Mike West

First of all: Don, Don, DON!!!! I haven't looked at the first article-I will-but this one is FANTASTIC. I disagree on a few points, but you got me cooking, and your analysis is usually on point-you are correct many a time. Thanks for the juicy topic. Fitzgerald is a solid hire. And NW paid him-they were wrong, somebody had a beef, and that person probably lied. You don't settle for 100M if you believe the allegations. I am reserved to wait and see on Fitz because this conference is now very loaded top to bottom. On Harbaugh: In my opinion he didn't have to cheat. And frankly, for me it didn't matter. He was going to defeat Ryan Day anyway because at the time-he was the better coach. I say this because Harbaugh finished what he started at Stanford. Harbaugh took down Chip, and Shaw sent Chip packing as far as I am concerned (despite Chip wanting to go pro). Harbaugh knew how to put a staff together-something Day finally started to replicate. No matter what people say about Harbaugh, the guy is a proven winner at both levels. Nobody can dispute those facts-Harbaugh is a winner. A very successful one at that. About MSU-I think Tucker was a great hire. He screwed up. He junked their re-emergence. That program was about to make osu2 and UM earn victories. My take of course, but Tucker was doing the right things for the program and he literally screwed himself chasing tail. No woman is worth ruining your career legacy (same for women by the way- no man is worth killing your legacy and your rise). Smith crashed and burned. He didn't follow his formula, and he didn't figure out how to use his potential clad QB (something Chip will be able to do unfortunately- Chip knows how to manage that type of QB). PSU-I don't believe Iowa State talent will handle the B1G talent. I still like the hire. Campbell must get a QB. His current iteration cannot manage his way to outscoring the lethal offenses in this conference. Campbell does have some remnants of the PSU hard hats that will give offenses problems, but that offense must score 30 on the Tier 1 defenses. He doesn't have that presently. UW and USC-I will say this forever: USC and UW absolutely MUST elevate. It will not only elevate the B1G to SEC circa 2000 to 2023 level, Dan Lanning will rise to another level. Those two, and others, do not mean OBD will fall. It is not a mutually exclusive situation. USC is stealing some of Lanning's recruiting thunder-it has not and will not stop Lanning. Lanning is going to win a Natty. I repeat: DAN LANNING IS GOING TO WIN US A NATTY. Steven A, you're a jewel. I have a difficult time refuting any of your take. And I disagree with some of it. What you said is completely true in my opinion. Riley has his hands full despite a very good hire for DC. Fitz has his hands full in a much elevated conference. They guy is good, but it requires being excellent now. It is still a good hire, but he will have to be better than he ever has been before. Witt scares me because he has the kind of QB that can do some damage. I believe Underwood is a year away because he wasn't developed last year. Witt is deadly with a performing QB. He has that now. So UM is going to be a problem. Fisch wants his kids to have a "normal" experience in high school. I am not sure the Long Distance romance is a problem. He can fly them up every Friday if he wants (I absolutely would-and bring the kids' friends to boot). If he is as committed to his family as he is to his program, and if his wife is as well-it will work out fine. IF. That being said, look out, because all the Fuskies have to do is execute. Fisch has figured Lanning out. He knows the conference landscape. He is dangerous. As I said, that is good. Fusky big money, like USC, needs to elevate the program. That means huge bucks for OBD AND the B1G. Campbell is the right fit for PSU. He will need to score points. He will have to adjust his philosophy. He is the kind of coach that will consider it. That is why he is a threat. Great take Steven A. I like it. One team I think is under the radar because it will take some time is Purdue. That was an excellent hire. Barry Odom is under rated. He needs better talent. by mid season, they won't self destruct anymore. With better talent, teams will have to stay on point. Purdue is going to make life tough for Rutgers, Maryland, and the Tier 3 teams looking for an easy win (UCLAs, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan State).

Thanks for the post NJ, You posted this before I did, in a comment section. I am surprised no one commented on it. I hope some do when it goes back to the top of the board.

Another wonderful post my friend! Yes, Cignetti blew up the narrative. Much like Willie Taggart proved you CAN recruit elite talent to Eugene. Coaching matters. And I believe DL has improved every year, makes no excuses for his team's performance-because he really gets the max from them. So, as much as I disagree with strategy and sometimes use of said talent-I will always back and support the staff. I am very proud of both Will Stein and Josh Lupoi. They put their groups in position to win far more often than not. Even against better coaches and coordinators. Both of them will have fine careers as Head Coaches. In the beginning there was light. Kirby Smart showed what it means to have talent. Dan Lanning has shown what it takes to elevate a team. The past three years I didn't think the talent level was elite enough to win a title. Both times, Lanning elevated that talent and put both teams in position to defeat better teams. It didn't happen, but I am telling you, when Dan Lanning explained exactly why he chose to let Bo Nix go for those 3 4th down plays-I knew. This year's team is poised to take it all. Weaknesses included, this team just has to execute and let the chips fall where they will. The team is loaded, and they look confident. Which brings me back to Jon's comment. This forum, agree or disagree this forum with decorum elevates the level of insight and my "game". Thanks Jon for all your contributions, you usually get the process going with your thinking process. Check out OBD version of getting clicks. This program is on another level for sure:

My two cents are Oregon's linebackers are a horrible weakness. Ironically, I believe they outplayed their talent level last year, and I hope this year is similar. Look at Georgia's talent composite at LB. THAT is why the Bear Defense works there. It is not appropriate for Oregon. Not one bit. But I am a hack, will always be a hack so my opinion will never matter in coaching circles. I do know this, OBD linebackers need as much support as they got last year. This group is slow, covers terribly (looking at that damn QB absolutely hurts), and they are best suited for plugging gaps (as in run blitzes with absolute edge lockdown). It is truly a wonder what Lupoi did last year. I still believe Indiana went to town on his schemes in Atlanta, but the offense really didn't help. Every other unit on OBD is elite. If I'm a title contender, I am going all out on those LBs. And I mean isolate them in pass situations, and attack regular formations when running. OBD safeties will have their hands full against the elite programs. If I didn't say it loud enough last year, I will say it now: an explosive pass offense is the only path to a title for OBD. As in Ohio State November 24' attack mode. That is the only path I see to a title. My hack opinion of course. We know the coaches don't pay attention to us hacks. Screen schemes will not win a title (the WR blocking is too inconsistent anyway).

Yeah, UConn had to beat up the Wolverines if they were going to slow them down. Michigan though was by far the best team this year.

Not too keen on the 1 transfer over the players ' entire careers. Almost anti American (btw I hate transfers, but every other college kid can move around, why so that's unjust to restrict the players). Anti Trust legislation is sorely needed. And contract enforcement should be priority umber 1. Multi year contracts at that. Finally, the scumbag lawyers (only the bad ones, not all lawyers) and Agents should be a massive part of the legislation. As in they should go to jail if they harm and misrepresent the kids and their families. Gordon Gekko, Greed is not Good.

Way late to the plate. Here's my take... NIL has taken away talent stacking. No more Blue Blood dominance. It's parity ala NFL style. Twenty-four teams gets rid of the pretenders over two weeks. But we would see some March Madness because some teams will be hot in November and carry that into the playoffs. All it would take is Ohio State losing to an Iowa type team they didn't play in the regular season and viola! Everyone is happy. Darth Vader gets vanquished and Cinderella gives everyone reason to watch Ohio State's bracket. Not to mention, there were plenty of teams equal in talent in that next 12. Fewer players sit out, nine wins would be everyone's target. And we saw a middling 2 loss team take out three one loss "pretenders". Here's what I see: The first round would be relatively competitive, and the second round would feature blow outs. As far as the blowout argument-most of the playoff games have been blowouts. Very few dramatic games mirrored last year's thrillers. Are we ever going to have a stacked Ohio State circa 2024 again? I have my doubts. The playing field is a lot more level. My opinion of course.

I couldn't have said it better Drake.

Well said DanLduck. We do have the ingredients. It is a matter of having some luck. The great thing about Indiana winning it all is every coach is under the microscope. Is it a one off? Most likely. Is Cignetti a great coach? Anybody that turns a perineal loser into a national champion is a great coach. Cignetti did better than Kirby Smart and Ryan Day when both had much more talent. And sooner. I hope more fans simply trust Lanning, let him do it his way, and enjoy the ride. We are an elite program no matter what anyone else thinks. That isn't drinking the Kool-Aide. Lanning is going to win a title. Its a matter of when.

Hey Sharpshooter, I guess we'll have to wait and see. I think Lanning gets it. I sense he allows his coordinators autonomy. Sometimes, I feel he needs to take over a bit while things are out of sync. That's just my take. It was pretty clear the semi-final game was going to be an arms race. I wasn't so concerned about running the ball. I was more concerned with getting Indiana to cover deep passes. They saw early it wasn't going to be an issue. For whatever reason. I'm a firm believer you better start giving your QB time even if it means ONE guy runs a route. I really don't care. But again, this is a hack you're talking to. My main point is if they are going to speed up your clock, you better have a nuke that explodes in 2 seconds, or you better send your fuel jets to keep your bombers in the air longer. Either way, BOMBS BETTER START FALLING. It has become too difficult to gain 20 plus yards running on elite teams enough to win games. Not to mention averaging 5 yards a carry. Oregon has one of the best long range throwers in the game. Hardly anyone can throw the ball as far as Dante Moore. Why waste that?

Happy, I hate to say it, buy I believe you are correct. I love Dan Lanning. He definitely has exceeded my expectations. I thought the team was very god, but I thought there were too many holes to cover. Lupoi really, really stepped up this year. Stein is his usually perceptive self. He sees the game very well. What I believe is happening is the staff doesn't quite know what to do once they are exposed (the natural weaknesses that is-for example, the Linebackers will not be able to cover fast WRs-Cignetti blasted that weakness). When Moore melted down initially, Lanning got his mental game back. Then Indiana parsed out what Stein wanted to do and started attacking it directly. Stein still hadn't figured out how Indiana was stunting, so he couldn't figure a solution to the pressure, and the gap weaknesses Indiana was exploiting. Indiana wasn't just being more physical, they attacked what they calculated Stein wanted to do in his game plan. Once they realized Stein wasn't going to be able to throw deep, they pounced. No back shoulder throws to compensate for lack of separation (obviously they don't practice it like Penix and Mendoza had), no conflict routes to shake the pesky corners. Stein attacked the teeth of Indiana's zone blitz, and overall zone coverage. It seemed like Stein lost confidence in Moore's loss of confidence. He didn't protect him well either. He just gave what he saw was the most simple solution to a massive problem. I think Stein is brilliant. I personally would challenge him to change on a dime by giving him very, very tough pills to swallow in practice. I personally wouldn't want my OC to get comfortable with anything. No rigid game plans. Not at all. Is that feasible when you have to teach players the element of the game? I don't know. I believe a coach can. But that is the hack in me talking. I should run this by coaches. I certainly would challenge the heck out of any philosophy they have, because frankly, Kurt Cignetti just exposed you don't need more than half your roster being 4 and five star players. You need to teach your kids the game. You need to keep them out of their weaknesses (like I said, Lupoi did that masterfully all season this year). Boy, I write too many soliloquies. Thanks for the comment

iubhounds, Thanks so much for joining the forum. You really contribute excellent posts. I can't even begin to show my appreciation for your fan base and the awesome job Kurt Cignetti has done at the FBS level. You turned the D1 level upside down! It's clear you're here to stay as well. Yes, you definitely experienced some injury snags. Yet you still elevated your play. Even better than we did last season when we faced our set of injuries. I believe the greatest contribution your school has brough to the game is never give up. A bottom dweller just upended the whole system. And coaches now have to demonstrate their true ability to elevate programs. You can't scream talent is the difference anymore. Thanks again for bringing even better perspective to the group.

Sure thing Charles. We all want that elusive title. It certainly would shut up lots of haters. I'm still proud though, because Nattys these days go through us. You have to be able to beat US to win a Natty. That is so far from my first experience of being a Duck fan. Now we destroy USC. Now we chant Rose Bowl to the Fuskies. Now SEC teams can't wait to "silence us". Now Ohio State fans hate us. Michigan fans are scared of us. We get respect and hate on the same level as the Blue Bloods. Ain't it Cool?

Jon, We've had more than enough tough hurdles to jump. We also haven't had the kind of talent these blue bloods have consistently fielded. But we were more talented than Auburn. Nobody will convince me otherwise. Chip just refused to drop Little Boy and Big Boy on Hiroshima that day. That and a decision to run inside instead of outside on a crucial 4th and 1 mid third quarter. I also believe we had more talent that Indiana. But they had more experienced coaches and really got the most out of their Band of Brothers than we did out of some pretty elite talent. They didn't make but one mistake over two games. One. We fielded a season's worth. One thing I hope Lanning does is use that American Arsenal of Nuclear Bombs this year. I don't care if they're accurate, I want the threat to scare teams into opening up OBD's pretty effective running game. Teams needs to loosen up the box. Nuclear Power does that. I'll never say there are no longer any excuses. Lanning has us right where we want to be. On everyone's tongue. Whether it's to make fun of us because they think we'll choke, or because they know we are elite. People no longer ignore us. WE DECIDE WHO WINS TITLES. We really do.

Oh, I like your comment Solar. Much to chew on regarding the odds. To think, I didn't believe Miami deserved to be in the playoff. I thought Texas did despite loathing the SEC. Texas scheduled to risk three losses. Miami didn't, and Miami lost to basic teams( though Texas did lose to Florida-sorry GatFlorida but Florida was extremely disappointing this year, given they were supposed to be very talented). Now imagine another Ohio State circa 2014 moment when a team blasts an equal so dramatically that they sneak into the playoffs while they are hot. Will that steal DL's thunder? Will Dan Lanning get some luck, or like Cignetti find ways to lesson the blow of talent gaps by flat out finding solutions to every problem lack of talent presents? Because in my opinon, boy oh boy did Lanning upgrade performance based on his team's talent versus really talented teams the past two years. Indiana crushed the narrative that coaching up isn't a possible method to win a title. Indiana didn't sneak in. They blew down little piggy and big piggy houses. Neither straw nor stone stopped the Hoosiers. And while they did catch some breaks after late game mistakes, those mistakes were very few all season-which is why they slayed teams like Ohio State and Oregon. Your premise is solid. It will take talent, massive coaching prowess, luck and momentum to win a title. Now that the playoff field has expanded, teams with enough talent like Cignetti's pre-season predicted Big Ten 17th talent laden Hoosiers can win a natty.