Charles Fischer

Sad, but true. Our path is uphill, and winning out is the only solution.

No sweat. You are an invested, passionate Oregon fan...and we love you for it. Look at the BRIGHT SIDE...

One of the few times I disagree with you Jon. I have a bad feeling that we have to win-out to make the Playoff. But...

There is a ton of talent in the transfers, but they are not playing as a team yet. With Shelstad back, the ball movement will be better, and the turnovers will be much less. A very raw team that has good upside, and I like some of the depth, but as noted by spartan--a ton of growth needs to take place. Oregon won 60-59, and was fortunate to do so after having an eleven point lead blown, but we will take it.

The remaining teams on our scheduled are ranked--just about like the eyeball test to me appeared. They are good, but not great.

Set your DVRs if you can't watch, and I look forward to learning about this new team. Crap...I forgot to print off the roster before leaving the office, as we have a ton of new faces to watch for. The 22 year old Chinese point-guard, Wei Lin, sounds interesting, as does Oleksandr Kobzystyi, a 6'8" senior transfer from Kremenchuk, Ukraine! Gotta hope Nate Bittle has a great year!

Thank you for the memory!

Right, and we would not need them if the young talent was playing now. For example, I do not believe Oregon will go for anyone in the portal in the defensive backfield for the first time since Lanning has been here. That is due to superb recruiting and development at those positions. In fact I expect more portal transfer casualties out in the secondary. In my view, the majority of the starters will not be here next year, and that is the definition of an older team. But we can disagree--no sweat. A'Mauri Washington Batting Down a Pass...

That is a GREAT term, and so true. Me? Guilty! Amen Duck-Brother. You are a great fan...

I have my doubts about that. I see us "being OK" to the majority if we win, and if we lose? We are punished badly. Yet Iowa would only go up a little... Now if we were in the SEC...it would be completely different!

Known of, yes. But do they really know us? Have they really followed us over the years? No.

I disagree about the notion that "we are young." When you look at the starters on ChileDuck's Depth Chart at the top of this page...you see mostly upper-classmen, of which most will be gone in the NFL Draft, IMHO. Next year we will have an entirely new offensive line for example, and I don't think that promises to be better than this year.

I know we have written about it many times, but the level of knowledge or familiarity of Oregon by the rest of the country still amazes me in how little they knew of us. David Marsh pointed out another example yesterday in the forum concerning the inept actions of the current coach at Miami. He did the same stuff here, and we were shouting about it at the time....but nobody back east were even aware. Even when he was hired there, and Oregon writers were warning 'Cane fans....they did not believe us. It goes to show again that the time-zone-thing is REAL. The majority of the nation had very little interest in Pac-12 football, and with the games on so late--we were rarely watched back east. I know many would want future games set up with old Pac-12 teams at night....but 75% of the nation will NOT watch them. When Oregon went 12-0 last year....they realized they knew nothing about us, and perhaps gave us too much credit? Now we lose a game to the No. 2 team in the nation, and the Ducks are an afterthought? More proof....they don't know us at all. They think they do, but not like teams in the east because the few things they know about Oregon from the past are the uniforms, and that Chip Kelly started the "No-Huddle" here. I especially believe this is true with all the pundits who write, and do broadcasts. So many times the things they report has a tone of "surprise" in their voice. And what do you want to bet that NONE of them know....even now, that Oregon was the No. 1 Athletic program in the Big-10 last year? (EIGHT outright conference championships) in our first year) It makes me wonder....how LONG is it going to take for them to actually be familiar with Our Beloved Ducks?

Sharing your feelings from your heart connects with a ton more people than you would think, and David...you hit something here. So many times I say to myself...."I gotta watch that B1G game," and record it, but never get to it. Meanwhile I make sure I watch the USC or Washington games recorded. Just habit I guess, and intense feelings built over many, many years. You are right; we don't have intense feelings about most of the Big-10 teams, but we will--especially when one beats us like the Hoosiers did. I agree with GatOrlando, in that in a decade--we will be familiar with the B1G teams, and will have more interest in the other conference games. With that said, I have watched quite a few "other" B1G games, but usually containing future opponents. The Iowa-Minnesota game is a great example... I miss the Pac-12 a little, but I love so much more the attention Our Beloved Ducks get by being in big games, and being in one of the two Super-Conferences. We have so much more respect in this conference...

I maintain that Indiana had a fantastic defensive game plan that tested and defeated an inexperienced quarterback. The plays called by Coach Stein worked, as we had open receivers downfield. And I maintain that if we’ve had an experienced quarterback, such as Bo Nix, or Dillon Gabriel, they would’ve stepped up into the pocket and not ran out of it, and would’ve seen the receivers down field and quickly delivered. It would not have happened every time, but with the game that close, an extra touchdown when we were tied would’ve changed the game enormously.

I love Mario....he keeps providing the BEST entertainment from outside our program!

Well, the other serious question refers to the SEC; how good are they if Ole Miss barely beat the Cougars at home?

If Iowa could-have, should-have beaten Indiana....then they can beat Oregon. Better have the chin straps on tight!

Now keep in mind that I celebrate for any reason about Our Beloved Ducks, and if we are currently No. 1 in passing yards allowed...good. But I gotta ask...would it be the same if we were in the old Pac-12 with all the skilled passing attacks? (NO.) Does being in the Big-10 skew our defensive stats...where rushing defense yards are going to suffer, but passing defense looks good--for simply being in this conference? I say..."YES." We have yet to face an above-average passing attack this season, and won't until we play USC and the bastard Huskies. You know...former Pac-12 members? Naturally the stats are also skewed because we have not faced Ohio State, who arguably has the best passing attack in the nation at the present. Yet Oregon faced a great passing attack in Indiana, and that was not the reason the Ducks lost. So maybe we are good at pass defense? True Freshman Brandon Finney Jr. is a STUD...

Not a surprise, as the last two recruiting classes had players that jumped ahead of him on the depth chart. Hard to know how things would’ve turned out if he had not been injured… I wish him the best.

Great stuff, and thanks for the research, Kamikaze. As the season progresses--our defensive backfield, in particular the newbie corners, are certainly improving. This can allow more one-on-one coverage, and crowd the box to stop the run. Most Big-10 QBs, (I put Iowa in this category) cannot outscore Oregon through the air, IMHO. That being said, but Washington and USC have good passing games, but I won't worry about them for a few weeks. You are right Kamikaze, as this defense is good enough to win with, and if we can clear some items on offense...

I do not know your age, but there are many of us who are "Greybeard" age here. We have an excellent perspective and appreciation for where we are at, as my first year of Oregon season tickets had Chris Miller as quarterback of the Ducks. And again...we are all entitled to our different opinions here without throwing ancillary shade on anyone else...