Charles Fischer

Whatever. After so many years of reading and listening to it... ...what we get is Coachspeak and.... Frankly, I learn a ton more from all of you than I do them.

You know...it has been suggested to me that those of us who do NOT have tickets, (I split my tickets, and he has the USC tickets) consider meeting to watch the game together, and THAT would be fun. It could make your trip worthwhile if you don't get tickets, and might match the objective of others. Those who are NOT OBD members, but are simply readers are also welcome to these events. I will know more in two months...

Of course. These predictions are in our own green-colored fantasies.... But consider this; without one play of running the QB between the tackles...Oregon would have gone 11-1 last year with a crappy defense! I think we will be MUCH better on defense this year, so how would that bode?

Look, I've respected the work of PFF in the past....but this is classic east-coast-never-watched-the-games-ignoring-five-in-the-top-25 garbage. It makes me much more skeptical of their work going forward...

And Joshua...you do such great research for your articles, and this was another dandy.

Back to my head-versus-my-heart issue when it comes to Our Beloved Ducks. My head says, 10-2, but my heart believes in a slight improvement to the offense to 40 points per game, and a BIG improvement on the defense. My heart says that although the games against USC, Utah, Washington and Oregon State are going to be tough....this older, savvy Oregon squad can do it! 12-0 Baby!

You would be very welcome to join us!

I don't look at ranking as I do the number of points per game average. I say: score 40 points average per game on offense, and Oregon's improved defense holds the opponent average to scoring only 22 points a game, (we have done that before) and we will win a boatload of games.

Right...the way Georgia has done it with great evaluation, and a sprinkling of 3-Stars. I am quite aware of the point you are making since I have written about 100 recruiting articles over time, and that is why I wrote what I did about a real shot at top-five and probable top-ten finish in the recruiting rankings. Yet having some 3-Stars with a chip on their shoulder, and pushing the 4/5-Stars is a good thing. Every year I am following closely the number of 4/5-Star players we sign, and write articles about it. Last year, Lanning's first, was the second best year ever in Oregon football recruiting history with 16 of the 4/5-Star players signed. Our coaches have been super at evaluation; this year we have seen QB Luke Moga and OL Fox Crader have already been moved up from 3-Star to 4-Star at Rivals, and I expect another one or two. Luke Moga

When most sportswriters have nothing to write about... But FishDuck writers deliver!

To have a class in the top five, you need two 5-Star players, and at least one to make the top ten. I believe we are headed to a ultimate top five finish, and am hoping for a new record. Declaring we go by the average sounds nice, but that means that 3-Star guys are grading you down. Yet we have 3-Star players that perform better than 4-Star players on a regular basis. Georgia has a boatload of starters who have gone on to high NFL Draft picks from beginning as a 3-Star. Like you, I like to look at the average, but I am not swayed by it like I used to. All you have to do is look at some of our recruiting years and see all the "busts" at 4/5-Star players, yet the class did well for the team due to the development of the 3-Stars. I believe we need a healthy balance of both, thus I am not stuck on a No. 1 recruiting ranking, or even No. 5, as I think a balance of them that gets you in the top ten will place you well enough in the Blue-Chip ratio...and you will win with that class. Or... No sweat.

Mr. FD: This is not all of his article today, but some tasty morsels I found interesting. I would suggest subscribing and supporting independent writing that is right here in Oregon. (Beyond FishDuck of course!) JC: "I think UCLA is going to pay close attention to the distribution number the Pac-12 ends up with in the media-rights deal. After increased travel expenses and the actual travel burden, how far ahead do the Bruins actually feel like they ended up? Who knows? Maybe UCLA will be happy and win a pile of Big Ten titles. But ex-Nebraska athletic director Bill Moos told me that the move to the Big Ten was an eye opener for the Huskers." 'It ain’t going to be an easy road for USC and UCLA,' Moos told me. “At Nebraska, we took teams into Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State… let’s just say, there aren’t going to be any 10-2 seasons.” Mr. FD: WOWWWWW. JC: "Strike or not, live-sports programming is unique. It brings large and immediate audiences to the screen in a way nothing else can. Interesting that Disney and ESPN cut $3 billion in content expenses from the balance sheet, but didn’t trim a dime from its live-sports programming budget. I expect the spending in that area to continue, particularly as ESPN moves towards becoming an all-stream, direct-to-consumer product." Q: What about the recent ACC deal with CW? Any idea how much that will boost their revenue/distribution? How might this impact Pac-12 negotiations? JC: "It was a distribution play by the ACC. It solved an ongoing visibility problem for that conference and will sprinkle a little revenue over the members. Everyone in America can get the CW. The network will broadcast 50 football and basketball games a year until 2026-27. Next season, the CW will air 13 football games, 28 men’s basketball games, and nine women’s basketball games. It will sweeten the revenue pot a little, but it was more of an exposure move." "The dirty secret? We all know that the Pac-12 would have been mocked for doing the exact same deal."

The big problem is what was already stated; Oregon was the elite No-Huddle Spread Offense at that time, and while Petersen ran a good offense, it was Pro-Style and was not a fit. Neither side wanted to bend on that issue, if I recall correctly. AJ Feely, Petersen, and Joey in 1999. (Incredible Photo!)

Look, it is a slow-Sunday, and a perfect time to view a video. I know that everyone is predicting Matayo Uiagalelei, and Teitum Tuioti to be the breakout freshmen at Edge-Rusher, (JACK LB) but I think you ought the check out the speed and skills of the the best player in Colorado last year, Blake Purchase. Great play recognition, but tremendous closing speed! Whew! A natural at shedding blocks...his speed just shouts in the tape. Keeping him from Coach Prime, who could build a defense off him, was huge for the Ducks. Just watch the first 3.5 minutes....good stuff!

By the middle of the season, the sportscasters on TV will be saying...."I don't even recognize this Oregon defense compared to last year!"

Really good call. You are right, he would, but premier pass-rushers get paid the VERY big-bucks in the NFL, thus I could see saving all his energy for defense. We will have some big fall-out at Edge Rusher, (12 of them) as there will be four or five who will be so far buried in the depth chart by the end of the season that they will consider transferring. They are the body-profile to move to Tight End as we saw DJ Johnson do...

Now I gotta politely disagree. The players below are from before Lanning, and NOT having them would make quite the difference. It will be primarily Lanning's team in 2024.... Offense Steven Jones Terrance Ferguson Jackson Powers-Johnson Marcus Harper Troy Franklin Kris Hutson Defense Trikwese Bridges Dontae Manning Bryan Addison Jamal Hill Jeffrey Bassa Mase Funa Brandon Dorlus Popo Aumavae Most of those above will be starters, and all will be playing extensively. I think saying that it is 85% Lanning's is a stretch, but without both Lanning's additions and core that was here--we could not contend for a Playoff spot as I believe we will.

Completely correct. If Mario has stayed--I believe we would have seen most to the receivers transfer out, and a ton of the rest of the team. It was a bad vibe, and would have been an "endure" type of off-season for the fans. Compared to where the team would have been under Cristobal in 2022, (5-7) versus what it was under Lanning, (10 wins) it is quite the difference in my estimation. How many wins did Miami have?

He is No. 5, and they move him around, although most often at right defensive end--a perfect "JACK" linebacker on the LOS in the Lanning 4-2-5 MINT Defense. Note once he catches the ball on a pick--he runs like a running back! When he goes for a tackle--he explodes into it--in a blink of an eye. Whew! Nice spin move to the inside, and he really reads the plays well, and sheds blocks superbly. Really good run defender... He did not have great stats last year, because the "Thibs" effect. When you are the only Edge-Rushing star on a team, you will be double and triple-teamed, and they will run plays away from you. Opponents can't do that with Matayo, Dorlus and Popo in the middle or on the other side of Burch. All of them will benefit from the presence of each other. Wanna bet that Dorlus has a big year because Burch is there, and vice-versa? Only 3.5 Minutes...

C'mon...you have to admit...it's funny!

Huh. So all those people out East tuning into ACC games could see Pac-12 games later in the day if we struck a deal with CW? How this works out between Tier 1 and Tier 2 rights between TV and streaming is going to be fascinating, and has to be complex as heck figuring out right now.

Like Dennis Dodd and so many others--state the worst, and no apology later when wrong! The Pac-12 needs a great contract for many reasons--guys like this Troll being another.

We gotta keep track of all these haters who are trying to hurt Our Beloved Ducks... Such banal utterings, and he is not embarrassed? Wowsa.