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.

I concur with Jon Joseph. I would add end the season on Jan 1 in the ROSE BOWL. I also believe the Group of 6 need their own playoffs. That would kill the bowl system pretty much. The bowls are actually killing the opportunity for on campus home games, which should always be part of the playoffs. Besides, 24 teams may tick off the elitists, but it sure would keep the entire P4 fan base involved with what basically has been the destruction of tradition in college football.

Having been "away" for nearly a month, I would like to add how much I will miss 30Duck. I was blessed to have chatted with him several times. It was great "knowing" him for the short time we talked. That being said. Grandpa Duck, what a thriller article. You presented us with the FishDuck version "what can the B1G do better"! I would prefer an 18 team with no expansion and some type of Divisions with competitive balance to allow the best opportunity to slot four teams in the CFP. I would hope Play In Games would be included as that would certainly boost TV Ratings. Especially if you had two weeks of the most watched teams in the Conference battling it out for the title game (with the losers playing a consolation game to feature their prowess even more for the At Large spots (of course the coaches wouldn't want that, but what's a conference to do to raise its profile even more?). Who knows? There have been so many changes to the game that it just might turn off more fans in the end.

This might not be popular, but I'm going to say it... I expected Mario to blow it. He didn't. He actually stepped up to the plate after falling behind, and got down to business. I was very impressed with his team's poise, grit, and character. I had a discussion with a U fan on YouTube. I mentioned that Beck aimed his throw( on the INT). That fan mentioned Beck misread the coverage ( as mentioned in the broadcast), to which I agreed, because had he correctly read the coverage, Beck would have thrown the ball deeper ( to the two yard line or so) where the safety would not have been able to close and defend the pass. When Beck threw the ball, I instantly thought it was going to be a TD. I was shocked when it "fell short". Folks, that is how close the game really was. Little things like that, and no blame to any particular player, can determine a Natty. Kalen DeBoer was correct: there is a fine line between excellence and error. It didn't look like that for Bama, or OBD because there were too many "errors" like that, which made Indiana look invincible. That's why it is so difficult to win a title( especially now...NIL and the Portal have dramatically changed the game). Every play matters. You can't play a perfect game, but Indiana played like Saban's Bama teams. They didn't beat themselves. They simply executed. Miami was that close, despite never holding a lead in the game. Effort every play, learn from your and everyone elses mistakes ( thousands of hours of film study folks). OBD aren't far from the path. More poise, more effort...just more

Well, Well just have to see how it goes...

I totally agree about the pass protection. They did the same thing twice, and we didn't adjust. We got a glimpse against TTU, and we didn't adjust. I saw a play when we max protected, but didn't chip the end,..sacked. I saw the same stunts and pushing linemen off balance on purpose...sack fumble. We have the brain power to adjust, even if not completely. But Indiana faced the same issue in 24' and did adjust (in fact they took a part of that playbook and used it themselves). I saw Lupoi adjust, but players were slow to respond by inches (same on offense). We succeed by adjusting to our failures against teams as good as we are. OBD aren't competing against lessor talent anymore. The season is about preparing for every playoff caliber team during the regular season. That is my philosophy. The analysts are there to thoroughly scout every elite team and playoff caliber team, as well as NFL strategies (if you can't stop it in the NFL...). Practice should have at least 20 minutes dedicated to preparing for those teams. Every practice. We may face close regular season games, but muscle memory is developed over months. Killer mentality is as well (to take care of lessor talented teams). I'm not sure many coaches feel that way. Why would they when they consider themselves elite already. I feel that way because those are the teams that defeat you. They are the only teams Lanning has lost to. Thus... I love this forum. If I were Lanning, I'd have daily sessions talking about these very topics with my core strategists. I know I'm getting feedback to think about every time I come to this forum. Imagine what Dan can cull from such discussions. Go Ducks.

The transfer portal has been an instrument for players to get more playing time. That seems to be their primary motivation. Schools are using it to fill key holes they've lost and much needed depth. This makes my feel stronger about moving to a 24 team playoff. It appears even the elite teams will have difficulty maintaining excellence behind their starters. The Portal is like unrestricted free agency in the NFL. I believe lower graded four stars would be wise to go to the lower tier OR programs and mid to upper tier G6 programs instead of signing with the programs with a stockpile of talent. That group will not only stand out, but with the right production, they'll rival the high 4 star and 5 star players for NIL money. If I were a QB, if definitely go to Purdue, Rutgers Mississippi State or similar programs because they can dominate anyway, get valuable experience, and land a lucrative NIL deal and start for a title contender without having to earn the starting role. Schools are just as shady as the players. They're cutting loose the guys that won't play, and telling some players they don't fit their respective systems. I think coaches need a full bowl scouting department so they can find the high school played that can start immediately. And find lower graded players they can develop into starters on the cheap. There are too many hits and misses in recruiting classes these days. Sinx and day 0

If it is going to make enough money to subsidize a G6 playoff, I say go to 24. We all know that 13-24 have no chance unless that team is like Miami was this year. I believe the 24 team format will preserve the sport. Big 12 and ACC teams can participate, and there really wouldn't be motivaton for the B1Gand SEC to further ruin the sport. The Playoffs should start the FIRST week of December, and THE ROSE BOWL SHOULD HOST EVERY TITLE GAME. It has the best stadium, the best tradition and it is outside in the best weather. The fans that won't like it are the fans that know those superfluous teams never had a shot, but at least they can say they reached the post season. End the Bowl games. There are too many anyway. An NIT style alternative playoff can replace the bowls. Tradition is dead. Long live tradition. College Football is a version of the NFL with high school aged to college aged players. Should have happened when we old geezers were kids. More Indianas of the world would be around, and the Blue Blood fans and their programs can now be forgotten. They paid for the players all along. We're already seeing the impact of their inability to hog all the talent.

It can be difficult to coach QBs and run the offense. It is also difficult for a QB coach to stay within the philosophy of the OC. Moore needs specific improvement in his skills. 1) Reading defenses pre snap and deciding which side of the field the defense is "giving" him. 2) Reading the defense post snap and attacking accordingly 3) Setting his feet sooner 4) Much better pocket presence a) recognizing where the pressure is coming from immediately and responding accordingly b) waiting as long as he can-even if that means getting blasted-so he can read the defense fully. 5) Throwing receivers open-like he did in Iowa City and the first TD of the semi final game. He must do this 90% of the time. a) this requires plenty of work with the receivers as sometimes he will not know the exact angle they will cut, other times it will be in a very tight window (like both the passes mentioned above). 6) More ability to check into plays that the defense is giving him. He must be able to accurately audible into positive plays, and sometimes explosive plays. 7) coaching his players up. Sometimes the OL needs to be told to immediately attack a gap instead of trying to read his assigned defender. Sometimes the receivers need to recognize gaps in coverage they can sit in so they are open quickly or simply open at all. 8) Obliterating blitz packages and simulated pressure. There is a solution to every challenge. Even on third and long. Max protect if necessary. Just smack the hell out of blitzes. Make em scared to pressure you. 9) Fire in his eyes. Even when you are angry at yourself, show some fight. Continue to lead, but let your offense know you want to kick a$$. Moore showed some grit coming off that opening pick six. I want to see that an entire game because mistakes will happen. Dante Moore is one of the most naturally gifted QBs ever. It's some of the intangibles he must work on. ONE ALWAYS MUST IMPROVE THEIR SKILLS. There is no such thing as staying the same. You are improving, or digressing. Humpty Dumpty cannot sit on the wall. Get that butt on one side or the other. Obviously, that means getting better in one or more aspect every day. Mehringer has to lift Moore to stratospheric heights. Moore needs to strike so deadly, teams fear him massively.

Awesome article Darren. I guess we will have to wait before we start knashing our teeth over the coordinators. Everything happens in its own time. I believe Lanning has learned lots. How you develop coordinators matters as much as giving them the reigns. I saw marked improvement from Lupoi and Stein this year. But it wasn't enough. Of course, the players have to step into their roles and execute. But it starts with the coaches.

Once again, lots of very good comments. I hope DM is already in the film room. I hope he is already working with the 25 guys that need work on offense and defense honing their skills. The pursuit of a title started "yesterday". I also hope everyone on the team gets an individual analysis from a pro scout on their skills sets. An objective analysis will work wonders in that aspect. That goes for the coaching staff also. It's muscle memory time. Thousands of hours watching film, drilling specifics, and becoming the best because you work at it. I always think of the Matrix, when Neo says " I can do jujutsu". The clock is ticking ..