon and escaped the Couged it tag and found the slow rising Ducks. My Father's family settled here in the late 1800's. It's a special place with special people. It was nice to come back home. To friendly people who cared about their community. But the smile and joy of life is wiped from my very being at the mention of butt Husky football fans. Not the players. So anytime any news of Husky football demise comes across this forum, I feel a little joy in my creation. Unlike the Husky fans when a Duck player transfers or moves on they are usually wished well. At least on this forum. I will never apologize or shy away from calling out Husky fans who demean or purposely hurt someone. Especially those who don't know how to use a toilet, only drink from it....... Okay, I will call myself out for that one.

Yeah you are probably right.....

I agree with bringing in high school talent and then developing that talent over time. Or that rare exception where a youngster can step in and play. But that ship may have sailed........ You could have a quality player transfer out for a better NIL. All that player development is gone. TT and JB could transfer at anytime. Anytime! Bet after the Alamo Bowl that OU fans weren't expecting WILLIAMS to hit the portal. So if we have further QB transfers, then we just have Bo. Glad he transferred to Oregon. Glad the portal is available. I expect going forward to see one high school recruit and one seasoned QB via the portal..... The old ways are rapidly disappearing. Coaches have to adapt to the landscape.

Got to figure that Coach Lanning and some of his staff have relationships with class of 22 recruits. We will know in about a month. I agree with David that the transfer portal offers tremendous opportunities. So does NIL......... I can just feel it in my bones that 85 individual, well to do boosters are being lined up to fill an 85 player roster with NIL opportunities. Any guess what conference that might be?

Only time will tell if we will miss Mario........ Depends on how many 7-5 or 8-4 seasons we may have with Coach Lanning. That's the risk in any coaching change. I keep reminding myself that Mario caused this coaching change. It was his choice........ IMHO, the Ducks, with all that talent were not going to the CFP or win a Natty under Mario. The talent was being recruited. However the Coaching talent was lacking. If you can't steam roll or dominate the PAC? It truly takes great coaching combined with great talent to win a Natty. We were lacking one of those ingedients........

IMHO, the QB room can never be to full of talent. Between injuries, individual player improvement and the portal, roster depth can change in a heart beat. Coach Lanning used the portal to bring in a experienced QB that the new OC trusts. Smart move...... Oops, Ashford gone. Wouldn't be surprised if another QB is brought in via the portal. TT and JB could leave via the portal anytime. Once the Alabama QB decommitted from the 2022 class, the Ducks needed at least 1 more QB. Why not an experienced 5☆, SEC player? Optics may be bad to Duck fans and future QB recruits for sure. But Coach Lanning is planning on winning the PAC. He needs talent and game time experience on the field. Imagine a top California QB like JB or a 5☆ QB like TT not being able to make the playing field? The Duck QB room is in a unique situation. Assuming TT and JB use their redshirt we all know that they enter 2022 with 4 years eligibility remaining. What's unique is that both young men will have 2 spring ball camps and all that goes with that under their belt. JB will have 3 fall camps and TT will have 2. Yet 4 full years of eligibility remaining. Of course they will be learning a new system. They will pick it up fast. Their futures are bright. I just hope their futures are as Ducks. That optic may and probably will give top QB recruits a reason to pause or look elsewhere. Who would want to sit for 3 plus years behind all that talent. No bodies fault. Just the reality of today's game. After all how much NIL can you receive sitting on the bench. I imagine one conference, for sure, has NIL opportunities for gifted players who want to keep the bench warm. I don't think the PAC is that one......

Charles whatever name you choose is fine with me. I have said this before but it's worth repeating........ This is a one of a kind forum! A true safe haven for thoughts, ideas and opinions to be expressed. If what you and your team have built could be duplicated many people would learn a little self control, a little more kindness and respect toward others. Where else could a old person find the courage to express without retaliation? Or youngsters for that matter. Keep it rolling and thanks........

The top teams in the SEC make it easy for the committee to get it right more often than not. When you combine top coaching with the top recruits from all over the country the result is multiple CFP appearances and Natalie's. Now that the SEC is pulling top level youngsters from the west coast the task is more difficult for the PAC. However, the only thing keeping the PAC out of the CFP is on field performance. Oregon and Washington got their shots because they performed on the field. To me, the future lies with the 8-12 year old youngsters. Because of media exposure they get to watch the top teams from around the country. Their eyes can see and their ears can hear all the excitement from Game Day thru the games played. But I can share with you that my 8-12 year olds were often a sleep by halftime of the late games. Even big games. So if my west coast youngsters can't make it thru an after dark game do you suppose the other youngsters around the country are awake at midnight? Not hardly... Time slots of games matters to the future stars of tomorrow. Better decisions by the PAC Commish may make for a better result come signing day.

The new commissioner has nothing more to bring to the table than Scott did. Nothing....... The west coast offers late night entertainment for the east and Midwest time zone viewers. Even Scott new enough to get into the Midwest time zone. Especially Texas. Offering content from noon eastern until the lights get turned off in the wee hours. Granted Texas and Oklahoma were big game to hunt down. They were hunted and captured by the SEC. Baylor, OSU, TT and even Houston are not Texas and Oklahoma. Granted. But they are not leftovers. The state of Texas and the lower mid west have millions of eyeballs. More fans in that region hate Longhorn or Sooner, anything. Now Baylor, OSU and others have a better shot at division or conference Championships. They will be in the national conversation. So will Cincinnati and BYU. But now we allowed them to gain P5 conference status. The P-12 Network, though a failure is the only chip at the table. Give it to one of the networks and they will showcase the top teams in the PAC. And not always after dark. Oregon and USC are the PAC's best bargaining chips. But they are devalued with their fellow members. Not because the other members are bad partners. It's because neither Oregon or USC can dominate a weak conference, convincingly......

I have enjoyed this thread immensely today as the comments and POV's rolled in. A few thoughts ..... The Alliance cross over games will only be of interest to a network if they attract eyeballs. They will want USC, Oregon, Utah and maybe UCLA and washingtongueless. They will not pay top dollar for games that have no value, no interest, no added eyeballs. Consider this, do we want to put our top teams in harms way in OOC games? Take a pause and consider the match ups the networks will want. Unless their is an expanded 12 team playoff, this is a potential roadblock to getting to the current CFP. The games in conference matter and should have the highest priority I agree with JJ, an 18 team conference that covers 3 time zones can be enticing. Supply and demand dictates prices. 4 conferences instead of 5 is less supply. The demand will be high from networks outside looking in. Especially at the negotiating table....... There will still be the same amount of teams. But the same 3 Alliance conferences. Other than tOSU and Clemson the ACC and BIG have no better or worse teams than the expanded PAC. When USC and Oregon are at their best, they are equal TV draws as tOSU and Clemson. And let's be clear, again! Which match ups will networks pay top dollar for? Most Alliance game match ups will not draw eyeballs unless the top teams play. These 3 conferences could have put the SEC as the odd man out. Bargaining negotiations would have had a way different snapshot. The merger would have cost the 12-PAC members nothing. The merger would have taken place at the time of contract negotiations. A true bargaining chip. But I acquiesce to the academic prowess of the 12 presidents. They must know best. After all just look at the success they showed with P12 Network. Just look at the state of the conference. Not very impressive. None of these clowns should have a say in anything sports related.

Darren, as always thank you for another thought provoking article. Should be some interesting POVs from the forum. I agree that all is not lost for the PAC. No matter how poorly the product is on the field, the PAC has the west coast and some of the mountain time zone. The networks need those time slots for viewing content. How much they pay may depend on the very crux of your article. In my opinion, the product on the field and its presentation (fan attendence) is boring. How much will the networks pay for boring? Currently each PAC team gets paid $18 million less than BIG members and about $9 million less than SEC members. A season.......WTH.... Every 5 years Rutgers and Maryland get near $100 million more than the PAC teams.........goodness. That gap will widen with the next TV contract. The PAC needs to put a more compelling product on the field. I agree with your 3 points but have reservations on them as well. 1. USC. The Trojans may be enamored with their blue blood status but a near generation of talent is not. Riley has no track record of building a dumpster fire program from the ashes. He took over a powerhouse. Time will tell.... 2. The Alliance games will have an uptick in ratings. As long as the top teams are involved. TV will want USC-Clemson or Oregon-Michigan. Not WSU-Rutgers or Arizona-Duke. A great deal to risk, how much to gain for the PAC.? Adding the remnants of the BIG 12 would have brought Texas eyeballs to the market and 3 time zones of games into the next TV contract. Last I looked the B-12 had 2 teams in New Years 6 Bowls. I would rather see Baylor-Oregon and USC-OSU on a Saturday telecast than have Cincinnati and BYU fill in for the PAC teams. But that shipped sailed..... 3. Oregon has potential as so do the Trojans. Oregon fans bring energy to the game and telecasts. However, we have an unproven coach. Time will tell......... For the last 6 seasons, 8 year olds who are now 14 all over the country have had very little to be excited about when watching the PAC. They will be making college decisions in the next few years......just like the networks with new contracts will be..... Time is running out, the clock is ticking. No amount of academic prowess or past glory will bring talent or money to the PAC. I guess time will tell.....

Caleb was fortunate to play for a coach who gave him a chance. He certainly made the most of that opportunity. Hard to see him not following that coach to USC. Wonder what could have been if our young QB's had been given a chance? I must pause here................to not break the rules. WUSAW, WUSAW. There were plenty of opportunities where the Ducks needed a spark during the game. A change of pace, a dog and a beer........ Not our coaches..........

I fully agree with those who are tempering expectations. This forum rocks with so many POV's. Thanks for sharing. That was hard to type because the rah rah cheerleader in me bursts with optimism. I rarely temper my expectations. Had to look it up to see what it meant. Just too early to make predictions. What is their to base our optimism or pessimism on? The footers haven't even been poured yet, let alone the foundation. We have some top notch talent on the roster. We had top notch talent last year (4-3). Someone has to know what to do with all that talent. Both in practice and during games. Hec next year could be 7-6 after the Sun Bowl or 12-2 after the Rose Bowl. Depends on coaches, players, schemes and injuries. However, I am looking forward to that journey. Let's see what the Ducks have to work with after February National Signing Day. As well as the transfer portal both in and out. What coachable 5* and high 4* players sign letters of intent. What talent, if any, follows Coach Lanning to Eugene. What is the plan for player development. Let's fill Autzen at the spring game. Our first glimpse of a few schemes and plays. Looking forward to OBD forum members comments then, too.

Charles thanks for this article. Once the 2022 recruiting cycle is completed next month, along with utilizing the transfer portal, Coach Lanning should be installing his program and processes. With this being his first HC in college football we as fans were able to see his defensive schemes firsthand against Michigan. Better yet we get to see how he makes adjustments against Bama in the Natty. As mentioned above, if he brings in the talent on defense we see he can coach the D players well. As for the offense........... Whatever Coach Dillingham runs is what we will get. Good, bad, exciting or boring. We can only hope that Coach Lanning is open minded and will change what is not working on offense. The last coach was as stubborn as they come. Future Duck players watching Duck games were probably not wowed. Excitement brings exciting players. With all the confusion around the program this year I may have missed this.... Were their any 5* running backs, QB's and receivers lining up to come play here? If they were, well I missed it. Remember, we are going to see our new HC develope, build and grow right before our eyes. Also his staff I just hope that Coach Lanning and Coach Dillingham at least ask themselves..... What kind of schemes and plays did Oregon run to score 45 plus points pet game for 5 straight years? What kind of players did they recruit? I know someone with a library full of answers.

Anything that upsets the unpotty trained horde up north is pleasant to hear. If Coach Lanning has truly learned from his coaching pedigree, the delusional masses up north will be in for a rude awakening. Of course, it's difficult to change an entire narcissistic fan based mired in a state of academic prowess.

I am not sure which conference is up next for media rights negotiations. That deal, how many bidding players and final dollar amounts will set the tone for what's to come. Then each conference and or each school can make the choice that is in their best interest. If you were a betting person which commission will make the calls to better position their conference for a big payday? BIG 12 - BIG - AAC - PAC?

It would sure be nice to have those options without having to pay for the package.

Tough loss for the Utes and their fans. We have been there and done that as Ducks fans. It hurts........ The Ducks and Utes proved that some teams from the PAC can play with the bluebloods...... Any other takers from the PAC want to step up? I truly hope the Utes can maintain their program at this high level

MaiTaiDuck I love your forward thinking. The state of Oregon has not shown any interest in being part of the solution to bring big time sports to the state. Getting an NFL franchise would prove to be difficult, even with a state of the art facility. One reason, just like San Antonio, Portland will never be forgiven for being founding members of the World Football League in the 70's. NFL owners don't forget or forgive. Another is because the NFL cash cow, the Networks, want and need more eyeballs. For decades the Networks were shown by fans that they would watch the nearest team. Before Seattle, people in Spokane watched the Raiders, Chargers, Rams and 49ers. When the Seahawks arrived the network found out that Medford fans wanted the Niners, Raiders and Chargers games. Medford gets those games to this day. The NFL and the Networks consider Eugene and Portland the Seattle market. Ratings back that up.. As too adding seats at Autzen...... I know during the Chip/ Helfrich 6 year run their was a long waiting list for season tickets. Demand was thru the roof. My son had 4 season tickets. He sold his 4 Natty tickets for enough money to pay for 4 more seasons of tickets. 4-8 and 7-6 seasons killed that. Along with some less than exciting games the last 4 years. He has trouble giving those tickets away. I would love to see more seats and luxury boxes. The additional revenue could be needed. Go to an 8 game conference schedule and the Ducks would always have 7 or 8 home games. Money in the bank. The question would be is the demand high enough? Probably would be if the play was exciting and if we annually made the CFP.

I really like that you expect progress and good decisions to be made.. The talent on the field deserves just that.. They made a great decision to come to Oregon. ADAPT to the talent you brought it. What a novel idea.

The PAC needs a standard bearer to carry the conference. A team that gets to the CFP at least 2 or 3 years in a row. The perception of the PAC will not change because SC or Oregon go 10-2. I am talking 13-0 or 12-1 after the PAC Championship. So how do we get there? And do we have 12 conference members who want to get there? First, recognize the mistakes made. Own it academia...... Then, fix it........ 8 conference games. Play a creme puff lste in the season to rest a few dinged up players Don't have your top teams play each other late in the season. Unless it's in your own division. In the SEC, I think Georgia and Bama play every 6 seasons during the regular season. If Oregon has to play SC or Utah, play it early in the season. In the new contract, sell those games as prime time only. Negotiate smart for a change. For a conference full of academic prowess we sure have seen a lot of stupid, foolish decisions made. Like selling out the Rose Bowl to an empty promise. Conference members must make large dollar investments into their programs or get out. Sell or merge the Network with Fox or ESPN. Those networks will showcase what they own. The greed to control it all by the Presidents led to 100% of very little. A commitment to building winning programs. Is the commitment better or stronger in the MWC or at BYU? Just do it as the slogan says.

Haywarduck Great topic. Your brain must never sleep? In fairness to any AD or Coach, it's important to remember this is a business. In my 40 plus years of experience deciding who to hire is difficult. Quessing who will succeed is difficult. Even with a previous track record or references. Usually the deciding difference is how the person sells themselves. We often hear AD'S talk about how they were sold on a new coach based upon that new coaches vision and plan. Basically the new coach sold themselves. So, a large buyout can help protect the school from poachers. But it is a double edge sword when the coach under performs. It's a roll of the dice or a flip of a coin. Throw in the boosters with their big dollars and high expectations and the final decision can get clouded. Let's use Texas A & M and FSU as an example. They saw the success that Jimbo Fisher had at FSU. The Aggies and their boosters wanted him bad. 10 years $75 million bad.... He got an extension and now gets $9 million per season. Fisher is a above average 34-14 thru 4 seasons. In a division where you can't lose 2 games I wonder if Aggie fans and boosters are feeling a little let down? Left wanting more..... After all Jimbo killed it at FSU. The man can coach and recruit. Since his departure the Seminoles have fallen hard. Their AD made at least 1 bad HC hire since Jimbo left. So was Fishers success because he took over a powerhouse program at FSU? A program in a weak conference. Once Dabo turned Clemson around, FSU could not hold them off. With Bama, LSU and Auburn on your schedule every year. 9-3 may be the Aggies peak. Jimbo is a top recruiter but can he coach against the top teams in the top division in all of college football? Because it's a learning curve it may well depend on everyone's expectations. Repeated 8-4 or 9-3 seasons at Oregon will not meet fans expectations. Not on this forum.... And not with Phil and big dollar boosters........ So coaches will come and go. Either fired by the school or looking for a different pasture....... The Hurricanes proved that $9 million dollar buyouts mean very little. Just my opinion...... Ask yourself, we're you satisfied with the Ducks record the last 4 years? Or did you want more? Depends on your expectations...

Jordan thanks for summarizing all that has transpired since Coach Lanning took over as Duck footballs Top Chef.. As a youngster, I would watch my Mom or Nana add their ingredients to whatever wonderful dish they were cooking.. The excitement and anticipation sometimes were just too much. But the results of their efforts were worth the wait. Them sweet ladies were Top Chefs........ Coach Lanning is definitely cooking something special. Looking forward to see what additional ingredients he adds to the mix. With February signing day and spring ball right around the corner, this off season has my full attention. Others on this forum have mentioned that our previous coach usually won the off season. I must admit that he could get top level ingredients to cook. But he just wasn't a great chef and never will be a Top Chef......... Let's hope Coach Lanning and his staff develop into Top Chefs........

The new commissionet and PAC presidents may have dealt the conference a lethal blow by not expanding. By not eliminating the B12 thru a mega merger the conference has left itself vulnerable to possible predators. What kind of academic prowess, arrogance or short sightedness does it take to not prepare yourself for the next TV contract. Networks want eyeballs in different time zones. They want partners who put a great product on the fields or hardwoods. There are many reasons the PAC12 Network was a failure. But it seriously lacked eyeballs. Eyeballs that advertisers will spend money TV. Money that would have gone to P-12 schools. The future BIG 12 had one team in the CFP and 2 in the New Years 6 Bowls. By the way those games were watched by millions on TV. Log Haulin is absolutely correct in that the P-12 isn't going anywhere. But a few members will be leaving for much bigger paydays. The BIG 12 or BIG will come calling. A 4-team west coast division ensures one of those conferences the west coast time zone. The networks will pay big dollars for that.

Well we all have our feelings and opinions on it, for sure. Truly, nothing will change on the discussion of should a G5 team belong or should a G5 team not belong in the CFP. One thing is certain....... I am tired of barely being part of the CFP discussion. Let's just get there and be a player. Tired of being all dressed up and not getting to go to the dance. Here's to Coach Lanning and his staff to getting the Ducks on the dance floor.