Charles Fischer

Well, that is what they call me on other Oregon sites! The truth is, I know some stuff that fits my wheelhouse, but a typical high school coach knows a TON more than I. This has been gently shown to me before, hence why "I know my lane" and offer analysis where I can, and stay away from the majority that is unknown. You and others here are very kind, and it makes the hours spent on it worthwhile when getting this feedback. THANKS to you and everyone again... And do pass this article on.... So MANY interesting things going on here!

Thank you Coach, and I do have to say to everyone concerning what I wrote near the end of the article....everybody missed this as they watched the game....and so did I. Because of the emotion associated with the game...I do not see analysis items until a day or two pass, the emotion subsides and I can see things clearly. When I went back a day and a half later--I could not believe what I saw. The powerful formation with Conerly at H-Back? A defensive tackle at tight end? Perfectly timed motion the opposite direction? A new play, the Straddled Double-Option? I LOVE that play! Anyway, the point is, none of us are perfect and I have an ex-wife who would attest to that. But upon film review later--you know me well enough to know that I was truly hopping in my chair upon seeing these plays. Will Stein is very quietly doing an incredible job, IMHO.

I knew this was an extraordinary defensive line, but wow... Top three sack leaders had a total of 12.5 sacks for the entire 2023 season, and the top three in 2024 have 11.5 sacks after just five games? Whew! Amazing how the addition of some players helped Burch too. Think Autzen will be rocking on Saturday?

I was pretty surprised to see what was written below, but then the B1G really doesn't know Oregon yet... The comment above by a Buckeye fan lacks some relevant background, so here is some help... “Sitting in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, Oregon’s Autzen Stadium is one of college football’s hidden jewels. Before kickoff, Autzen is as peaceful as the Willamette River, which runs through Eugene just a few minutes from the stadium. After kickoff, the fans – even the alumni – forget who they are, where they come from and what their degree is in. The audience adopts a new collective identity for the next three-and-a-half hours: the 12th, 13th and 14th man. Autzen’s 59,000 strong make the Big House collectively sound like a pathetic whimper.” “It’s louder than any place I’ve ever been, and that includes The Swamp at Florida, The Shoe in Columbus, and Death Valley at Louisiana State. Autzen Stadium is where great teams go to die.” J. Brady McCullough, The Michigan Daily

On the CW--the Beavers will get to that number in about five more games combined.... Whew! Glad we're in the B1G!

We cannot believe the USC loss to Minnesota. What would that equivalent be like in the old Pac-12? Losing to ASU last year, or Cal? Whew! Trojan tears are never salty to me....just sweet. Below is from a USC message board... ----------------------------------------------- "This year was supposed to be Riley’s transformational year, the year he would find a defense that could match his offensive prowess, that he would grow from a glorified OC to a CEO, that he would grow from a young coach, to simply just being called a coach. Well, he did grow from the Louisville game and that growth stopped at LSU." "Yup. Riley has hit his peak." "Riley will always be a glorified OC from a small town in Texas who unsuccessfully tried very hard to be a King in the bright lights of Los Angeles. Lincoln Riley is in way over his head. He doesn’t have the charisma and personality to set up shop in Los Angeles and stretch it all across California to the entire West Coast to make the rest of the country tremble. And he certainly doesn’t have the football prowess to make up for his inability to recruit elite athletes. We’ve seen the best of Riley. And it ain’t going to cut it here at USC." "Here's all I know today. We are no closer to winning a natty this season, in year 3, than we were with Helton. That's all I know and that doesn't seem good to me." --------------------------- Lincoln Riley to Oregon Fans... Speaking of blessings...let's count ours having Dan Lanning at Oregon. No. 3 in the nation, a fully loaded roster with fantastic recruiting on deck.

How about the SEC playing nine damn conference games? Do we have to get hosed at every conference we join?

Who knows? It has been rumored that he had more pressure placed upon him for recruiting...but that is unknown. What we do know is that his replacement, Ra'Shaad Samples, has been the lead recruiter in bringing two Rivals 5-Stars to verbal for the 2025 class to Eugene. Pretty darn good... (Davison and Dak Moore)

As always, I enjoy your articles Darren. I do appreciate your patience, and the tolerance of the other FishDuck writers when I slip in a sentence with a gambling link to pay the bills. Today's was especially interesting because the SEO company that contacted me is in the country of Georgia, not the state. (A WAY eastern European block nation) The link went to a gambling site in Australia, and I am in Eugene Oregon. How much more global can it be than that? Tbilisi, Georgia

Yeah, I sense the pat on the head and them saying, "you have a nice little team there...."

I completely agree and share your concern. Leaving the Pac-12 did not assure fairness in our new league. C'mon...everybody needs a hug!

All the Big Ten fans say that we don’t understand what a season of clashing heads in the trenches will do to our team playing a B1G schedule. And I would say you have never played in Autzen before when it’s crazy…

I believe very strongly that this team will be killer at the end of the season. On Wednesday I will have an analysis that shows some crafty new stuff that Stein is beginning to roll-out with devastating effect. We're going to be good on offense!

Whoever loses this game is still in the Playoff hunt as long as it is not a blow-out. Even then...win 11 games and you're in, and either team could do that. When it came to a four-team playoff...the pressure on a game like this was enormous, but now...you can go for it, and not have it ruin your season. And if you meet this opponent again, (as the loser of the first time) the psychological advantage is huge for you in the second game. It is good-or-good. So we need to relax... Right?

My key player? Evan Stewart. If they can get him going long, and utilize the accurate throwing of Gabriel, then we can keep the Buckeyes off-balance.

Yes. NFL scouts that charted his plays noted and wrote how he dropped 10% of the passes thrown at him, although not the long ones like the pass this last weekend. Most were routine ones where he was thinking about where he was running next such as a Bubble Screen.

I have mentioned how the amount of rule violations has gone way down, and I am delighted with it. Nobody wants to be the "bad-guy" sending out emails, but I've bit my lip at a couple of minor ones lately, and now it is becoming more prevalent. Do NOT infer, imply, hint or write obliquely about other opinions you do not agree with. Some of you recently have been making very subtle snarky, or snide references to others in how they view a topic, how they think, their logic, etc. STOP IT. (I am not calling anyone out in public) Unfortunately, this condition resides with some of the most astute forum members who post their views, and now begin to look down upon those who disagree. The offenses are minor, but this not being "Polite and Respectful" to others. I will start emailing offenders, but I wanted to give you all a heads-up first with the big game coming up. We WILL disagree about outcomes in the game; state your opinion and that is it. Nothing about anyone else and their opinion, which is what I call, "Throwing Group-Shade" where you write a subtle dig at those who do not think as you do without naming them, but referring to "those" who you disagree with. See Rule No. 2, 2a, and 2b if you are unsure. Let's not be snooty to others, and if you have questions--you can also email me. charles@fishduck.com I just read my fourth example of this in the past two weeks, and sure enough...if I allow the weed to stay, then others begin to sprout up immediately, as it is human behavior.

Is this LOVE or interference? Thankfully they did call this one!

It is a subscriber article, hence no link. He is referring to the new Pac-12, (the Scrap-12) how it deserves a great media contract....

My OBD forum friends; I am working on creating the screenshots over the next couple of hours, and from the first play I have this... How is this NOT interference? (He can't catch the ball if his arm is restricted, and the ref watched it?)

True. A ton of open space in their end zones last night....

If you can believe it....below is what he wrote... ------------------------------------------------------------------- "I won’t stop saying it — there was nothing wrong with the Pac-12’s football product. It makes the conference’s inability to get a media rights deal done even more tragic and absurd." ------------------------------------------------------------------- John...this was Oregon State (49-14) and Colorado State (2-3) we're talking about. No amount of blustering is going to put them on-par with B1G or SEC football. Such comments from you make me torn as to whether to describe them as pathetic, or laughable. Nobody believes it, not even Beavis fans...as they know.

Trojan tears are NOT salty, they are....

It is really hard to have great observations about a game until at least a day has passed and the emotion that can blind you subsides. Normally I cannot get a good view of the game until Monday or Tuesday, but a Friday night game gave me fresh eyes on Sunday morning. It also helps to have spent Saturday watching other teams to give me a better "eyeball" comparison. Blocking is a Beautiful Thing... When the blocking is great, then we have time to throw accurate passes, and the run game keeps a defense off-balance. At first I noted that running outside was better on the left side because both Strother and Conerly are great at sealing defenders to the inside, or kicking them out to create running lanes. Now the left side is developing the same talents, and the tight ends are just killing-it downfield with their blocking. A highly undersold element of this offense is the superb blocking downfield by Traeshon Holden and Evan Stewart. I frankly was shocked at how dedicated Stewart was on a number of plays, and it made a big difference in longer running gains made, IMHO. Great to see Stewart (above) getting a TD, and being thrown to more, as he is poised for a big breakout game. My impression of the offense has changed; they ARE ready for Ohio State, as many aspects have been kept under-wraps and will surface next Saturday. This offense has been a SLOW unveiling by design, and points scored per game have not been as important as saving stuff for later in the season. BTW...have you noticed how the Pistol Formation has been used quite a bit? No howling about it, because our line blocking for it has been excellent. This is not your father's Cristobal Pistol, and this addition makes preparation for opponents that much harder. Oregon could unveil a TON out of that formation, and I would not be surprised to see a lot more. Best Defense EVER at Oregon? The vibe coming from the defense up to now has been, "OK," and playing hard, but now I feel a vibe of them truly jelling and trusting each other. The defensive line has really come alive, as both Jordan Burch and Jamaree Caldwell have not been very notable...until now. You saw the telecast with how they were chatting about Burch, but Caldwell is the one who created the fumble at the goal line, and was the instigator of many sacks. You've seen it before, the first guy turns the QB a direction, and into the second guy who gets the sack. Caldwell turned a TON of sacks and TFLs into his teammates, and was truly a dominant Nose Tackle that Oregon really needs. We put great pressure on at times with just four rushing, which made completing passes on seven in secondary zones that much harder, IMHO. Another sack! While the numbers do not yet support the notion, I do believe this might end up being our best defense ever, and overall our best defensive line ever. Every one of those front four had great moments, and I believe will elevate their game that much more on Saturday. While I don't like giving up 10 points in the final eleven minutes of the game, the reserves needed that playing time to make them better, and I applaud Tosh for getting them in there. While we've had some safety blitzes and a few corner blitzes, our defense has not yet shown a fraction of the "Simulated Pressures" and Blitzes of prior years. It certainly seems that both the offense AND the defense have had slow rollouts, which will help our trek through the B1G schedule. I am excited to see what will get thrown at the Buckeyes, as I know we have a ton more defensive plays to use. That WAS a Special Team Play... To see Andrew Boyle, No. 98, kick the 50 yarder was exciting because he is back, but also how much he cleared 50 yards by. It looks like on a calm day/night he might clear a 56 yarder? What a great new weapon to have for the B1G season! Sorry to be so long, but I never was one for brevity, and I will have an analysis out later this week as I see some things that I believe nobody else has noticed. (Well, I did not until today's "Skull-Session" looking at film and finishing my game charting.) There is a lot to like about this team, as they ooze upside that I sense we are about to see.... I love this community, Charles P.S. Thanks to all for enduring my silly sense of humor in many of my posts.

Oregon State wins an epic double-overtime victory over....Colorado State. 39-31 How Would YOU Describe the Group-of-Six?