Darren Perkins

Well, well, well... the 10th pick in 2002 was.... the Bengals!!!! Carson Palmer got picked No.1 the next year and had some success, but ultimately left the organization because he couldn't stand them any longer.

Agree.... BUT, and please don't take me word for it, while I have a high level knowledge, I'm certainly not an X's and O's junkie. But listening to various pundits and former coaches over the past three seasons, in paticular former DC Nick Aliotti, the Oregon offense had become predictable and easy to defend. I specifically recall Aliotti saying, "the defense knows what Oregon is going to do before they do it." .... Yikes! It would really be interesting to hear what new DC Tim DeRuyter has to say about defending the Ducks offense. Having finally gotten some decent talent at Cal the past couple years and holding the Ducks to 17 points the past two seasons.

No, not at all calling for the Ducks to return to the days of Chip and Helf, if that's what you're implying. The rest of college football has long caught up to that. And the days of an SEC team winning with a conservative ball control offense are long gone as well.... Nowadays you have ot have an explosive offense paired with a great defense to win it all. What I'm calling for is the Ducks to get with what it takes to win it all today! And I think denfensively we're on the right track with the upgrade at coaching and talent. Time to match that talent with results on the field. But offensively, we seem to still be dealing with Mario's medaling we won't win it all. As Charles has mentioned in the past, (paraphrasing) Oregon can't win it all with the way the current offense is constructed. And Oregon has long been a school where players came to get "coached up." From Brooks to Bellotti to Chip (ok maybe not Helf).... the Ducks consistently punched above their weight class.

Was it too late? (in regards to firing Scott) I don't think so, I don't think we're on red alert quite yet, but deep into yellow alert for sure. If the right hire is made, the gap between the Pac-12 and evreybody else should slowly but surely go away. It's take several years, maybe a decade, but it can happen.

It's amazing that USC, in the 2nd largest television market, is so far down. But, that's the west-coast for you, that's the Pac-12 foot-print. Our region as a whole just doesn't care as much as the rest of the country does. I mean heck, LA went 22 years without and NFL team. That would be unfathomable in most cities that currently have a team. Even Cleveland got a team back in 4 years! Larry has alot of money left to be paid, so that probably played a part in why it took so long. But now he's gone, we can only focus on the future, and the right hire can get the Pac-12 back to where it should be ..... oh, and, uh, if USC could ever get their sh*t together!