HappyToBeADuck

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.

Well, whether Cincy deserved to be there or not is a topic to truly ponder. Point is they got there. They ran thru their schedule and got it done. I for one like any team that beats the Domers. When's the last time a G5 like PAC team beat the Domers? Scoreboard matters. Blue bloods like tOSU and OU didn't have scoreboard. If either of those teams had 1 loss then Cincy is out. It still is a beauty contest and every now and then a beauty from the wrong side of the tracks walks in the room. Hec Cincy and Houston would have won their fair share of PAC games. Both would have probably beat the true PAC champ. BYU.......

Happy New Year Chsrles and all the OBD forum. Charles, just curious, is that a smile on your face? The only reason I ask is because as I watched the Bulldog defense react and execute their assignments a smile exploded upon my face. Why? For a few reasons.......... The players appeared to be well prepared, knew their assignments and executed at a high level. That is a sign of good coaching...... The Bulldog defense came to play with fire and passion. The attacking scheme expected a level of dominance to be established. Not a bend don't break scheme. How refreshing and exciting ....... Granted, that defense has its share of 5 stars who look like NFL material. IMHO, you can be born with all the physical attributes to be an NFL draft pick. But high level coaching coupled with that talent gets you NFL ready. Does Oregon have that talent level? There are Duck defenders who could play at Bama or Georgia, for sure.... Oregon doesn't have as many on their squad right now. That will change. I feel that doesn't matter because the PAC does not field many offenses with SEC 5 star talent. Oregon has brought in the last 3 top recruiting classes in the PAC. The talent needed may be on the field now. That talent just needs a solid scheme(s) and solid coaching. To me that was the case on the field last night. The Natty game will provide all the current and future Duck players another snap shot of their future. Oregon had a chance at redemption against Utah. The coaches could not offer the players a better game plan nor motivate their players. Same out come. Another embarrassing beat down........ Bama embarrassed this great Georgia defense. Looking forward to see how and if the Georgia D can earn that redemption...... Last night was the first time I watched a CFP game since the Ducks beat down FSU. The games are just not compelling and I am not into SEC games. However last night and this years Natty are compelling. We get a glimpse of Oregon's future...... At the very highest level....... Looking forward to see how Coach Lanning handles a redemption game against the best, the very best........ Hopefully that Georgia defense can put more smiles on our faces.......

I must have missed the memo? Weren't the dogs supposed to go 12-0 during the regular season? I don't see them listed in the CFP. Personally, the beat downs from Utah and OU, were disappointing. But those are top teams....... Where does one rank their valiant effort in the epic, game of the century, hard fought loss to Montana? FCS, Montana.

24, 92, 255, 2, 3 Coach come home soon, victorious. Not a good idea to let a bunch of rambunctious 18-19 year olds loose, unattended........

David, I appreciate your article and your gracious attitude toward those that I will no longer speak their name. In the spirit of the article, I will no longer name call. I am truly thankful that the coaches have left Thankful to the administration's who saved us from not just a bad date but a bad relationship. Thankful that we don't have to endure coaches who worked hard to get less out of these talented players. Thankful to not have to under perform in a less than mediocre conference. Attendance and ratings prove the overall conference is lacking. Thankful to not here coach jibberish or useless coach speak. At least not from the nameless ones, anyway. Happy New Year OBD Forum members. This is one of the true Duck treasures. Did I mention I was glad the coaches left?

Yes bring on the Lanning Era..... Please..... Now I can officially add MC to the list of 4 letter words I do not ever utter. Not cause I am a Saint. But 8 kids, 20 grand and 3 greats give you pause to watch your words. Helps you change and break bad habits. Something(that name that will not be uttered) he will never do, change. Go Ducks........

Boy no matter how positive I am about such a strong effort by this young, roster depleted team....... I hate losing, always have and always will. It's called competition And these youngsters truly competed. They climbed out of a beat down and rallied until the end. Proud of them....... Now, I am going to finish sticking my finger down my throat and barf out all the WHAT IF'S of the MC UNDER PERFORMING ERA....... Coach Lanning, fill in the blanks, coach them up and let's turn the page to the Lanning Era You got some great warriors with talent to work with........

The best part of the game was truly the effort the young Ducks displayed. Start to finish.......... Looking forward to spring ball.

Thanks Coach for sharing your thoughts and explanation of the 20 and 21 sets. If Ty sticks around and Bo coming in we have 2 former 5 stars in house to run this offense. Great running backs, receivers and tight ends to utilize. And best of all the making of a 2 deep, monster O line. Plus filling in needs thru the portal. Go Ducks............

FSU and other ACC teams are going to get whipped like nobodies business in the recruiting game by MC and his staff. Seriously.... However, MC's offensive philosophy is predictable. In game adjustments are non existent and player development is lacking. Seriously...... The Miami fan boards will be fun to read when they witness this. Game after game, year after year. You wanted him, you got him and he's all yours Seriously..........

Seeing how much money that CBS makes on March Madness, you would think they would be all over a 16 or 32 team format. The money grabbers at all the networks would want to bid on a real National Championship. The model is already built at the FCS level. So the excuse of getting finals done or too many games is gone. Continuity and momentum will not be lost with 3 to 4 week layoffs. You build it the money grabbers will come......... However, first round picks may opt out to protect from injury. Transfer portal will be weekly as teams lose and end their season. Can you imagine the TV fan interest? Conference Champs get the home field for first 2 rounds. Wouldn't want to play the Utes on their home field in mid December. Oh well, cost nothing to dream. Even foolish dreams.

Thanks NJDuck...... It may take all 9 of them to step up to keep us in the game It's their team now. It's their opportunity to make it happen. Let's hope they are prepared. Best of all, let's hope others not listed, step up. The Oegon fan base is ready for a handful of new stars to emerge.

For the 2% that have a chance to make The League, all games create the chance of injuries. And as deshutesduck said, drop a few spots.............and you'll lose millions. For just a small few the next step is their career. Though a short career, at best, getting that 2nd contract is the prize. Hopefully someone in the room gives them sound advice. Protect the opportunity. After all it's money that drives these non essential bowl games. TV money, sponsor money, people staying at hotels, eating at restaurants. Spending the money...... The players get trinkets, gifts and a free travel experiences. Yet they are the entertainment! Paying them seems right, to some degree. Don't know what or how much.... Log Haulin posted "And down the rabbit hole we go" Do we really want to go there?

Oklahoma 38-17, 1, 0, 245 Boy I hope I am wrong.... Go Ducks. Let's be the team you were in the shoe. Run it down their throats and make me a bad game predictor.

MaiTaiDuck This truly was a difficult year. Especially watching those games live. Anger and frustration built in many of us. Its okay and natural. Who would have thought that so much angst would be present in a 10 win season? We had amazing highs (tOSU, UCLA). Mediocre wins that should have been blowouts. And absolute gut punches in both Utah bed wetting sessions. WTH Sometimes we just need to vent or talk with someone.. That's what this great forum is all about. Thanks for the heartfelt apology. You did not hurt my feelings or ever offend me. I enjoy your posts and look forward to many more. Welcome back and Happy New Year.

Joshua, once again, thanks for taking the time to give us this article. You are spot on that future recruits will be tuning into this game. It's the first matchup between high powered national brands this bowl season. Team enthusiasm and performance matter. Recruits from the PAC, BIG 12 and future BIG 12 teams, IMHO, will be watching. After all, these 2 National brands represent conferences that these youngsters will be living and playing in for the next 3-6 years. What am I looking for tonight? What future Duck leaders will emerge during this game from the young players? With only 8 upper classesmen potentially tonight. This game is about the future. Would like to see some of that future play tonight. Even if execution is lacking, would like to see great effort........ Go Ducks. Not enough info to really pick a winner either way.

Haywardduck Wow......... A lot to digest on this topic.......... Warning, if you don't want to be bored, stop reading here. NOW. Some OBD members, including myself, will burn many a brain cell on this, for sure. Not only do people come in different shapes and sizes they come with even more diverse personalities. I deal, day in with diverse personalities. I love people so I accept these unique differences in their traits. They were born with their specific DNA and genetic make-up. Personality change is difficult. Takes self awareness, self examination, self discipline and control. Those traits will control how they view anything. And I do not try to change them. Those traits control fan emotions, view points and reactions. Mix in a $150 ticket and booze and view points get skewered. I will not bore everyone, so I will cover just a few of the numerous traits. This is no criticism of anyone. Just generalizations to put your topic in perspective. I won't use clinical terms or base psychological terms. I get $2,500 a day for that. For example: A+ dominant types like General Patton. Win at all costs, always right can take no input. They are never wrong and can't accept how others don't think and act like them. Doesn't matter who gets hurt. Charles and the moderating front seven are ever vigilant toward these types. Thank goodness. They are the parents that storm troop the sidelines yelling and screaming at their kids and coaches. They ruin it for everyone, especially their own child. It's in all sports. They don't care who they hurt. They are always right. Winning is all that matters. I had players who begged me to ban their mom or dad from the games. Or at the least, stop the negative criticism. There were even violent confrontations with these types. Now you don't have to be A+ dominant to be a fan that wants to just win. Cheerful, rah rah positive types want to win, too. Cup half full ready to support, no matter the outcome. Their personality allows them to roll with the mistakes, yet be supportive Many of these types are nurses who become shift sypetvisors. They rally the troops thru difficult situations. Boost morale. They recognize the growth that is taking place in the player and the team. Any criticism should come from the coaches. Empath personalities and neutral personalities may want to win, too. But not at the expense of hurting anyone. Not the kids or coaches. They want all the players to be recognized for their efforts. No player criticism on performance. Participation trophies for all. To them, this is just a game, a game played for fun. Just another stepping stone in building character. Win or lose, each path when handled correctly is a learning opportunity. I can't speak for anyone else on their personality traits and how they view handling their emotions. Or how they view a game. For me I am the rah rah, super salesman type. Building self confidence and teamwork are the goals. Winning just follows when you believe in the players more than they believe in themselves. Set them up to succeed, don't tear them down to fail. No good ever comes from degrading anyone. Sorry to bore everyone. A few days ago on this forum someone started a topic with a video of a Duck presser at the Alamo Bowl. James Crepea was asking questions to JM and AB. One of the questions was about player criticism. AB took it in stride as a player and a man. If you didn't hear the hurt in his voice and the pain in his eyes, well...........

Jon Which conference should Oregon move to would make a great topic for a full blown article. At some point, without additional quality members and eyeballs the money disparity between the SEC and BIG versus the other conferences will be to substantial to ignore. Ducks will be forced to make a move.... This forum is filled with knowledgeable writers and posters. The opinions will be varied and the topic will be hot.

It's very possible..........

No blah blahs on this forum. Charles, you and your team are killing it with great ponder point articles and content. The forum members have been really lightning it up. Congrats for this evolving, revolving work of art.

Now it's time to land Cyrus Moss and a few of the previous recruits that Mario's after........ MC can have my thanks and best wishes. But it stops there....... Go Coach Lanning.........

30 Duck U are right. This has not been a phenomenal season for Oregon football. Yet the players overcame so much adversity to get 10 wins. An unheard of, impossible win in the shoe.... Yet, I agree that this was not a phenomenal year..... I need to go in the bathroom and wash my high expectations down a level.... Oh what could have been. Go Ducks, get that 11th win....

Never even thought about the Ducks really winning this game... Nice topic to ponder. My heart and soul says yes. They both are such Homers. My brain and gut instinct say no. They bring reason and facts to the table. If these youngsters and interim coaches win this game then this season will be truly remarkable. This team deserves a hard fought difficult victory against a great program. Why not? Hasn't everything this year been difficult for them?