Mike West

Not sure why Utah is getting so much love. Last year they fielded the best defense they've had since I can remember, and it was still prone to struggle against the better passing teams. Now, they replace the two best LBs they've ever had, and they still will have trouble with elite passing teams. If AB would've been able to hit those open seam routes last year, we smoke them. So I'm not impressed with this ranking (Nix DOES hit seam routes well, so his sloppiness is the only concern). BYU is pretty good, but they're not top ten material. Point blank. If we generate the kind of points Duck fans are used to, they go down in Eugene. By the way, early estimations have OBD favored in all but two games (Utah and UGA). About what they should be in my opinion. The big question is how quickly DL gets this team to perform at a high level. The talent is definitely there to control all but UGA. But... As we all know, is tough to run the table in the PAC12. Averaging 42/17 will do it though. Let's see what happens.

Nix needs to clean up his "sloppy" play though. UGA's defense is still good enough that Nix will have to play very well. To date, Nix averages 17 PPG against elite defenses. UGA's defense will be talented enough they will be close to elite. He looks better, but he still goofs up routinely. I hope he gets coaches up on that (best way to clean that up is to force him to shoot for perfection during warm ups aka easy ups). Nix's flaws can be improved fortunately.

I get that Willie Taggert is very unpopular. His offense was the most explosive in Oregon history. Check the numbers ( and no Braxton Burmeister' s stats do not count as his his high school was a grade school in comparison to California's elite programs- he was not D1 caliber his freshman year). Taggert definitely would have taken Justin Herbert to two playoff appearances in my opinion. If you disagree, watch Herbert's highlights before and AFTER his injury. He obliterated defenses. Not dominated, Scorched, .and Torched them. Taggart's offense was a weapon of mass destruction with JH healthy. Made Mariota look ordinary ( and yes, I'll argue with anyone in that one- Herbert's NFL career should settle that matter all by itself). Simply put- SEC teams would have struggled to handle JH in that offense, and I mean Joe Burrow numbers I'm certain plenty will disagree. Look at Herbert's in Los Angeles, and go back to his 2917 highlights and tell me what you see looks different Taggert made Cristobal look like the turtle to his rabbit. And even Chip Kelly with Darin Thomas didn't look that clean passing the ball. Don't compare Taggart's arrogance and lack of proper judgement with his 2017 offense. Chip Kelly will never average FIFTY POINTS A GAME- even with a talent like Justin Herbert ( he wants to feature his run game too much). Heresy to many. Tape, however, never lies. Herbert looked like the NFL quarterback he is when he was with Taggart . If he stayed healthy, ANOTHER Heisman would be ours to cherish. Watch that tape. Show me how I'm wrong. Show me why you think Herbert looked like his freshman, junior and senior years. . I will defend Willie Taggart's 2017 offense till my cold dead hands can't hold a pen. His offense was unstoppable.

Kool Aide Mike says bring home a Natty ( yes, this year). Who says fantasies are for kids?

If Nix improves his accuracy (fundamentals in my opinion, he seems careless at times when he throws the ball), he will easily win the job. It does sound like the coaches are giving TT plenty of shots to take the helm, and he isn't ( looking and playing elite enough that is), while Butterfield is more of a natural that really can't be overlooked (and is probably executing as well as TT and thus keeping up with him). High performance is all that matters. OBD can have an explosive offense if these guys execute.

Oh, DAT was pure dominant explosive plays. I'll take the just plain explosive crew the 2010 set of WRs/TEs were. And their eye of the tiger mindset. See, we already have a dominant Oregon team that set the bar. The team that shattered the narrative Oregon can't play with the elite. That team was good enough to reach all eight playoff rounds. Good enough to reach the finals just about every year. And they weren't the most talented any of those years. But they had "it". The inner drive, the lunch pail work ethic, the poise, the pride, the juice. You can't fake what the 2010 Oregon Ducks had. You have it, or you don't. What truly generates explosive plays and dominant defenses? Thermonuclear, weapon of mass destruction attitude. An inner force that explodes outward and won't be stopped. Again, Justin Flowe and Noah Sewell show it already. The rest of the team need only produce thier versions of that willpower. And yes, DAT had inner fire like that. If you've ever seen DAT's high school highlights, you'd know he was far more than a fast dude. And that is why he was a legit five star high school prospect. Utah kicked our butts last year because they had it. Brooks' 1994 crew went to the Rose Bowl because they had it. I could babble another fifteen years about it, but I hope to see it this year. I think DL alludes to it every day. Now Thornton has produced billboard material. Let's hope DL put it on our billboard too, so the team can live up to it.

Kool Aide Mike won't admit it, but analyst "wanna be" Mike West will:. OBD are a work in progress. Albeit a very talented group. We really won't see results until fall given our depleted DL group hasn't worked much in the new defensive scheme I truly hope the players go all out this summer. Whatever work they put in will determine how good they are this fall. There is a framework Lanning can put into place (under NCAA rules) to coach them up if they're serious enough to put in the work. Kool Aide Mike hopes the players shoot for the moon. That the players go into summer with the mindset they can beat UGA. It doesn't matter if the win or lose, it's how they play in that game. Junk yard dog? Wild beast? Or dear in the headlights or somewhere in between? If Lanning and staff can instill ferocity only Chip's 2010 team demonstrated, this team will do wonders. Kool Aide Mike just threw a Hail Mary. Let's hope OBD catch that pass.

Anyone playing attention when the Snake ran his offense could see JH was NFL material. It wasn't even hard to see. I remember a QB analyst that died doubt about JH after the 2018 husky game. There were some very tight windows JH didn't throw into. Simply because it required precise timing and he missed the window (and was wise enough to recognize it). The analyst started JH advised those passes and questioned his ability. I saw it as I called it- an extremely tight window that wasn't worth the risk. JH made several plays in that game that showed his abilities against the best secondary in the conference (of which three players were drafted). Most importantly, he won that game. With a solo WR that got drafted, and there others incapable of separating from said NFL caliber DBs. Says it all doesn't it? JH demonstrated exceptional skills, having subpar surrounding talent, and four different OCs. He might have even earned s Heisman had he stayed healthy in 2017.

Fantastic article Charles. Great click bait as well. The next Saban? Absolutely not. Mad skills and ability? Absolutely yes. He's a great communicator, leader, strategist, and he knows what he wants ( and is flexible enough to adjust his goals accordingly after measuring his progress). He's realistic. He's direct. And he never backs down. He checks his ego at the door, and it looks like he is far more interested in results than what it does for him personally. I also believe he truly knows what kind of team he has, and he's moving the radar as fast as he can to get the ultimate results he's looking for. The unit he adapted isn't as complete as his former team. It isn't deep enough to withstand the rigors of facing elite teams constantly. Fortunately, we only have three really good teams to outplay. The rest of the schedule comes down to how much the players learn how to dominate a full four quarters. Quarterback play, and defense. And of course, winning the battle in the box. I believe it's going to take two more years of getting more Bubbas on defense to go with the gifted ensemble in place along the back seven. Bo Nix hasn't shown elite play, but he does make plays. Ty Thompson will have to demonstrate elite skills to beat him out however. That should eventually happen. But whoever starts will have to execute on the same level as the Heisman capable QBs in position to win a Natty. If Lanning can coach up the QB position, this team will definitely make the playoffs this year. Even if the defense is A-/B+ caliber. Nix has his moments but against the very best defenses he couldn't elevate his game. Let's hope Lanning and his staff can elevate that position- it's the most impactful part of winning a title. This is going to be a very interesting year.

Reading the tea leaves after yesterday's scrimmage leads me to believe the following: Given the nature of injuries on the DL, depth is an issue there The good news is the OL dominated the LOS and yes, any average DL is going to get worked over. The WKU RB is going to play lots. Sean Dollars had his work cut out for him. I suspect Jet Motion plays are in his future. The coaches did a good job of concealing how good the team is. Sounds like they want this team to put far more effort into their play. That said, this team is not elite (yet). So back to the the teams that threaten us this year: UGA, BYU, and Utah. The boys from Utah will have to show me more. Particularly the LBs on defense as they lost arguably the best LB duo in the conference to the NFL. Can't wait to see their spring game because those replacement LBs must compensate for a secondary prone to giving up big plays to the kind of WRs we have ( and BYU will definitely struggle with that unit as well). Can't wait to see our spring game because it appears the offense will be fine, so it's how dominant the defense will be that matters. If they can meet or exceed our 2019 version, then this team is going to be a headache to all opponents they face. A big if. I'm looking to see minimal mistakes. The talent is there to make every team but Georgia play their very best game in order to win ( yes, that means Utah will have to make lots of plays in order to win the game if OBD learn to play mistake free ball. I suspect a solid plan to keep QB Rising in the pocket will slow their offense down tremendously). This is on the players. How much work they do this summer to become a crisp team is going to make all the difference in the world from my perspective. From what I've dug up so far, effort is an issue. Which might simply be the lack of urgency to recognize there is no tomorrow. If that makes sense, from a standpoint of what excellence requires, then this team just needs to learn how to play like Sewell and Flowe. Match their intensity, and this team will grow into a very dominant team.

I have to disagree. Brown had plenty of receivers open in both Utah games and he missed them. And I'm talking WIDE OPEN. In addition, Brown would not go through his full set of progressions, would throw early to offset INTERNAL ( inside his own head) pressure, and didn't insist on getting the speedy guys playing time . Nix is very effective throwing the ball when he is moving ( much like MM- who is lethal on the move). I suspect Dillingham will throw multiple versions of passing plays that will exploit that specific skill set I'm also looking for Dillingham to feature TT's strengths of getting the ball downfield. I believe TT needs to develop more. Once he gets it though- look out. I've seen enough of TT when he is confident. Not sure he gets there before Nix demonstrates his capabilities as a leader. TT must be ready though. I'm not sure Nix discussed a full season. And we haven't even discussed the most accurate QB- Butterfield. Lanning's talk is to convince the " rookies" to stay. A tough task in this NIL world. Butterfield and TT can do damage just about anywhere.

I totally keep forgetting the Mormon missionaries. Very keen observation my friend. As usual. I recognize the Cougars are returning almost all of last year's starters. They will be more formidable than last year. I also believe we will be as well. I believe we're going to have a better defense than last year's Baylor bunch. The talent, even green, is better than we've ever had. EVER. If I'm reading Lanning correctly, we're going to make a statement against BYU. I suspect that will actually start with UGA ( I believe we've seen how to attack their offense- and we have enough talent to work with to make that happen- Ohio State showed us that). We shall see soon. I totally love your insight. You're rarely wrong, and I believe BYU will be very good. I just believe we're better.

I really don't get the fear of BYU my friend ( you're not alone either ). I just believe our defense is going to smother that B- level offense. Just on talent alone, we should win this game. This game is ours to lose. BYU is good, but not excellent. They have to play a flawless game to win. And if we have any semblance of a good QB, this game is a blowout ( just like Utah last year- if Brown delivers, we deliver the Utes a TKO).

Yeah, While Cincinnati got to the playoffs, they were completely undeserving. They were lucky they faced a "degraded" #1 seed in Alabama, as Georgia would've nuked the Bearcats so bad they would have left crater all over Ohio. Cronin will do well with name brand USC. But Cinci was a sell job with a foul smell to it for me. You don't deserve to go just because people want Cinderella at the ball to give them false hope. That being said, we have our work cut out for us as we have been party crashers ourselves ( though TPTB installed Nebraska to get the beatdown against Miami, and of course the refs robbed us of our most legit shot at wearing the crown). I just hope we get to face the Trojans this year and deliver some humble pie to wreck their momentum. Early line on opening day: UGA -13 1/2. I hope our defense is as good as I believe they are come September.

I bet if you dyed your hair, you'd look that good too!

I call the transfer portal Antonio Brown Syndrome... At least the kids aren't stupid enough to trash their former coaches and players.

Amen. What happens when (and I emphasize when-because TPTB are not budging) the PAC12 will no longer carry the sports that made it the Conference of Champions? Schools like Oregon, UCLA, USC and the Fuskies will survive because their brands can endure the fallout ( though UCLA is trying real hard to flameout). Maybe, but maybe these guys have seen the future they don't want to participate in and are opting out indirectly. Whatever the case may be, they sure perform like the football teams in the conference- nowhere near the caliber required to compete as champions.

And Scam Newton getting hit so hard you could hear it in Mars. But that's ok- he didn't fumble, his arm collapsed. That's an incomplete pass ( not to mention the other incomplete pass Cliff Harris had full control of). Sorry, no sack-fumble-TD ( No INT, and for your trouble they throw a TD after the INT). Too late, eSECspn beat us to the punch

Agreed. MM will succeed if he is out in position to use his skill set properly .. including avoiding injuries.

What I find very interesting is what NFL teams do with their players. That 2014 Natty game (in January 2015) revealed how MM would perform in the NFL. He is lethal when on the move, and with the right mix of pass plays from the pocket ( with the right set of TEs/WRs). He was more suited to take the Titans to the Super Bowl than the ceiling they have with Tannehill. The Raiders were the first team I've seen properly use MM. My only concern for him is injuries. MM hasn't had an OC for more than a year his entire career. That's pretty crazy.

Auburn scored in the very next play And that doesn't include the sack, fumble TD the refs didn't allow. That's 14 points right there. We were better than Auburn. The refs tremendously effected that game. They don't win without those calls. Point blank.

I see UGA by eight or nine at this point. Really depends on how loaded last year's bench was is in Athens. Ducks at least a seven point fav against BYU , 14-17 on EWU.

I'm sure you meant a 2 - 1 Oregon team. THEY WILL DOMINATE BOTH BYU AND EWU. There's no question both teams will struggle to score 20 plus. Is be impressed if they do quite frankly. Question marks and all, I expect a beat down, and I'd be seriously disappointed otherwise ( I told you guys, ride with Lemon-Lime Kool Aide Mike, we're awesome until proven differently ). Shock and awe baby!

Looks like Snoop Dog with a football...lol Hope he's just as talented for his sake. Nothing worse than being a dud after garnishing so much hype.

When Bama "graduates their stars", they simply reload. Same with Georgia, Clemson and UGA ( though last year was a bit different). What seems to be on our minds is the question of reload or reboot. Do we have enough talent to simply reload? Not an an elite level. Injuries left OBD down to walk ons in some cases, and third string players in others. And the eye test appears deceiving when it comes to the theft in Columbus. It also seems apparent motivation was a factor the last month of the season. So, "what kind of talent do we really have" is front and center on our minds. Uncertainty definitely breeds fear. That's why faith matters. We have a new coach. Untested, from the other side if the world, with a mix of players deemed unproven. This clearly stokes fear from afar. I get the tempered expectations in the face of these "facts". Everything is brand new. That can be a curse, or a cure. We just don't know. That's why I encourage you to follow Kool Aide Mike. After all, we can't lose till we lose, right?? Hopium and homerism. It works until it doesn't. That's my story and I'm sticking with it. Go Ducks.