HappyToBeADuck

Talent wise, as long as the O line jells, penalties are reduced and no mistakes, then 12-0 is possible. 11-1 is probable with tOSU game. It's winnable for the Ducks. Howrver, a well played game with a close loss could happen. 10-2 would be a let down because the Ducks have the fire power to out score every remaining team. And that includes a one dimensional Michigan. Time for OBD's to play like a team thay can win a Natty. GO DUCKS.......

Jordan thank you for such a fun and diverse article. You packed a great deal of information to ponder. While i am happy that usc lost to Michigan, I couldn't help but wonder how OBD's Defensive front 7 will stop the Wolverines rushing attack? IMHO, the Ducks worked hard at containing Jenty, yet he ran for over 200 plus yards. BSU brought a much more balanced offense to Autzen than Michigam has. The Broncos kept the Ducks D off bslance, just enough, to move the ball and score points. The Wolverines may be one dimensional, however they do that very well. Will be interested to see how DL and staff defend that smash mouth, powerful run game? The so cal whiners did themselves no favors by multiple missed tackles on the Wolverines last drive. Game winning drive. This fan cannot dismiss the Wolverines rushing attack. In the last couple of seasons they have beaten tOSU, PSU and now usc. They play the game in a phone booth and dare you to stop them. Texas stopped them early, put points on the scoreboard and forced the Wolverines to play catchup. They dont have a pass attack. I know that game is weeks away but looking ahead seems to work on a bye week. Couldnt help but notice how easy Texas controlled Michigan and how usc could not. Texas looks and plays like a #1 team.

As a fan the games OBD's play OOC have to be interesting and have a purpose. To me the Ducks need a P-4 OOC HOME GAME..........a game with the ACC or BIG12 would be of more interest. If we must play the Beavers then the game should be in Eugene. Our AD needs to schedule 8 home hames a year. GO DUCKS......

A Smackdown for your smack talk! That game was so much fun on so many levels. During my second replay of the game I noticed the joy, exuberance and cockiness of the rodents fans in the first half turn to frustration and despair in 2nd half. Onto the conference schedule... Go Ducks...

Jon than you for your thoughts to ponder. 4 weekend from now we will have a much better picture of how the CFP is taking shape. At this point the rankings are highly tilted toward the SEC. The BIG did themselves no favor by having the CFP world watch Michigan amd Wisconsin get destroyed by Texas and Bama. Yes SC did beat a mediocre LSU. Coming up soon Bama vs Georgia, the Vols vs Sooners and Texas Georgia. The picture should get clearer. It is important that OBD's boat race their first 2 BIG opponents. The Ducks cannot afford to fall any further in the rankings Going to be tough to climb over a few one loss Sec teams. A victory over tOSU will vsult the Ducks up into the TOP 5 and give some breathing room. A loss will knock Ducks out of TOP 10. Maybe i am off base but a 10-2 Duck team will have a number of 10-2 teams to compete against come selection day. Perception and bias msy play a big role in esrly December.... GO DUCKS.......

The upside for the Ducks is fantastic. As the line gels and the Duck O finds their rythmn, then the play book really opens up. We saw Stein open it up more against tosu littles. Expect smash mouth football against ucla and michigan state. The goal should be to keep them off balance while putting up 6 or 7 scores. Then open it up against tOSU Buckeyes. Expect tOSU to be favored by a few points on the Ducks home turf. I feel its a toss up as long as OBD's keeping building on their upside. Expect the Buckeyes and Ducks to play 3 times this season. The tie breaker game in the CFP. GO DUCKS.....

Darren, thank you for your article. Thank all the OBDF writers.....really appreciate all the different perspectives. Not sure what the new PAC12(6) has planned for their expansion. Choosing wisely may lead to better media contacts. Listening to JC, it was his impression from talking with the new AD's that they want to build a brand to compete with the BIG12(16) and ACC This is achievable! With UT and Oklahoma out of the 12, there are no glamour teams left. The new additions to the 12 are not glamour teams. Some just came from G5 conference. All 4 additions to the PAC have been strong candidates to join P4(5) conferences. There is solid media money out there for filling the late TV market. I wish them all well. It's not healthy for 2 conferences and 2 networks to dictate the landscape of college sports. Being born and raised in Spokane I always cherished the rare Cougar win over the putrid dawgs. Congrats to all Cougar Nation for bringing agony to dawg pound nation Pretty sure UW will evenrually blame Oregon and PK for that loss. Glad the Ducks put more pieces together against our main G5 rival.. Hoping they build on this the next 3 weeks. GO DUCKS.......

Lots of football games to be played and most of those SEC schools have to play each other. It will sort itself out. However, Michigan and Wisconsin got destroyed by Texas and Bama on the big stage. It left a mark for sure. For the Ducks .... Keep improving each practice and each game. Above all, get ready to defend your home turf agaInst tOSU. Play and execute to your potential and you will be a TOP 10 team. Go Ducks.....

Jordan, yesterday's game was just an absolute fun ride for this fan. The team put alot of pieces together and simply let the rodents know who big brother is. They played 4 quarters and dominated. For this fan the frustration and angst of the first 6 quarters of the 2024 season has been double flushed by the last 6 quarters of play. The play has been exceptional. OBD''s came out of the halftime of the BSU game with an entirely different mindset. They haven't looked back! Were there some hiccups, mistakes and lapses? Yes...... That's going to happen in any game going forward. The penalties and fumbles that allowed BSU to take back control of the game in the 2nd half were not present against OSU. (Based on the game thread comments in the BSU game, there were some epic living room meltdowns on the Forum. It's what makes football such a great game) Though some of that meltdown was present on the game thread when the defense couldnt get some big stops in the first half in Corvallis. Hey OBDF members, isn't it great that we have a safe haven to melt down on. Thank you Charles and moderators...... But remember, the defense got the ball back for the offense. The offense drove the field, bled the clock to .02 and kicked that fieldgoal for the win........ What more could we want from our team? How about a complete destruction of the rodents on their home field on National TV.... Yes.... The Ducks delivered with a statement game.....now Plenty of things to work on in the next 3 weeks in preparation for tOSU game. Play it one game at a time and improve that 1% each practice session. With that improvement DG can and will give the Buckeyes all they can handle. GO DUCKS.......

Now that is how you drive down the field... Great pass potection........ Great run blocking.... Pin point passing. Lets go defense and tighten up.

Wisconsin looks small against the Tide. This game has the potential to turn into a rout for Bama.... Had hoped for a much better game from Whisky. It's early but the Badgers need to sustain a drive and score points. Stop making mistakes.......

Ducks win 38-20 2 3 256 I would like to be bold and confidant that the Ducks will roll big against the rodents. I just lack the confidence. GO DUCKS........

Would love to see a complete 4 quarter game from OBD's in all 3 phases. Be consistent and dominant from the start to the finish Charles, i agree that most teams on the Ducks schedule cannot match up with our receivers. Too much talent, speed and twitch. Give DG time and protection and he should have 5 TD passes against the rodents. Go Ducks.......

Thanks Alex for your article..... To me you covered those critical areas and steps that the Ducks need to take and improve on to beat the rodents. The only thought i might add is to take control of the game in the fist half. Win the last 4 minutes of the first half by putting points on the board. Force them to play from behind. Then control the first 4 minutes of the second half. Create scoreboard separation. OBD's played a near perfect 3rd quarter against BSU. Blanking the Broncos while putting up 14. Momentum was all on the Ducks side, they were driving down the field to take a 2 score lead. Then the PH fumble. Seconds later BSU ties the game and then the DG fumble. A few plays later, BSU takes the lead. Alex this supports one of your keys about not making mistakes. In just a matter of a few minutes, on the clock, mistakes allowed BSU to get the lead. Let's not give the rodents any help.Talent wise the Ducks should win by 17-21 points. However talent doesn't always win games.... 60 minutes of execution by that talent wins games. This Duck fan is hoping that the team puts it all together for 60 minutes in Corvallis. Comes back to Eugene with a big win. GO DUCKS.........

The rodents usually defend the wetlands den very well. They will be fired up to knock OBD's out of the Top 10. As long as the offense plays a clean game (no drive killing, hole digging penalties and hang on to the ball) then OBD's have to much firepower for the rodents to keep up. I do owe DG and the O line an apology and a shout out. In my 3rd replay of the game i noticed that the experienced tackles were noticing and pointing to a defensive blitz headed there way.. On one such play, DG adjusted and immediately threw a quick hit TD to Holden. BSU all out gambled and the Ducks kept 7 in the box to pick up the blitz. Well done On the those two, 4th quarter TD misses that DG overthrew, the O Line gave DG enough time to throw. They will hit those against the rodents. Also in the 2nd half, OBD's converted a couple of critical 3rd and ones. That is good news. And the O drove down to win the game. Well done. This praise does not diminish the D and special teams play who kept us in the game. If you watch the game again, the 3rd quarter was near perfect in all 3 phases of the game. This old crouch needs to be less critical on what I first see and do more looks at what actually happened. Rooting for OBD''s to put a complete 4 quarter game together Saturday. I want more Happy thoughts! GO DUCKS .....

Alex, thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts and perspective on OBD's. You are so right that wins are wins. This Duck fan is thankful we aren't 1-1 or 0-2. We are perhaps 2 wins into a 11 win season. I am very uncomfortable with the mistakes and penalties. They kept points off the board. However, those are fixable. The O line play did improve and i am hoping DL and staff find the right combination to open holes and protect DG. Clear these things up and the points will flow. My confidence level is shaken but this team is capable of great things. Let's hope a few team leaders emerge during the uncival war week. Go Ducks........

So many great comments on this thread. So many view points supporting the deep feelings we have about OBD's More questions than answers? Concerns...... IMHO, DL and his staff cannot fix this O line group until they can put the 5 best lineman on the field at the same time. It is unclear if and when this can happen this season........ OBDF members this is not an easy or overnight fix. Building trust with each other takes time. From the weight room, to film sessions and practice, then on the field in a game. There was some improvement at times, thus succesful explosion plays. Without 2 special teams plays the game may have been lost. All we can do as fans is be patient and supportive. For me, it would be unrealistic to think DL and staff can get this fixed by the next game. We were spoiled the last 2 seasons with 5th and 6th year players on the line being lead by a first round NFL starter. I will check myself and recognize we do not have that this year.....

Good morning OBDF members and thank you Charles for a great topic to ponder. (Our expectations) As I watched the Longhorns completely dominate Michigan, I asked myself can OBD''s compete at that level? Can we compete with Georgia, Texas and tOSU? By 12:30 pm my football IQ, my own eye test and gut instinct said NO WAY....... Fortuneately of the 3, only tOSU is in our path thru the first 12 games. I agree with Solar, we can play with and beat the teams on our schedule. Of course the line must gel and play better together or we face a 9-3 or 8-4 season. This, as others have posted is the WORST line play in decades. Not an easy fix.... Also.... Only, If and when we clean up the mistakes and penalties that have kept points off the board. And when DG, if he is capable, starts calling audibles. BN had the team at the line with 25 seconds on the play clock. Limiting defensive substitutions, then he would step back and view the defense. Come back to the line and even with less than 10 seconds call his audibles. I have not seen much of that with DG. Stein benefitted with BN on the field. Bo helped Steins play calls not to be predictable. Havent seen DG take charge and show on field leadership yet. DG is very accurate but he can help his cause with sudibles.... Without these changes and improvements the Rodents could be favored over the Ducks. Hows that for lowering expectations? When the rankings come out, I expect Missouri, USC and maybe Miami to rank higher than the Ducks. Without a doubt the play of the Ducks has lowered national expectations. In reality the 2-0 Oregon Ducks are 0-2 against the Oregon Ducks. This homer Duck fan has no confidence in the Duck offense against the Rodents. Tbere won't be 58k fsns cheering you on. This will be an ill advised road game against a team and fan base with nothing to lose. Last week i felt confident that DL, the staff and players would pull together and show great improvement against BSU. In a few areas they did. Is it enough to go on the roaf and beat the Rodents? Yes they can.... I am just not as confident...... GO Ducks........

Oregon wins 52-17 2 2 391 The Duck O should roll up some serious points. BSU couldnt stop much against GS last week. Go Ducks.....

Thank you Charles for this article and for taking the time to analyze and present these eye opening pictures. Just another reason this is a fabulous forum for all things Duck. I got more out these few examples and pictures than I did from the BIG Ten Network broadcast. Is it just me or was the brodcast angle very narrow. I only saw the wide field angles on certain replays. It made for an uncomfortable broadcast. I could have missed it but from the broadcast booth, Yogi Roth would have seen these receivers break free. I don't recall him commenting on this. In the first half DG seemed to lock onto 1 target. However, it appeared he was under duress with little time to work his progressions. Pictures you shared tell a little different story. Let's hope DL and DG work on this and give a better showing. Nothing opens up an offense like repeatedly stretching the field with TD passes. Go Ducks......

Regardless of injuries, the offense appeared to have no energy, drive or determination. The crowd seemed to lack energy at times. I was not at the game so i could be off base on these feelings.

Great observation of what was taking place on the field in real time. There didnt appear ro be any halftime adjustments to change the offensive sets. Noah, or any running back needs blocking to be successful. However 5 lineman cant block 7 in the box. The Vandals committed to stopping or slowing the run game. And blitzing on the edges to not give DG the time to throw deep. The Vandals kept everything in front of them and waiting for OBD's to make a mistake. Those mistakes were mostly penalties that killed drives.

Injuiries to key starters on either side of the ball will affect and disrupt continuity. And the score. . With Bedford out, the starting center had to move to right guard, I believe. That forced DL to use a walk on at center. Thus the starting 5 linemen, who had been working together all summer long were now disrupted. That walkon had no bad or fumbled snaps that i remember. Ask yourself how long does it take for a makeshift line to have timing, flow, continuity and trust together? The sky didn't fall. The Ducks werent able ti field their starting O Line. Injuries happen but the Ducks won the game. My hat is off to DG , the make shift line and O for putting up near 500 yards. Timing issues caused procedure penalties that killed promising drives. Ducks played well enough to score 40 plus. Idaho did not stop the Ducks. The Ducks stopped themselves. I look forward to Charles article on the O line. My concern was our tackles. They were dominated on the edges and DG got very little time to go thru progressions. That is a major concern..... Those tackles are veterans with no excuses. Bring your A plus effort or sit on the sidelines. As others have stated these are fixable issues that DL and staff will get fixed. Also, lets not make BSU appear as some Power 4 mega monster. Their running back has gained his rushing yards against the Mountain West and G5 defenses. They gave up 45 points to Georgia Southern.........45? BSU is a good squad and capable of the upset. Oregon should win by at least 3 scores as long as the line play and protection is there. Go Ducks.......

The non conference schedule is supposed to be the easiest part of the 2024 schedule. Injuries to the O line complicated the early part of the schedule. If Bedford can play against BSU, then the line upgrades significantly. If Bedford cant go then the O Line will have had game time film to review, both individually and collectively. Then this week to work together DG needs time to read the field. O line let DG cook. Either way this line is capable of handling BSU. With all the problems the O almost produced 500 yards. And that yardage had no bird bombs or explosion plays. I dont feel the O is broke, its more like it needs adjustments. Dont you feel confident that DL and staff can get this handled with the talent on the squad? After 28 games I am more concerned that DL will gamble at a critical time and dig a hole that the players cant dig out of. Lets face it, the Duck playbook does not have a play that the O can execute on 4th and inches...... Change it up or maybe punt coach! This is big game that the Ducks must dominate on the field and the scoreboard. Honestly, OBDF members, I never planned on needing anxiety meds until the game against tOSU. This is way to early. It's fun but nerve wracking. Go Ducks ........

Very generous ranking by the pollsters. Happy is a very postive, cup half full, Oregon honk, I expected a little lower ranking. This ranking is good. All things considered WW2 Other than Notre Dame, the TOP 10 is nothing but SEC and BIG teams. Any loss or poor performance by any team and there is a long line of teams positioned to step into the Top Ten. Of course head to head games will settle the rankings thru the course of the season. Point is, dont fall out of the Top 10. That means no close game against the next 3 opponents. As long as the O Line starters can get on the field I am confident the Ducks offense will and can get on track before the game against the Buckeyes. However, the pollsters have made 3 things clear to OBD's: We expect much more from you to remain in the hunt for CFP. Beat the tar out of the teams you are supposed to beat up ... We respect you enough to keep you in the top 10. Now prove it on the field. You used your get out of jail free card. We will find out a great deal about the 2024 squad and coaching staff against BSU. GO Ducks........