Mike West

Excellent takes everyone. Hard to add more to the conversation. After reading these, some things did come up for me. First and foremost, DG is playing well-pretty good in fact. I agree the comparison to Bo is unrealistic, and Bo definitely had the benefit of an elite OL. For all DG's shortcomings, the guy has only turned the ball over once. He isn't pressing or forcing things either. Second, I agree the team has not been as cohesive a unit as either the 22' or 23' teams. They're talking the talk, but they're not walking the walk. I believe that's due to only being together for 6-9 months (less for the freshmen that came in during the fall). NIL has made college football NFL lite for sure. Money changes people, and mercenaries change the dynamic and the fabric of a team. We are witnessing this first hand all over the country. I believe Texas and Georgia have managed it best this season to date. It's tough though. Third, it's clear Lanning is still learning on the job. I'll give him this though, he's taught the team well. They know how to win. The players didn't fold after multiple self inflicted wounds in both games. For all Lanning has to "learn", his boys know how to perform when the chips are down. Even when the Fuskies were putting it to them, that team climbed back from multiple TD deficits in both games. That's excellent coaching. Fourth, it is clear how difficult it is to build an elite team. Even with the talent, and a solid staff, there are so many moving components to manage. In addition, Lanning doesn't want to add talent for talent's sake. Character matters to him, and in my opinion, he's probably passed on talent that conflicts with said character. Same with Ryan Day. The past two championship teams had some character flaws (sorry UGA fans that come regularly - but that program has had some issues, though better than what Michigan did over the same three year period). Finally, winning big games requires damn near perfection. I'm talking 98% execution. Georgia lost to BAMA because of ONE mistake last year. One. Ohio State had just two against Michigan. And Bama couldn't finish off Michigan in regulation. That is a mental aspect of the game that is difficult to accomplish for most teams. We're still in the conversation because of our potential. That's awesome. What's funny to me is how arrogant we get when we're close. Players, coaches, the athletic department and fans. We just assume it's easy. We take too many things for granted. And just a simple thing like a slip on the turf, a bad ref call, or an injury can totally derail a title pursuit. Enjoy the journey is more than a cliche. It should be a standard attitude for a football program. Team and fans alike. We are blessed to be in the title hunt. We should enjoy the thrills and the disappointments.

I didn't get to see enough to make that kind of determination. You may be right. It could be desperation. I didn't get to see enough bad plays to get a feel for what's wrong. It definitely was better than week one, which was a complete mess. Two things stand out though: DG is more "passive" than I expected. In other words, he's waiting for things to happen. Two: the blocking has no grit to it. That includes the WRs. The offense just may be taking on Gabriel's persona here. Confident, yet lacking a killer instinct. That's the best I can explain it. I've yet to see anyone just punch somebody ( figuratively speaking). Like George Foreman power and Mike Tyson is lethality and ferocity. Georgia is the closest team I've seen with that aura this year. I do see the talent though. No cohesiveness, but enough ability to be a potent offense. I hope that explains it more

Well well well, I got to see some extended footage that has my heart aflutter even though my mind says no. The eyeball test says no, we are not elite one bit. But...I saw some flashes I didn't expect watching the ESPN Gamecast description of the game( instead of the real game). First of all, I can see why DL thinks the OL can be fixed. They were massively experimenting. I saw at least five different OL lineups. Nothing super encouraging, but now I understand why the offense looks so disjointed. There were enough blown assignments, that a mean and nasty professor would go pure sadistic on "student Lanning ". That tells me they feel confident enough to horse around against a much inferior team to find the dudes that are going to play come conference time. That might have been a huge mistake, but now I get it- Lanning is looking for six or seven guys on the OL that can get the team to the playoffs and beyond. The defense. My biggest concern - which I felt after the Spring Game - are the inside linebackers. They're not big enough and they're not fast enough. They do a decent job in spite of it, but I think OBD need more NFL caliber talent. I'd put Jackson inside, but that's not going to happen. He IS prototype though, like we see at Georgia, Michigan and Ohio State every year. I think the secondary is better, but the guys still cover the QB instead of their assignments. Muhammad got beat for a TD because he didn't get the safety help he deserved. The safety is supposed to assist on that olay- the QB had no business having an option to throw to that post corner route. The safety should have been there on the post part of it alone, which would have allowed Muhammad to seal off the corner part of the route. That can be fixed, but the coaches need to change their philosophy on how to cover receivers. Some people have derided Whittington a bit. He's fine. He's not as big as James, so he can't break tackles as well. If the OL gets straight, he will be deadly. Same for Gabriel. Though he is waiting for receivers to get open too often ( he needs to throw them open - for those of you that don't know that term, it means to anticipate the spot his receivers will get open and throw to that spot before the receivers turn to look for the ball). The OL... I think the right combo is there. I think Lanning may be experimenting too much. They need to gel, like now. They need time to clean up the confusion. Also, the TEs are missing lead blocks. There are too many blown assignments going on, and not just the penalties. Guys are a step slow, and even the RBs are blowing pass block assignments. My thoughts on that are set the platoon, and get to work on communication and situation assignments. If DG gets another second and a half, this offense will blow the doors open passing the ball. If the TEs clean up a bit on their motion blocking, the OL can lead the RB well down-field. I saw enough of that to grasp why DL thinks it's fixable. Now will that happen? I don't know. This is the part where DL's learning curve has to kick in. He is thinking potential and process too much. My mind says the eval period is over, and it's time to position the best player in his best role, and demand some results. And I'd scrap some strategy assignments. For example, one time the LT was assigned to block inside and the Center was supposed to cover the edge, AND the RB completely skipped by the DE and gave him a free look at DG. That's got to stop. That particular Center isn't quick enough to get outside, and the RB needs to be assigned to the DE. I see potential here. Which would get me fired lol. But the talent actually exists. Everywhere. The big question is "will the coaches take our advice". RLMAO. Seriously though, is the staff flexible enough to tweak their system to fit the talent they have? I think they're giving this team too much to think about and execute given their respective struggles. It just might be time to keep things simple add strategies once the team executes the simple things first What do you think?

King Kong .. I love it Let's hope we turn I to Godzilla!

I actually got to see some decent footage of the game. I saw three plays that should have been forced inside but for the lack of discipline on sealing the edge ( priority number one in my book). Something that can be cleaned up. Again, I saw my major pet peeve- I watched a safety run up to a receiver he let run by him, so he could watch the QB, and the QB threw the ball right behind that safety to convert a third down. Inexcusable. And it is a regular habit. We're going to lose a game because of that habit. Just on losing those situations alone. I like what I saw on defense for the most part. Not elite, but has the ability to dominate all but the elite. Room for improvement, but they are much further ahead than the offense.

Requires he work on his footwork moving forward. If you anticipate constant pressure, you have to set your feet as you plant your last step moving backwards. In other words, as he takes his last step, he'll have to firmly plant his back foot and throw immediately - in one motion. That requires muscle memory, so he's going to have to practice that relentlessly. It's a one motion move...plant and throw. Literally the whole process is one continuous motion So THEN, he has to create that rhythm for every type of throw: the fade; the post; the seam; the out route; the dig route; the checdowm. THEN, He has to create that motion for every one of his receivers, from TB to TE to WR. He's got his work cut out for him, but he must be prepared to make those kind of throws. Or/And as I suggested after week one, Max Protect formations, Bootlegs and Rollout plays must be designed. Why waste time doing the same thing when you're getting the same results?

I refused to watch the game. First minute of the game confirmed my suspicions. Watched the progress on ESPN Gamecast though. This team does not have an identity yet. Since the OL issues seem to be a fundamental flaw, I hope Stein starts using checkdowns and designed passes for the RBs - they need the touches and they're too talented to waste on a porous OL. I still don't like the defensive formation. It doesn't suit the talent in my very "HACK" opinion. They are going to be the unit that wins games this year. Besides, our guys don't physically look like the Georgias and Ohio States of the world ( and don't play like them either). This seems like a watered down version of the 2022 offense with a hybrid 23' and 24 defense. We have a damn good coach. I'm concerned recruiting will suffer based on this performance to date. We desperately need Bubbas on the OL and DL to deal with the elite. The Elite are going to sell the bad location with the narrative that Oregon is hype, not substance in my opinion. Winning ten would diffuse some of that, but it's an issue until it isn't. We are a similar version of Penn State at present. And guess what: we won't be laughing at UW and USC anymore. They may end up laughing at us. Again, we had it coming. I believe -especially the grey beards- that we should ALWAYS remember we used to be Oregon State caliber. We've been very fortunate. We take that for granted way too much I certainly hope we are patient with Lanning like we were with Rich Brooks. I think Lanning will evolve into developing the low four stars into a pesky team the elite will always have to watch out for. We're a Tier TWO program until we win a Natty. That's how the college football world is going to look at us moving forward. I hope everyone loves OBD as much as I do and sees this through. We are a pretty good program. We will have to fight like our life depends on it to grow into an elite program. Love the journey. It's a process that makes it worth the pursuit of excellence. Boy ..I sure can preach and babble!!!

I really don't have to babble this week... The Idaho game adjusted my expectations. This game provided some insights: 1. The team totally bit on the hype 2. The players aren't cohesive yet - they don't really know who they are 3. The schedule has been a huge friend 4. This team will earn EVERY damn one of their victories. How many wins? TBD

That was the worst $100 I've ever earned in my entire life. Should have bet the farm...

Oregon 38-24 Oregon created 1 turnover Oregon generates 1 sack 225 Oregon passing yards

I truly love the throwbacks. But once the traditional colors came back, I've been worried it's looks boring. I prefer the wings and the O on the back and I love the forest green with the chrome helmets. I'm not too keen on the black or grey, but they're ' spicy '. If we go to the playoffs, the only divergence I want to see from traditional is the forest green and eggshells. But I agree with you, variety adds more flair to our brand.

Jon, I'm hoping I look like a fool this week. Losing a small chunk of change doesn't really matter to me.

Oh I know that Charles. My first impulse was to argue your point. But the snapshots left no doubt. It's ok. I put money on BSU to cover the spread before the article. Its been pretty obvious how I've felt about the team - and the comments this week. I put my money where my mouth is. A three TD victory is going to require an astounding performance this week. I'll believe it when I see it. And I will be glad to lose that money.

I understand what you were trying to say. And I am not saying what I want to say because people will take it as hyperbole. I have serious concerns about this team and our expectations of it. I'll leave it at that because I'm sure if you've read my posts lately, I've been pretty emphatic about my feelings. I've watched way too much football to ignore what I saw last Saturday and this Spring. And FishDuck, raised my concerns further without intending to this morning. So forgive me if I'm upset that fans are picking on USC fans. And Husky fans for that matter. If OBD don't start playing well, we are going to get trolled mercilessly. And we'll deserve it.

I guess I have to nitpick. Three of the four 4th down calls in Seattle were poor execution. All three of those plays a receiver was open. All that was necessary was simply completing a pass. Chip's 2010 team was the only Oregon team that executed well enough to play any championship team from any modern era and play to the wire. Lanning's teams have not played to that level. That is the only reason those fourth down calls have been unsuccessful. If OBD are going to win a Natty, they need to not only execute on fourth down, they need to execute in most clutch situations. That is the flaw in Lanning's teams: clutch performance. So perhaps you're correct. Until this team demonstrates it is a high performing team, he should not go for it on fourth down. That is the lesson to take, because frankly- the play calls have been on point.

The lineman that would have led an explosive play down-field fell down. What coach can game plan that? If you want to keep the ball, and you have a MASSIVE physical advantage, take the shot. That's entirely on the players. They weren't playing so bad, that you lose total confidence in them. I'm about putting an inferior opponent down. Especially when I have a huge physical advantage. I'm not going to back down because an inferior team might score a TD off the poor execution. My team is good enough (and they proved it) to overcome an execution problem like that. Again, I will never fault Lanning for making a decision like that. Especially since he calls plays the team can and should execute. The decision is to put an end to the nonsense, instead of playing the percentages-which can be construed as playing not to lose. Like playing prevent defense. I want to win. There is no reason to believe Idaho would not have scored anyway after the punt. They scored TDs on back to back drives. And the first one was ANOTHER example of poor execution as the CB was caught looking at the QB instead of covering the guy right in front of him-who scored the TD. You know my pet peeve about that mistake - which happened exactly the same way in Seattle. Chy, these players must take control of the game themselves. They have been given more than the tools. You wrote an article about it this morning. They need to execute. Coaching is bit the problem right now. Not one but. The players were given plays to dominate, and they didn't. It's plain and simple. And you proved it this morning.

Nice demonstration Charles. Indeed that is a question to ponder. I wonder how much of this was brought up. He still played well. But he left A LOT of food on the table.

LSU going 4-8 is tremendously better than Idaho going 11-1. We're talking about an SEC team. That would bury Idaho is fifteen seconds. I can't say what I really want to say, so I'll say this instead - comparing a team ranked below 126 to a top 20 team before Sunday is like saying a Praying Mantis is more dangerous than a Grizzly Bear. Not to mention, I don't see ANYBODY challenging USC to a matchup next week. I'll say this until people can't stand me anymore: USuc and the Fuskies playing well is damn good for us. We're supposedly better than both, right? The better their respective records are, the better it is for OBD. Rise to the challenge and quit begging for their demise. Champions don't want wimpy competition. They want to prove they're the best.

I'm sure Lanning drilled them off camera. But the public message is key as well. We should always strive to learn. Especially from wins. Because what you didn't do that you should do must be the focus. Love our coach. He chided his team, showed tough love, and encouraged them after a very disappointing performance. It's up to the players. They have the right coach.

The only thing that matters is their offense looked way better than ours. So did USC:s (against much better competition at that). We are in the here and now. Florida State lost last night. We look about as good as they do at present. If we lose, you damn well bet they will troll us endlessly. They're winning. Winning matters.

I sure hope you're correct.

Does anyone ever watch Josh Pate? I'm interested in what people think of his views. Thought he was on point about the overall scene. I recommend checking him out.

Do you feel Nix might have avoided those sacks? I saw way too much Havoc from Idaho for my comfort. And since OBD didn't control the LOS on runs, play action will be less effective if the OL doesn't improve. It's why I suggest slowly implementing max protect, Bootlegs and Rollout packages, 22 and 21 sets. And Gabriel has to be part of the running game. It's early. But what do you think? Is this a fundamental issue, or is it fixable? I don't know if you saw Georgia, Texas, Miami and Bama. They look miles ahead of us. Frankly, this is no time to just apply the standard. It's also time for some creative adjustments to deal with our weaknesses ( that is if you believe we have them). And Georgia still has an advantage of adjusting to havoc and physicality better than everyone else. Implementing contingency strategies to overcome shortfalls is what I call elite coaching. If you can't out muscle them, you better make them think about what they're doing. Idaho did that to us, stayed in the game and climbed back in it. That's damn good coaching right there. What day you FishDuck?

One other observation, I believe the OL is better at blocking 1-on-1. They are big and strong enough to pile drive anybody in my opinion, and they're good at it Which means the TEs are the key to motion blocking ( from my perspective). As H Backs, the TEs can handle pulling to clear space. I'm going overboard here, but I truly see a flaw that won't be fixed by "fundamental training". It's like Dak Prescott for Dallas ( he can get you to the playoffs, but he's not winning a Superbowl). This is a case of you deal with the cards you have. Fold em properly, hold em properly, and run away from your weaknesses. Again, I hope I'm totally incorrect. But I see this as a big picture issue. A forty thousand foot view.

Really good observation. Overall, Gabriel took the efficiency route. Especially early. Later, when he did look down-field he didn't have time The Drive before OBD closed out the game with a TD, Gabriel missed a skinny post for a TD inside the Fifteen yard line on third down- which resulted in a FG. He didn't even scan the field- he knew what was going to be open on the opposite and took the "cheap" win. His "clock" is faster though. In my opinion, he isn't going to have enough time to look backside, and go through his entire progression. The good news is Stein knows how to get anybody open. I even saw a copy of what Georgia uses to spring their TEs open. And that play is designed to get SOMEBODY open- it forces a conflict decision in the secondary. I'm concerned that even a healthy OL won't do. I'm hoping Stein has sequential plays to Bubble Screens like Arroyo had , and Hitch and Go plays to exploit aggressive LBs and CBs. I'm also hoping several versions of Screens to the RBs and MAX PROTECT blocking packages become a strategy moving forward. I truly believe the OL situation is permanent. I do not believe this OL is capable of handling the Elite teams we would face in the playoffs. They're not athletic enough.