HappyToBeADuck

Ryan, thanks for your article. I like your obserations and viewpoint. And once again, the Forum posters are just spot on. What a great Forum Charles has created, with awesome writers like you Ryan! Sleepy start? Maybe..... Heres my take....... Normally the first 2 series each team is getting a feel for the other teams game plan. Then the adjustments are made. Cougs opened with 7 plays, 1 first down and a punt..... Ducks opened with 5 plays, 75 yards and TD. But a holding penalty negated the TD. Next play Ducks get most of the yardage back but miss the FG attempt. Cougs take over on downs and slowly move down field and put 3 on the board. Ward scrambled and converted a couple 3rd down plays. Ducks start their 2nd drive at the 25 yard line. 4 plays and 65 yards later they are at the Cougs 10 yardline. Then one play later 3 Duck lineman were flagged for being illegally down field. 3 failed plays later 3 points on Cam's FG. (Happy for Cam and his parents IMHO, it wasnt play calling by Stein but penalties that kept 14 points off the board. Clean that stuff up on offense big boys...... The Duck D, minus 2 key defenders, as others have mentioned, made the Cougars earn every yard on every play. Well done holding Ward and the Cougs well under their scoring average. The Duck D has held to scoring machine offenses with NFL QB's well below their scoring averages. The 2 deep unit is improving each week. A true improvement! So what happened after the 2 possession feel out period? The Coug coaching staff knew that only the Duck offense would stop thenselves from scoring. So best we keep Bo and company off the field. They also realized the Duck D would give them nothing easy. So they took what Oregon gave them. About 300 first yards and what 13 ooints? The Cougs chewed clock and limited the Duck offense's play opportunities. Didn't matter once the adjustments were made by Stein midway in the 2nd quarter. Ducks scored 5 TD's the last 37 minutes of the game. This game was never in doubt at halftime.. If Bo had more possessions there would have been more Duck points. I think the Cougs had 8 more minutes of possession time than the Ducks. The Duck D adjustments at the half were spot on. 3 second half points and a late garbage time TD. For me, nothing to complain about compared to last year! I try not to judge the first 15-20 minutes of any competitive game. The opponent is fresh, fired up and working a game plan based on game film, patterns and tendencies. It's the adjustments and the player performance that counts. Along with the the scoreboard 38-24 Duck win. The putrid huskies never adjusted to Dillys game plan. They played just like their name, putrid. ASU had to find a way to give the huskies a win. The Cougars never had a chance! 6-1 going to Utah is right where most people figured the Ducks would be. Top 10 team with a great deal of national air time. Now we play a team that finds a way to win, whether home or away. They are almost unbeatable at home. They are the 2 time defending PAC champs...... However, this Duck team is vastly improved from last year. Balanced offensively with multiple threats. The Duck D has skilled talent and depth. We will know around 4:30 pm next Saturday afternoon if this Duck team is a CFP caliber team. A CFP team will win this game...... Go Ducks......

Ducks win 59-20 2 - turnovers 3 - sacks 279 passing yards Go Ducks......... All 3 phases today!

Thanks for the article and your keys to watch for against the wounded cougars....... My keys are pretty basic: Long drives, ball control and take care of the football on offense. WSU's time of possession is just a little over 28 minutes(opponents over 31 minutes) As you pointed out UCLA and Arizona ran alot of plays. Looking for the Ducks to run 80 plus plays and control the ball for 38 plus minutes. Score 45 plus points. I dont care if that includes 5 field goals. Just score more points than the Cougars. Score everytime you have the ball. When the Cougs have the ball they will find a Duck Defense that has filled its 2022 deficiences with experienced, skilled players. The D has depth and will wear down the Ward and his line. The 2023 unit plays fierce, fast and mean. Last week the D hit Penix hard and often. He played hurt. Ward is more mobile and quicker so i agree that the Duck front 4 must pressure him and contain him... Last year, sadly, the Duck D couldnt cover a floating feather over the middle. If the Duck D, on 3rd down schemed to cover the middle, well opposing QB's went deep. 3rd down conversions were easy in 2022, not the case in 2023. Ward should have a tough day and i expect the Duck D to bring him down 3 or 4 times today. As a Duck Fan, who has been walking along the emotional edge for a week now, need this game to kick off soon. Very soon...... A good 59-17 drubbing of the Cougs won't erase back to back &@#$%ing losses to the &@#$%ing huskies. However, it will be the first step toward a rematch...... Go Ducks.........

Alex thanks for your 3 areas the Ducks must improve on before this Saturdays game. I agree with you on all 3. And i love the comments posted from some heavy hitters on this forum. My take is a little different because for 57 minutes of this game the Ducks did everything right except take the points on 2 opportunities. Regardless of the right thing or wrong thing to do......but DL robbed the Duck D of 3 valuable points, they earned just before half. You win the game by making solid decisions and scoring points. The game was not on the line just before halftime. A field goal attempt is not playing to not lose. Points matter..... Had DL let Cam try 2 field goals and had he even made one, well the players and Cam would have been lining up for a game winner. A game winner...... Any kicker can miss on any kick but less pressure on Cam. If he misses then it goes to overtime. However, that horse has been beaten to death........ Here is my concern..... The Ducks played great in an amazing high profile game They controlled the clock, 500 plus yards, 33 first downs with great offense balance. The offense did everything but win the game. Now consider this, as Bo was slowly moving the ball out of the shadow of the goal post our Duck D had held the high scoring dogs to 29 points. Not many fans saw that coming. Great job D... No criticism of any Ducks thru 57 plus minutes of the game. Now its crunch time..... The offense cant convert a 4th down and we turn the ball over on downs. One play in crunch time and the game is over. The defense gives up a go ahead score on 2 plays, in crunch time.. Then Bo and the offense move down the field, clock runs down to nothing and Cam misses a game tying field in crunch time. How did this team control a game and then lose it in crunch time. Dammitt, the dogs did everything possible to lose this game. Yet, Deboer figured out tendencies and called defensive formations on 3 critical plays to steal the win.... I agree with Coach Lanning 100% that this loss is 100% on him. He left critical points off the board and got out schemed where and when it mattered. And hus team was not prepared to close out the game in crunch time. How did, a slightly above average defense hold the Ducks to 33 points? What was missing? The putrid dogs won crunch time and won the game...... Figure it out DL and staff. I think you are awesome. But losing to the leg lifters is never, never acceptable.

David, I was suprised on both 3rd and 4th down that the Ducks didn't line up in the 14-J offensive set. Great topic and article, thanks David.... The O line, as mentioned had its way against the dogs most of the day. Balance be damned! You are correct that the formation could be used in multiple ways. Offering Bo a number of options to be creative. Of course, after 57 minutes into the game DL and Stein had their own feel for the flow of the offense. Caught up in the excitement of a big moment, late in a big game. They rolled the dice and called a weak arse play. No one was fooled! Most calls in that situation are 50/50 odds. But with the massive amount of power, weight and meaness, at the point of attack, the 14-J odds are better than the plays that were called. More options offered and less predictable. The opposing coach admitted he felt the Duck's had tendencies in situations.... hummm! Hopefully that's a learning moment for DL, Stein and all of our awesome coaching staff. I am not trying to second guess, really! However, when the oppossing HC knows your first guess, well maybe you could throw a curveball as your second guess. Either way it was a great, high profile game played by 2 CFP worthy teams. The nation of fans and CFP committee are on notice.... Both teams need to win out and play again in Las Vegas. No let downs and no stumbles along the way. The winner of that game has a legitimate shot at being this years National Champ........ The Ducks need to handle a dangerous wounded Cougar team, next. GO DUCKS!

Charles, as a loyal OBDF member i dont feel you are criticizing Coach Lanning personally. Its his decision making you are criticizing....well I think you are.... Hec, some of Steins Marioesque, repetitious play calls didnt work and added to the loss. I am very excited about DL and the staff members he has assembled. They are building something special. Its okay to expect better choices and decisions from coaches. Those choices are part of the fabric of the game. DL and his staff have lost 4 high profile games in 2 years against 10 win plus teams. 3 of those losses by less than a combined 10 points. DL has to set the team up to succeed. Not put them in a position to fail. Guess what? Every team in the CFP will have more than 10 wins. So better coaching decisions will be needed going forward. Just my feelings......

Ducktails thank you for that deep dive into your feelings on your 30 year plus Duck journey. The ABC Wide World of Sports telling words of "The Thrill of Victory or The Agony of Defeat" rang in my ears as I read your heartfelt post. Prior to "The Pick" Duck fans were just a number on usc, ucla or washingtons journey to the rose bowl. Not much to emotionally invest in until that pick. Then the journey, each season to a possible Rose Bowl, BCS games, New Years 6 games CFP and Natty games captured Duck fans. You could hang your heart on the possibility of a special season. Every game mattered on the journey and all of us became emotionally attached. Their now was a reason to feel and show our passion. Your great post showed your passion and will resonate with many Duck fans. It did with me. Thank you! Most of the games that you listed had more emotion and passion involved because they were season ending games. Or losses that shattered Ducks dreams. Yesterdays loss is not in that category. No quit in the players, no curse, no missed calls kept the Ducks from victory! Just some coaching choices that were a 50/50 shot. DL put the Ducks on the wrong side of that 50/50 shot. I have read articles today where DL takes the blame and complete responsibility. Its no consolation but yesterday's loss did nothing to end the Ducks PAC Title hopes, CFP chances or a shot at the Natty. Win out and all is in front of our Ducks in 2023. The loss raised the 2023 Duck profile, image and brand. The Ducks are still a top 10 team and every member of the selection committee knows it. They damn well know it...... Thanks for sharing your deep feeling and have faith that this will be a very special Duck season. GO Ducks.........

I agree! On the road, TAKE THE POINTS! The half time mood and attitude may have bern different if the Ducks had put 3 on the board. Why? You reward the D for a getting a turnover by putting 3 free points on the board. The Duck O doenst leave the field empty handed going into halftime. You dont reward the Husky D and crowd before halftime by giving them a chance to make a great play. I feel it carried over early into the 3rd quarter.

Great take Charles...... Will DL learn? Only time will tell.... He is the right coach for Oregon and will do some great things. The brand will be even more elevated in the BIG. How many coaches have we had that gets a 4/5 star D line player to commit during hated husky week? With Penix on the field, in the same situation, DeBoer would have gone for it.....so no criticism toward DL for the call. Its the predictable play calls in those situations that is frustrating. Personally, i think DL and Stein wasted the fake punt play by Casey Rodgers in a game earlier this season. When the game wasnt on the line. If DL was okay with risking a turn over on downs at midfield then that fake punt may have beem better utilized against the dogs. That fake punt was an isolated play call that willnot be covered by 8 in the box . One good block and its a first down. Its waterr under the bridge now. Let's regroup and get a rematch in the PAC title game.

Thanks Ryan for your thoughts and recap of the coaching decisions made by DL and staff in yesterdays exciting game. It goes without saying that within the excitement a heavy dose of emotional distress was presribed for Duck fans by DL and staff. But let me be clear that as a Duck fan, i am proud of how they played yesterday. And going forward, this talented team is capable of winning out. And perhaps a rematch with the huskies. My take, may not be suitable for OBDF members still suffering emotionally from a defeat snatched from the jaws of victory. It's long, boring and not suitable for a hangover..... IMHO, no players are to blame for the outcome of this game. This is all on the coaching staff. But not based on a few decisions that we get to second guess......... The Ducks didnt lose this game because of DL gambling and taking chances. Ryan, you are correct, we should have put 60 points on the dogs. Well at least 40! Why didn't the Ducks score 40? I am not sure the game plan that Stein used would allow the O to put up 40. In a previous post i was confident the dogs would score between 35 and 42 points. Even with a great defensive effort......so Stein should have made adjustments to that fact. As a Duck If anyone had told me that with 5 minutes left to play in the game, with the lead, that the ball would be in Bo's hand, behind that great Oline, coupled with great RB's, well I would have been estatic..... In spite of a weak game plan on both sides of the ball. This overall game plan is where i put the blame. While caring for my sweet wife the last 2 weeks I got to watch alot of sports talk shows, listen to blogs, view highlights, etc. This last week much of the talk was about the premier match up between the Ducks and huskies. Repeatedly, those with knowledge said that a husky victory hinged on stuffing the run in obvious situations, not letting Bo beat you with his smarts and legs. Pressure Bo and make Bo beat you while scrambling to pass. Bo is not completing 80% of his passes when out of the pocket. Bo's success comes from great play calls and audibles that keep the opponents off balance. Their advice was to stack the box, stuff the run and flush Bo out to the side with the least receivers. Why run straight up the middle on critical 3rd and 4th downs with 8 defenders in the box? I thought Mario's playbook left town with him? The overall offensive game plan was solid but play calls in critical situations were predictable. Thats on the coaches. They made it easy for a great husky team to pull out a victory! These analysts also discussed how the Husky offense takes the edge away from defensive units. They use a running set, then shift so that a player can be in position to seal the edge player. As well as put a man in motion for added blocking. The edge rusher sees the ball carrier coming his way. He has his hands tied with a 330 pound tackle, too. But he then gets sealed by the wide receiver. The lead blocker blocks the cornerback and the running back turms the corner for 8 to 10 yards. They run this play early and often. Why? As the defenders start to creep up and adjust to stop this play, Penix just finds the isolated receiver and drops a dime for a long pass or TD. I viewed numerous versions of the play so there is no way it wasnt on the game film for the staff to view. I cannot blame any Duck defender who gets beat, one on one by a future NFL WR. Especially with Penix dropping dimes. They did a great job in overall coverage or the huskies would have put up 60. Many posters here and on other sites are complaining that the Duck safeties were late or out of position. Maybe...but its difficult to blame them until you see the game film. Offensive formations are designed to deceive the D players. I am not comfortable criticizing when I Only see 2 or 3 of the 22 players on the field. Just not fair to the players.. Make no mistake this husky team is a legitimate CFP contender. Yet we had victory in our hands Our awesome players, with 5 minutes left had silenced the rabid husky fan base. 4 minutes, 3 minutes to go, more silence! As the ABC cameras scanned the stands we viewed distraught, distressed and saddened husky fans. They knew they were going to lose this game. DL's decision to go for it on 4th and 3 was the right call. The preceding play calls were predictable and forced the 4 down situation. Better play calls coach, please..... Stein had nothing in his playbook? Nothing creative? Nothing that the huskies hadn't seen? GEEZ! Turning the ball over on downs at midfield was better than punting. Why? An extra 40 yards may or may not have stopped Penix. I would just be second guessing.... A 90 yard drive would have chewed clock and maybe not given Bo a chance to win or tie the game. What did the Ducks in was predictable play calling that the huskies were counting on..... The loss is on the coaching staffs game plan and play calling. Not on Cam's foot. We proved we can play on the road against a CFP caliber team. Let's make that rematch happen... Go Ducks......

Of course the husky fans drink their own brand of purple kool aid just as we drink the duck kool aid. Its what fans do..... So awesome........ You can feel the angst in most of those husky rants. Especially the ones who havent watched a single Duck game. I ask myself why the great husky machine was playing MSU on Peacock while the Ducks were on National TV against the Buffs? I must be a Duck homer to have asked that question..... I happened to catch the last few minutes of talkin huskies on root sports just a few minutes ago. Softie played a clip from the leg lifters D coordinator. His concern was the powerful, e.xplosive Duck running game and how much it opened up everything for the Ducks. Then Softie asked, i think Cam Neeland his thoughts on the game. His thoughts were that the husky D needed to make Bo, one dimensional. Take the running game away and force Bo to throw deep. If they didn't and the Duck running game got loose then it was going to be a long, miserable day for the huskies. Real fans, just like talking heads know this game is a toss up. Both teams can score quick and often. Which Defense shines will determine this game. Dilusional husky fans, well that is another story.......and you would need a physco physicologist therapist, palm reader and a voodoo witch doctor to figure out...... Go Ducks........

Charles, thanks for the deep dive analysis on those key elements for tomorrows game. You took the time to research and share matchups that may very well decide yhe game. When most things are fairly equally the difference, besides execution, is playing to your strengths and exploiting subtle opponent weaknesses. We pressured Penix relentlessly last year but did not have the edge players who could keep him from escaping to extend the play. We have those edge players who can catch and sack him on this squad! When Penix escaped we did not have 4 secondary players who could cover the leg lifters receivers. Only CG could! Last year maybe 4-6 Duck D players were upto the task against the hated dogs. This year the Ducks have 18-20 defenders who are bringing it. They can get the job done this year against Penix and company..... The Duck D will play very well, but.. IMHO, the Huskies will score 24-28 points in the first half. Many on this Forum will be losing their minds. The half time talking heads will say Oregon has no answer. Adjustments will be made and limit the putrid, purple, non potty trained, prowessed dogs to 14-17 second half points. Huskies will score 38 to 45 points. With at least 2 stops by the Duck D the huskies could be held to just 28-31 points. Ask yourself can the butt sniffers defense limit the balanced, clock eating, high scoring Duck offense? NO, NO, NO, NO.......... Only the Duck O can stop the Duck O from scoring 45 to 49 points. Play clean, mistake free ball and limit the penalties. Leave Seattle with a 49-45 victory..... GO DUCKS.......

As long as the players feel good in them and are motivated to play at their best......go for it. My only preference is win the game. Win every game. I have 4 husky customer/friends who have been smack talking for almost a year. I liked them so much more during the 16 losses out of 17 games stretch The best husky is a quiet husky, knowing who the alpha is..... Go Ducks.

Great article Alex and great posts by everyone. You all covered the game plan beeded for victory. Love this Forum and the Duck koolaid it drinks. Nothing like being a Duck. IMHO, this is the kind of opponent, on the road a CFP worthy team WINS...... Win or lose, neither team is out of the CFP hunt. But i will hold my breath everytime Penix has the ball in his hand until he throws it away or is sacked...... Just execute at the level your talent dictates in all 3 phases of the game. Then fly home with a win and those........leg lifting, tail pipe sniffing mutts and their fans in tears. GO DUCKS!

Bo's best chance at the Heisman is for a 12-0 regular season. Not sure of the date the votes must be in. But 13-0 leaving the PAC Title game wouldnt hurt the cause.. That would mean that Bo helped lead the team to victories over Penix and Williams And most likely a 2nd win over one of these 2 great QB's for the title. IMHO, Bo wants a team title not an individual honor. He, like Charles, probably appreciates the teams offensive balance. GO DUCKS. .......

Speculating, wishing and hoping is fun and what fans get to do..... We all have been taught to not count your chickens before they hatch. Just sound advice..... One thing for sure, as we saw with TL was in the hen house on the weekend. I am confident that DL, like the fox or chicken hawk, is firmly planted in the hen house, too. Get em Dan......

To me, if Oregon plays 1- OOC game it should be in Texas or San Diego. Being visible and easy for recruits/family to get to a game can pay dividends. In the year(s) we dont have a game in LA, maybe scedule SDSU. SMU or Houston for a Texas trip, maybe. The landscape and Duck footprint is changing. The Ducks will be on TV on Saturdays playing in the CTZ, so recruits can watch. The national prime time exposure could double or triple...... No longer being buried on the PAC Network. Of course I am just guessing. Coach DL has a plan, his sourcing network and a Top 10 program.... A great time to be a Duck......

Charles........ Your un-nobleness toward the men of huskyland is so appreciated. Please keep up the good work during "husky week". They will certainly be a bottom feeder in mens sports as they move to the BIG......Awwww the simple things in life.......

Those 2 losses last year (leg lifters and rodents) were emotionally draining....... As a fan I was proud of DL, the staff and players as they picked themselves up off the turf after that humiliating butt kicking in Georgia and won 8 straight games. Said a great deal about their character, didn't it? Going into that uw game the thought of another shot at Georgia in the CFP was starting to shape up. Then, for some, the home loss to uw brought the world to an end for a number of Duck fair weather fans. They spewed their vile disdain and floated away (some got banned) on angry gray clouds. Then the Duck D shows up (for 1 game) Bo plays hurt and the team ekes out a hard fought win against Utah. The fairweather flock returned. All was good again! Simply beat the upstart Beavs and its back to the PAC Title game. For 43 minutes the D showed up and dominated Beavus. Then for some reason, no one but the Beavers showed up for the 4th quarter....... It was so emotionally painful and down right disappointing for Duck fans. Imagine how the coaches and players felt? Then for some the anger couldnt be controlled. The moderators must have had the delete button kicked into overdrive. But when Charles says this is a safe, protected Forum, well he means it...... Most likely the Ducks will lose a game, maybe 2 between now and a potential CFP appearance. Some will not be able to contain or control their posts. Before hitting send consider these thoughts: 1. There are other forums or posting boards who will welcome your angry posts. They are not safe from criticism directed back at you. But you can let it all out! 2. Many on this forum expressed their anger, frustration and disgust. They simply did not direct it at the coaches, players or other posters on this Forum. When i or others disagree we simply include in our posts " Thank you for your post and I can see your point however i politely disagree and here are my views". All views, when presented nice, are aleays welcome on OBDF. 3. Consider, after a 4 hour game or even during the game, depending on how many brews you have downed, that may not be the best time to post. Dr. Pepper has a great commercial about fans overreacting. Fun commercial. 4. Consider It is just a game and nothing more. As a fan, sports are part of the entertainment in our lives. I try to remind myself that it is not my life. Winning or losing a football game is not a matter of life and death.. Due to a medical mistake my wife nearly died early Sunday morning. Thankfully the ER team saved her. She now has a long road ahead to recovery. That mistake was a life and or death situation. Now thats something to truly be angry about.

Indeed this is an experienced group of talented players who have the opportunity to bring a Natty to Eugene. Charles, another great topic to ponder..... The potential for a special season started once Bo (the QB with the most QB starts ever) announced his return and DL started recruiting and bringing in key players thru the portal to continue getting his guys. Charles when we talked a few times in the off season, you had a feeling this could be the year for something special. This squad is filled with smart, experienced players with NFL potential. Unfortuneately, many will be completing their college eligibility as you showed in your list. DANG IT! Hopefully, those still with eligibility and NFL potential will learn from Bo's decision to return. He has moved from a projected 3rd rounder to the first round. He made a wise choice and earned himself millions of dollars. Others like Dorlus, for example, stayed, played and has improved his NFL stock...... There is a big difference in being a 21 year old with NFL potential and a 22 year who is NFL ready. College is a game of Big Boy Football. The NFL a game played by men working for a living........ Choose wisely young Ducks. Perhaps the NIL Collective, Kendall Auto Group or Lithia Motors can gift the Duck starters brand new trucks. The Ute starters were gifted brand new Dodge Ram Trucks. In this new world of NIL and the portal, championships will be built around Coaches who can recruit at a high level, utilize the portal and develope the talent. Keeping that developing talent thru 4 years of growth will take saavy boosters or collectives that understand what 20 year olds want. In the meantime I will enjoy this 2023 squad. We will know just how special this team is very, very soon. GO DUCKS.....

Good read, for sure. As a Duck fan, I am so thankful that the Oregon defense is not the Trojan defense. The trojan portal transfers on defense have done little to fix their 2022 problems. For usc 2023 may be worse. Coach Lanning recognized the glaring weaknesses of the Ducks 2022 defense and went to work to fix the problem. Thankfully the defensive portal transfers, new recruits and some great returning starters have helped the D vastly improve. UW, WSU and usc have offenses that can score big. The 2023 Duck D may very well be the difference maker. GO DUCKS.... PS: No matter how bad or difficult things may seem, remember you are not a usc fan......

Charles and Log Haulin great posts! Talent, with depth, playing at a high level has been lacking on the D side of the ball at Oregon for most seasons...... Injuries to key starters has usually meant a serious drop off in performamce. The backups, in most cases were gamers but not as talented, gifted or skilled. If overloading talent at skill positions to create competition is what the elite SEC schools do, well I hope DL keeps it going. IMHO, the Ducks have yet to be tested by a complete or near complete team. DL and staff built game plans to exploit the opponents weakness. The players, not used to being on the sidelines, come in hungry and perform at a high competetive level. Some bring a fierceness and violence to their play. Because of this quality depth, the Ducks get stronger as the game progresses. The next 3 opponents are not complete teams, either. However, the talent level they bring is Top 20. And 2 of these games are on the road and mosy likely be decided late in yhe 4th quarter..... Penix will be the 2nd QB off the board, the Cougar starting 22 are a talented handful and the Utes with Rising, at RES will be better balanced. A talented, 2 deep elite SEC team that makes the CFP would win all 3 games. If you want to be elite then the D needs all their parts to operate smoothly and pull that 105,500 pounds up the grade. This is a 3 game stretch that these talented players have dreamt about all their lives.... Charles fantasy of 12-0 is about to face its roughest stretch. We are about to see, first hand if DL's SEC strategy will payoff. GO DUCKS.......

QB is critical and replacing Bo, his leadership and vast experience, will not be easy. In replaying the games i have noticed Bo, once again, is calling audibles and moving players around. Often as the Ducks come to the LOS. This comes from 50 plus games as a starter. Replacing a QB who will leave with 58 to 61 starts may not happen. TT will really have to step up to fill those shoes. It is obvious he has improved and perhaps he will grow leaps and bounds as the starter. The system may be plug and play but the player may not be. It will be Coach Lanning and Steins greatest off season challenge. Even a top QB transfer with 25 plus starts will have to learn the system. And he may not have earned the veterans respect. All but a handful of schools would trade their starting QB's for Bo. That is a scoreboard statement. I agree with Log Haulin that top level recruiting and portal choices can change the landscape. DL and staff have exceeded my expectations. Doesnt mean lightning cant strike twice...... However with Bo at the controls this is the Ducks best chance since MM walked off the field almost 10 years ago to win a Natty. Go Ducks...15-0 It's time for Charles and PK's fantasy to come true.......

Fantasy versus reality? What turns a wish, a fantasy or a dream into reality? Many motivational speakers and writers of the last century preached about Positive Mental Attitude, believe and you can achieve or if you can percieve it then you can achieve it. Do the Duck players and coaches believe they can go undeafeated? I am certain they do believe...... Are they willing to put in the work to improve and beat 1 nameless faceless opponent week in and week out? It appears they are willing to work hard and we are about to find out very soon. Now if the coaching staff has the team mentally prepared now we move to the intangibles. IMHO, just as Georgia had a talent advantage over their opponents in 2021 and 2022 (multiple first rounders) the 2023 Ducks have a talent advantage of their PAC opponents. This cant be understated! Coach Lanning has first hand, real time experience working for Coach Smart thru a championship season. Experiencing how Coach Smart kept his ultra talented team focused, motivated and on track.... Not 1 Duck opponent has a starting QB with as much starting experience as Bo. Penix and Williams are potential #1 picks and they can beat you. However they have not faced a top 10 defense like OBD's. The Ducks are 2 deep with talent on both sides of the ball, except at QB. Bo is exceptional and must be healthy for all 15 games to the title. None of the Duck opponents will be 2 deep on both sides of the ball. Also, as David mentioned, the Ducks have a balanced offense that can beat you with the run or pass. Have any PAC teams faced a 2 dimensional offense? Hec what other team in the PAC is 2 dimensional on offense?????? So now it boils down to 1 game at a time and execution in all 3 phases of the game. As the Ducks navigate the season the trap games are just as dangerous as any of the PAC high scoring machines. That trip to the desert scares me the most.... Rarely, in life do we get a chance to turn our wildest dreams or fantasies into reality. Afterall, there will be only one National champ for the 2023 season No reason the Oregon Ducks cant be that team.......

David, as always, thank you for taking the time to write this article. Your assessment and anaysis are spot on....... Oregon's balance on both sides of the ball truly separates them from the rest of the PAC. Contributing to that balance is how Coach Lanning has built depth, on both sides of the ball, with top level players. There has been very little, if any, drop off in performance between the 2 deep players. The execution on both sides of the ball has been well above average. Especially on defense! Interceptions and sacks by the D have throttled the Duck opponents the last few games. Can the D throttle the top offenses in the land? uw, usc and WSU can light up the scoreboard....however they have not faced a top 10 defense. One that defends the run or pass, applies pressure and gets to the QB...... Just 1 turnover on offense in 5 games has certainly contributed to averaging just north of 50 ppg! Clean up the penalties, control the clock with long scoring drives and the husky crowd will be sitting on their hands. No one better than Bo to execute long click eating scoring drives.... Pressure and sack Penix effectively and the Duck D could be the difference maker in a hard fought victory. GO DUCKS! Come home from Seattle 6-0.........