HappyToBeADuck

Alex, Oregon certainly deserves the current NO. 1 Ranking, for now...... After 2 mistake filled games ro start the season, OBD's won but fell to 8th in the polls. Part of why they are now #1 is because the teams above them lost. in the last 5 games we have seen incremental improvement on both sides of the ball. With the O Line rotation settling down and giving DG the time he needs to make the correct throw. This team play improvement gives this fan confidence that the Ducks can hold this top ranking and make the BIG Title game. OBD's should be favored in every game they play, however, no sub par or mediocre performances or they may fall from #1. However, as long as they win and make the BIG Title game thats all that matters. It's not where we are today but where we end up finishing. I hope Duck fans never act like the Longhorn fans did after that call. Fans need to carry intelligent perspective. Fan function is to support the team, make as much noise as possible and enjoy the game... Key word = GAME........ GO DUCKS.....give Illinois a solid thumping and a taste of Autzen noise.

Ducks 52-10 2 turnovers 4 sacks 318 yards passing Go Ducks...NO LET DOWNS....

Charles your article has alot to ponder and unpack. I agree that the upside is enormous in all 3 phases of the game. That potential is unseen by many and can certainly be the Ducks secret weapon. The best is yet to come for OBD's.... Navigating a 16 or 17 game season is unprecedented in modern college football. It will take its toll on many teams thru the expanded CFP. Hopefully our Ducks can sustain good health thru their Natty run. The season is only half over. The Ducks potentially have 10 or 11 games left to play, if all goes well. The talent and depth on this roster along with the continued improvement should continued to carry the team thru...... To this fan it is important that the Ducks stop leaving points off the board. This has the potential to cost them a game, especially against Michigan, Illinois and Whisky. I don't want to be a downer but those lost points could have cost OBD's the biggest regular season win in school history..... At the Duck 28 yardline the Buckeyes were well in range to kick a 45 yard field goal and win that game. All Chip had to do was run a QB keeper for a better kicking angle and kick a winning field goal. There would have been no PI call to move them out of range. The BIG officials are not big on calling PI. They didnt call PI on the first Duck play in the MSU game. They missed a few in the tOSU game. They missed 2 PI calls on usc's final drive in regulation. Those calls helped PSU stay undefeated. In all cases the announcers were questioning why PI was not called. OBD's were fortunate to get that call, even though it was obvious. Anyway this Duck team has it all in front of them now to legitimately make a run at the Natty. They truly have shown very little of the plsybook. And have a good defense improving into a great difference. HOW EXCITING IS THAT? GO DUCKS.....its a 1 game season so get it done at Purdue.....

Oregon Ducks I believe Burch would have made a big difference. The 2 sophmores played well but Burch is an experienced baller who is simply a beast. A full grown man who has not been contained in his last three games. Great players elevate the entire team. JB may not be KT but he is coming into his own. He will be a big suprise for the NUTS when we play them again.

It is diappointing but not at all unexpected. tOSU, Michigan and PSU have climbed the mountain, reached the top and planted their flag. The national pundits have sung there praises. They serve the masses not the minority. As we know OBD's has not reached thecpinnacle. I feel confident the Oregon Duck Flag will be planted soon. The proof is in the pudding and expect the neglect, disrespect and abuse until the Ducks win a Natty. The best thing the Ducks can do is continue to win.Put up 50 plus on Purdue and shut them out. Then come home and take Illinois to the woodshed. We had a great weekend, won a big game and now must back it up. We could have lost that game just as easily as we won that game. We took the pole position and not much more. Back this game up in December and change the narrative. GO DUCKS.....beat Purdue soundly!

Alex you make some great points in your article. DG was poised under pressure, accurate and led the offense with confidence. He made the smart reads and timely decisions he should given his experience. He was cool under pressure as Charles mentioned and a Big game QB as OregonDucks pointed out. However, this Duck fan needs DG to perform like this in average games against lesser opponents. Going 12-0 or even 11-1 depends on DG bringing his A Plus Game, every game the rest of the season. If he does then the BIG title is with OBD's reach. None of this would have been possible for DG without the improvement and play of the O Line. The O Line play since the 2nd half of the BSU game keeps getting better and make all these wins possible. The real hero of this game was the BIG referee who had the courage to call offensive pass interference. BIG refs swallow that whistle on PI. Not just in our games, ask usc. 2 non PI calls on the final drive saved PSU's undefeated season. So thank you to that ref. Another hero is Chip Kelly. Once the Buckeyes got that ball inside the Ducks 30 yard line and 1st down, he could have run the ball for position 3 times. Gained a few yards, ran the clock out, used their last time out and kicked the winning field goal. That play call allowed the PI call that pushed them back. The rest is history. GO DUCKS....Play like every game is a BIG TIME GAME.....lets handle Purdue......

Well most all fan bases play the what if game when they lose a big game.....or shoulda, woulda coulda..... I sure fall in that position at times. Maybe some of you do, too? I put Buckeye fan more in the denial stage with usc and washington. They live on past glories and have an entitlement expectation. It has been a long time for the trojans since they played on the field like a blue blood. Take away last years husky season and it has been like NEVER were the dogs a blue blood. Since OBD's beat tOSU in 2021 have the Buckeyes had a signature win? 3 straight losses to Michigan! Yes they beat Penn State but so does Michigan. They get CFP invites sometimes because they are a blue blood. As a fan i too would feel entitled. OBD's did something that PSU hasn't in awhile, beat tOSU. Change is difficult and last night the potential tidal wave that is Oregon came ashore. Lot's of football left to play for this tidal wave to either sweep thru or crash and burn. The 4 BIG Final drive hosts and commentators were very positive toward the Ducks. They took care of business on the field. If you dont have the BIG10 Network i highly recomnend it. Respect is earned and OBD's took step one last night. Six more wins to get that shot at the BIG Title GO DUCKS....handle Purdue.....

Jordan thank you for your great article. By 11 pm est the BIG Nation fans know that the Oregon Ducks are a force to be reckoned with. Any SEC fans watching have a pretty good idea, too. As a Duck fan, this is a great game for the Ducks to build on to begin building a dynasty. Not to throw any shade on this great sports moment for OBD's but we have to win the first BIG title and that first Natty to even then win a second straight to have a chance to be a dynasty. And i belirve with DL and his staff that this is possible. This win placed the Ducks in the pole position and now the race begins. One lap (game) at a time. Purdue is the next lap.... Michigan and tOSU are the bullies of the BIG. I believe those 2 schools have won all the BIG ritles since 2016. OBD's just beat one of those bullies. Coming into this game, Ryan Day was 42-3 in conference games. The 3 losses came against Michigan. The Ducks must now beat every other BIG team including Michigan. And yes they can achieve that type of domination with continued improvement in all 3 phases of the game. Remember the angst and frustration of 7 sacks allowed in the first 2 games of rhe 2024 season? Well the O Line didnt allow a sack against the Buckeyes. That's inprovement.... Half way thru the season the Ducks are 6-0. Now let's enjoy this big time win and take Purdue seriously and get to 7-0...... GO DUCKS............

Congratulations to DL and staff for getting that FIRST Big Time Victory under their belt Congratulations to ALL the players for an A Plus effort and the reward of the victory . They keep getting better and overcoming their mistakes. Going forward, barring any let downs OBD's put themselves in one of the drivers seat for a spot in the BIG title game. A special thanks to usc and ucla for trying to run away from the Ducks by joining the BIG. Inadvertantly opening the door for OBD's to join the BIG. Now the nations football fans know the Oregon Ducks simply belong. And the Buckeye fans silence is louder than the noise level at Autzen Now, obe game at a time..... Well done and GO DUCKS.......

OREGON 38-34 2-Turn Overs 4- Sacks 312 Yards Passing Oregon must play mistake free or they lose. Pressure and sack Howard and victory is within reach. GO DUCKS...........

Right on the money Charles...... The Ducks are playing on the biggest stage this Saturday. College royalty, Game Day says its the biggest stage. (Corso's last chance to don the Duck upon his head) A true chance for OBD's to change the national perception. In my travels the last 2 weeks, I could not find even 1 person who picked the Ducks..... Why I asked? Because Oregon has not proved they can win on the biggest stage consistently. Natty losses in 2010 and 2014 and a back of the woodshed spanking against Georgia. Three straight losses to the huskies. Fans watch big games and that perception lasts a long time. You have to win to change the perception and narrative. This version of tOSU Buckeyes is a bonafide contender for to win the Natty this season. The Ducks must play 4 mistake free quarters at the highest level to win this game. They must be strong in the trenches. Millions will be watching on Saturday. I have confidence that OBD's will show and play well. Will they win? Don't know. .. Go Ducks.......

Thank you Charles for another great article. The time you spend in study, breakdown and snalysis is only surpassed by your love and passion for everything "DUCKS"..... This Duck fan is excited to see these new plays that depart from the standard 4 and 1, smash mouth football, cloud of dust attempts. Against tOSU there will be a handful of critical situations that in a normal game would require near perfect execution to be successful. The Buckeyes may very well be the best defense OBD's face in the regular season. I hope you are correct that Stein has many new, short yardage plays in the play book. Because there will be a number of critical situations arise against the Buckeyes that may very well determine the outcome of the game. Both defenses have played outstanding against lesser opponents. Now they each face very talented offensive players... NFL type players. This game should be very close. Winner of the critical play situations should win this game...... Go Ducks.........

IMO, so far this season OBD's have not put a full 4 quarters of football together that would cause tOSU to be concerned. Upon what the film shows, the Buckeyes will build a solid game plan to exploit the weaknesses and inconsistencies of OBD's. The thought of losing this game will never enter their minds. They will not overlook the Ducks and they will bring their A plus game. However, this will be their first game this season on the road in a hostile environment. A very loud and hostile environment. Hearing the snap counts and audibles will be difficult. The crowd needs to bring their loud A plus effort from start to finish. They have played teams with no chance to beat them and completely destroyed them. The Ducks, however can beat them. In all the Buckeye articles I have read since spring ball, their O line was a concern. The Duck front 7 will be their first true test of 2024. Put pressure on their QB, force him off his mark and timing. Make him hear and feel footsteps. Force him to hurry his throws. If the Duck D creates havoc and DG plays mistake free ball then this will be a a true BIG Heavy Weight Matchup. No clue who wins but GO DUCKS...

Thanks for the correction on that..

Since the disaster in at Atlanta against Georgia in DL's Duck head coaching debut, OBD's are 27-4. They could have won all 4 games but came up short. The Ducks are in every game. This conference game should be no different. The winner should win out and be 12-0. The loser of this game should remain in the Top 10 and will have 6 games to climb to 11-1. Then barring any tie breaker mishaps ahould meet in the BIG title game. Its out there for both teams win or lose. The Red River Rivalry is a bigtime game and last year DG put the Longhorns on his back and carried them to victory. He shouldn't be intimidated nor will the moment be to big for him. My expectation is a close game, decided by a field goal. Who wins? No clue...... GO Ducks....

Alex thanks for your article and thoughts on this weeks version of the game of the century. tOSU skill position players will present more than a handful for the Ducks Defense. After watching the Iowa-tOSU game i feel the Buckeye defensive front 7, as a unit will decide this game. They didnt allow Iowa anything. Especially when they played 3 Monster DL's at one time. The Duck Oline will be the best the Buckeyes have or may face in the regular season. The Ducks must open holes and protect DG in order to keep the Buckeyes confused and off balance. Should be a very good game that may very well be decided by a field goal. Every point will be needed. IMHO, DL and staff do not have a regular season signature win. This should be the one. Go Ducks.......

I would like to see Iowa hinder the Buckeyes running game. Thus forcing tOSU offense to throw the ball.. They have receivers with NFL level talent that they like to get in space. Want to see how Iowa handles it My concern on defense is the back end of the Ducks. Teams with lesser talent have created chunk yardage plays. tOSU receivers finish those plays in the end zone. Would like the Buckeyes to put 50 plus points on the board with 5 td passes. That will give the Ducks great game film and motivation. It will take a minimum of 38 points by the DUcks to hang with tOSU. 45 plus to win. Without a full 4 quarters by the ducks in all 3 phases it will be difficult to beat them. The Ducks bring the talrnt to the firld to beat the Buckeyes. They have not done that in one game yet this season. GO DUCKS.....this is the BIG Time!

Ducks win 52-19 3 sacks 2 turnovers 302 Yards passing GO DUCKS...Take care of business

Charles, great assessment of the 2024 team. The talent and potential of the team is unlimited, the Ducks are 4-0. Yet i am uncertain and uneasy about OBD's.......... With spring snd summer practices Under their belt the Ducks O line was shaky the first 2 games. My concern was that the coaches had not prepsred a solid backup plan in case of injury. Charles you are right to be concerned, more than concerned about what will happen if another injury occurrs on the O line? The team appears fragile at times. A untimely mistake or penalty occurs and it takes awhile for them to recover. They are not consistent. They come out on fire in the 2nd half against BSU. They build a 2 score lead and as they sre driving to put the game on ice, they fumble The defense was caught off gusrd and in just a few minutes later the score is tied. Thankfully the offense drove the field to win the game. BSU is for real. They would hsve destroyed all 4 of tOSU opponents this season. The defense has played very well the last 8 quarters. They are rotating plsyers at will. With very little drop ofg, if any......this bodes well for the long season. The offense destroyed ucla in that first half. But they never seemed to recover from the pick 6......why? Are they thst fragile when adversity strikes? tOSU plsyers will be bringing a great deal of adversity to the game for our Ducks to face. We as fans will get a glimpse of whether the 2024 Ducks can be elite...... First we need to destroy Sparty with a 4 quarter performance in all 3 phases of the game. Say 52-12. I like this team...... nothing that a little home cooking and home crowd will make tonight. Consider this....depending on how the season unfolds, after tonight. OBD's could have 11 or 12 games left to get that Natty. Thats a full season. GO DUCKS.......

With tOSU, Michigan and Illinois still left on the Duck schedule, OBD's will have ample opportunity to prove that they are going to be elite. To me, this is a good ranking....Now we get a chance to play some comparison games. Texas went into the Big House and thoroughly dominated Michigan. Will the Ducks do the same or fail like the Trojans did? PSU, at home in Happy Valley struggled to put Illinois away. Will the Ducks struggle or hand Illinois a thrashing? tOSU handled Sparty fairly easy. On a short week will the Ducks make short order of JS's team? And not look past MSU..... Pollsters will or may use these common opponents as a yard stick when ranking the Duck's. Time will tell. However, I feel the Ducks must beat tOSU to move into the elite status when viewed by pollsters. A hard fought loss to tOSU won't diminish the Ducks CFP chances. But a loss, in that week will just keep the Ducks out of the top 5. With plenty of games to move back up. This years version of OBD's has been difficult to figure out. They are fixing problems and improving weekly. Yet they leave this fan wanting more each week. One more tune up game to get it all together. tOSU Buckeyes will bring their A plus game to Eugene. The Ducks will, too! The elite opportunity is there for the Ducks taking. . . Let's handle Sparty and get after those Buckeyes..... Go Ducks.........

Jabba, this is a very tough crowd. I am not certain what the true expectation is for the Forum members about yesterdays game? Each OBDF member has their view points and feelings and i love that they can share on this great Forum. On a personal sidebar note, maybe a few members were awake way past their normal bedtime? Perhaps one to many IPA'S? I don't drink but this laye start had me very cranky at kick-off. Damnation to the networks......... Our team won the game.....we are not Georgia, Illinois, MSU, Utah and WSU fans dealing with terrible losses! The Ducks won. They dominated. Sure they left meat on the bone. But let's review the tale of the tape. First downs - 27-11 3rd down conversions 9/15 to 1-11 Total yards - 431- 172 TOP- 33 plus to 26 plus All those stats favor the Ducks.... On the road This fan is not going to let a lack luster 3rd quarter spoil the victory...... this Greybeard, who saw midnight for the first time since the Reagan era is HTBAD......... Plenty of room for improvement though. As others mentioned tOSU will require 4 full quarters. So will Michigan and Illinois....however The overall play has improved significantly and this Duck fan says, Congratulations to the coaches and players for a dominant win. Welcome home after a month and Go Ducks destroy MSU......

Alex thank you for sharing your observations from the game. I agree with all your points. Offense: DG and the Duck Offense played a near flawless first half. The Bruin Defense was kept off balance and the Ducks scored at will. The pick six took some of the bloom off the rose. In the 2nd half, penalties and dropped passes stopped the offense from building momentum and running up the score. However, the O line gave up ZERO sacks and blocked very well. This showed me that they are working very hard at gelling and improving. DEFENSE: Jordan Burch came to play and set the tone for the defense. Holding UCLA to under 180 total yards gets the D an A plus in my book. The Bruins never really threatened to score a TD or gain momentum. 2 interceptions were icing on the cake. My MVP is the defense. Go Ducks....... Come home and handle JS and the Spartans.

Oregon 59-24 3 2 378 yards OBD's have had plenty of time for O Line to gel, then protect DG and let the offense roll.

Lots of info and comments to ponder ...... Happy feels a Natty trophy will help DL clear any hurdles in recruiting. However, none of us know the in the living room energy and persona that DL brings. Along with the feeling of family and home that recruits share after visits. For certain, more recruits will be watching OBD's in the CFP invite than if we play in the Alama, Vegas or Holiday Bowls. This is a big year for OBD's......victories or great games against tOSU and Michigan are critical on the national stage. Making the CFP is a must. Lots of pressure. DL and staff have it all within their reach...... We shall see as it unfolds one gane at a time.

The PAC 2 leadership took another misstep in expansion. So PACish.... Under the cover of darkness and with great stealth they stole 4 MWC teams. In a business sense they SNUBBED the remaining MWC schools. These business clowns should have invited 6 teams under the cover of darkness. Then they would have the 8 teams needed to be a league. It is rich that their stolen funds are now being used against them. Barring a rabbit out of the hat, that 8th school will either be a weak addition or a non football school like the ZAGS. The weak decisions keep coming.