-
Finish your profile right here and directions for adding your Profile Picture (which appears when you post) is right here.
Mike West
-
Posts
661 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Articles
Events
Posts posted by Mike West
-
-
On 1/8/2024 at 5:42 PM, candyduck said:
Best offensive line in the country?
Let's see what they do one on one. Haven't seen them control the LOS without double teams.
-
On 1/8/2024 at 5:22 PM, JabbaNoBargain said:
Die dawgs.
Luck runs out tonight, I have no idea how they went undefeated with this D.
Nobody goes 7,8,9 on the LOS like my Michigan.
-
Nice hold downfield by the TE.
No breaks for the Fuskies. Gonna have to bust some noses to get hands off their shoulder pads
-
It appears the SEC will cannibalize just as much. UGA isn't escaping Ole Miss this year. They face Missouri again. Bama has a difficult schedule too.
I doubt we'll see an undefeated SEC team this year (again).
Made for TV matchups are going to be routine.
I believe we will see matchups like this on the regular. I certainly hope so.
I'm all for USC being much better this year, UW being as close to this year, and OBD rising as far as this year.
I want UM, OSU and PSU as good or better.
I just want damn good college football. Even from the SEC.
Nothing is worse than subpar football. May excellence reign forever more and as widespread as possible.
Awesome CFB is better than the boring NFL(I only watch that league in the playoffs). I loved watching Bama v. TEXAS , Bama v. Ole Miss, and UGA v Missouri. tOSU v. PSU, UM v. PSU and UM v tOSU.
That kind of football is compelling. Give me excellent college football or give me death.
-
2
-
1
-
-
Very good article as usual Jon!
I will reserve my thoughts until fall, when rosters are more concrete, and w we've seen a few games.
Initial thoughts are tOSU is almost a lock.
Penn State looks solid enough ( I want to see how that defense end up, and they really need to launch an explosive offense- you have to be able to score 28 plus on elite defenses).
OBD will be a work in progress, need to see how the defense develops over the season.
QB Rodgers is going to surprise many- the guy is talented. Not sure how much depth UW will have next year, but like UM, they will decide who is going dancing in the playoffs.
USC is another team that will determine who does dancing. If they are serious about being more physical, especially on defense, they may go themselves.
I see four for sure, even with two losses ( by the way, I see only one SEC team with the possibility of escaping unscathed, Georgia- but this year those teams are playing real schedules... Finally).
I'll say this with absolute confidence:. We are going to see some of the best football the sport has to offer this year. TV ratings are going to go through the roof!
-
1
-
1
-
-
On 12/11/2023 at 6:33 PM, OregonDucks said:On 12/11/2023 at 6:13 PM, AnotherOD said:
HOWEVER, it could be argued he faced 4 HUGE games as a Duck (Georgia obviously, OSU to get a spot in the Conference Championship game in 2022, and Washington twice this year - not going to hold 2022 Huskies game against him as he got hit).
And in those games he was 0-4. Absolutely doesn't take away from Bo as he isn't by himself; but, I'm ok moving to DG.
You could have brought back Justin Herbert or Marcus Mariota for the Georgia game last year and it would not have made a difference in the outcome of the game. Georgia was just that much better at every position (Kirby Smart did not lie in his post-game comments). Our defense could not stop Georgia's offense.
I'll take the 0-4. Bo Nix is going into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame.
What WILL be mentioned is what Nix meant to this team, the University, and the football program.
Bo Nix is leaps and bounds better than when he arrived.
I saw a guy with no OL at AU, not even close to decent WRs, and a guy who pressed hard to win despite those factors.
That is the real Bo Nix ( cue in the music from the "to tell the truth" game show folks- Bo Nix is a winner).
Oregon presented Nix an opportunity. Nix more than gave back to Oregon. All champions have flaws. Bo Nix is a champion in my book.
-
1
-
2
-
4
-
1
-
-
On 1/4/2024 at 10:34 PM, OregonDucks said:
This is one of the few times that I wish there was a thumbs down on FishDuck.
Huck the Fuskies!
Me too. Because sometimes a thumbs down is a good indicator of how passionate OBD forum is(and sometimes it's good to know just how much the pot is stirring- a thumbs down isn't a prison sentence- just a statement about how one feels and it sure beats reading poison we see on other sites).
I'll tell you one thing, Darren Perkins almost always brings out the passion in us. Another successful article Darren !!!
-
1
-
-
The Pick...The Finger.
Those two events changed the game from a contest to a rivalry. Washington fans are no more insufferable than we are. We absolutely have out of control, arrogant fans. Especially the kids that experienced a 70-14 whipping for the first time ever.
When we win a Natty, that will make the day the entire country recognizes how arrogant our fans are.
Washington gets no respect for their shared Title. In fact, the PNW is such an afterthought, I believe a 12-1 UW or Oregon would have been left out of the playoffs. Mind you, there was plenty of discussion early in the year about how lethal UW was. Excellence recognizes excellence. That being said, there was no way Alabama was out of the playoffs. OBD were on razor thin margins getting in.
For all the criticism of Michigan, they are getting more hype than Washington. East Coast and Southern football bias is massive. Both playoff appearances for OBD. and Washington had the same narrative after they lost: not physical enough. Washington still has that tag, despite dismantling a much more physical Texas team( and the score was no indication of how much UW dominated the game).
USC and UW are the reason OBD are in the national conversation. You can thank both programs. We see tons of hate for those schools. Let's face it, we hate programs more successful than ours. They are the most motivating factor for our success. That will not change as we enter a conference than spans both coasts.
Last I checked, not one recruit has left OBD since UW defeated us twice. Not one. 24' or 25'. By the way, I believe UW recruits like Utah does. They look for inner and intangible qualities as much as raw ability. I don't see them raising to top ten level status - it's not their priority.
Now all that logic will be dispensed because our emotions rule the roost. We hate teams as good as, as arrogant as, and with as good as a reputation as we have. We just don't like competition. Granted, UW fans have p*sssd all over Autzen for decades. We do the same to our little brother up north. Because we can.
That's the rub of it all. We want the whole cake, the whole pie, the whole world to ourselves. Nobody deserves to be in the conversation when it comes to OBD. That's how I see the world. Because it's the same in Tuscaloosa, Columbus, Ann Arbor, Los Angeles, Seattle, Athens, Gainesville and Tallahassee. Nobody deserves to be better than "my college team".
And that's why I love college football. Excellence fosters excellence. Competition brings out the best in us.
My Dad used to go to Portland to bet on the dog races. I used to laugh at those greyhounds chasing that electric rabbit shooting down the left side of the track. That's how I see UW and the rest of the Blue Bloods- we're trying to catch and surpass those damn rabbits. I don't want complacency in our program. That's what happens when you don't have hated rivals.
-
2
-
1
-
-
Well, you have to ask yourself: if DaBoer has enough confidence to go for a 4th and 1ON HIS OWN 34 yard line (to maintain control of the game), why wouldn't our coach have the sense to understand you don't kick filed goals against them?
FGs don't win games against Washington. That is utterly clear to me. And I will clutch my cold dead hands in a fist declaring that.
Washington outperformed a much more physical team than ours tonight. FGs don't beat Washington. Forth down conversions do.
-
3
-
-
Good deal. That's one BiG team in.
-
1
-
-
Novesad played well. Obviously, his lack of experience lends to a more conservative playbook. He made decent choices, went through his progressions, and moved the ball.
What makes Nix so effective is he adlibs so well. His ability to adjust fluidly is remarkable.
Novesad is very solid. He is going to complete in that unit very well. OBD may lose him if Moore develops as planned, but Austin can hold his own from what I've seen.
DG has some of the same playmaking capabilities that Bo has, so I don't see much of a downgrade at QB.
-
4
-
-
Why was the TE open? Because the LB let him run right by him because the LB was LOOKING AT THE QB!!!
I say this every month, a pass defender cannot cover the QB. He can take away the QB's option by covering the guy that is his area of responsibility.
This is fundamental football (Vince Lombardi:"Gentleman, this is a football').
-
1
-
2
-
-
I am totally for the Fuskies winning it all. Partly because in my mind it does shed light on OBD.
In that aspect, it boils down to a few different calls, better adjustments on defense, and better execution on offense in critical situations.
I like Washington's situation. They are the most suited team to take down all three CFP contenders. They are underrated ( something we learned the hard way), and they have the most clutch QB of the bunch.
We hate those facts because it's the Fuskies. Well I can't stand the SEC living off their reputation, and the BiG is finally going to respect the PAC12(because three of those teams have offenses that are going to change the dynamic of that conference).
I hate the oversold blue blood conferences waaaay more than I hate the Fuskies. Always have, always will.
More important, there is a taste in our mouths that is so bad, the motivation to shut down Fuskyville will last forever. I hope UW is always as good as they are now( and USC as good as the Pete Carroll years).
OBD will rise much further if those two programs stay top ten material. I have thought this way since we nearly earned a Natty in 2007. We rose to lofty heights because we had to beat elite teams in our conference.
And guess what, we got even closer when OBD best an elite Fusky team, and sealed Kevon Thibodeaux's commitment. That elevated our national recruiting presence, and we haven't looked back.
OBD have been grown the most when USC and Washington were elite. Nothing would burn deeper than the Fuskies winning the Natty. Trust me on that. OBD will grow leaps and bounds if Washington wins the title.
-
1
-
2
-
2
-
-
On 12/11/2023 at 6:40 PM, Charles Fischer said:
C'mon. Blame Nix? Really?
Scoring 33 and 31 points is enough to win. How about defense hold the damn Huskies to 24 points? We win them ALL! The last game had our defense only make THREE stops all game. Is that Bo's fault?
Incomplete analysis, IMHO.
I believe he meant more making plays when the chips were down. That was certainly the case in Seattle (he would have bailed out Lanning given all the hate he got for trusting his players- especially when the calls were correct given twice WRs WERE open enough to convert the final two forth down play calls).
As for the second game, more on the defensive coaching staff and Lanning in my opinion (but who am I but a hack that does not like isolating four players on the LOS).
The defense gave up two TDs more than their average to UW, certainly a big part of why OBD lost. I agree with you that the most elite defenses should be able to hold elite offenses to 24 points. That is a reasonable expectation.
Winning Titles come down to two to four plays mostly. Thus EVERY PLAY MATTERS. That's why killer instinct is absolutely necessary. Win the Day...Fast Hard Finish: I can't think of a more appropriate theme for approaching the game of football.
-
1
-
-
Another great article Jon!!!
I like the suggestions. I am also hoping the bowls go away, to be replaced by a second playoff similar to the NIT tournament format in college basketball.
I believe it's is vital to the G5(and ultimately the ACC and Big12) schools in that they need revenue also in order to survive outside what seems clear to be coming: an all out BiG/SEC playoff fest.
One thing for sure, change will continue for awhile. Let's hope consideration for the health of the sport is a priority.
-
1
-
2
-
-
Man,
Sometimes the knowledge imparted on this forum...
I am no expert on this, and let me tell you, I'm going to burn some streak taking advice from this thread.
My taste buds already enjoy the thought of it all.
You know you've got it good when a full blown thread debating steak is the issue of the day...
-
1
-
1
-
-
On 12/22/2023 at 4:29 PM, candyduck said:
Just a few examples of probably many more is what makes Kirby and Saben legends in this day of college football. Please don't hate me but if the fuskies are healthy, they probably win IMHO
I thought this after the second game myself. People forget how formidable Washington was before they started experiencing injuries.
Depth hurt us against Washington. Poor execution did also. And sometimes, you just have to admit you can't press cover NFL caliber WRs.
That being said, despite going 0-3 against DeBoer, I believe Lanning is just as good. Doesn't make sense now, but let me tell you, his intangibles are off the chart.
That is a very difficult concept to explain.
Washington didn't seal any of their victories until the last thirty seconds of all of them. Nobody can question the Fuskies are an elite team.
You don't get that close, with so many flaws, against an elite team unless you're elite yourselves. We are in for some very good times.
Lanning accomplished his feats with the carryover mentality Cristobal left the team with (and his current team has). He nixed most of it by mid season this year. This team is his now. The best is yet to come.
-
1
-
1
-
3
-
-
It is extremely difficult to win a Natty. Can't do it without talent and depth.
Lanning has the chops. It takes every person in the organization to win a Natty.
Players, staff, administration, all have to be damn near flawless. Margins for error are extremely thin. And I mean extremely. One play can and has decided a Natty. One.
OBD have the best opportunity we have ever had. I can't say for sure we'll win a Natty. I do believe OBD will appear in another title game though.
-
1
-
4
-
-
On 12/22/2023 at 9:54 AM, OregonDucks said:
I respectfully disagree with this.
Coach Helfrich lived off of the fertile land that Coach Kelly left for him. However, it was apparent, to those close to the program, that it was deteriorating under his watch.
Mark Helfrich is a nice guy and a very good QB coach and offensive coordinator but he is not head coach material.
I'll try to be brief as I tend to write novels when I post.
Chip Kelly inherited fertile land. We have seen Chip's results since he left this program. Chip elevated the program. Helfrich maintained it briefly - but players and coaches still wanted to come to Oregon despite the abysmal meltdown.
It's not the tenure I'm talking about. It's the impact. For all his blemishes, that Natty appearance carried the torch for this program. Unlike several coaches that inherited enough talent to reach a Natty- Helfrich did.
Impact. Not legacy. Helfrich pulled the trigger on Mariota. Helfrich is the coach of the only other Oregon team to reach a Natty. Helfrich put his stamp on this program.
Look at Nebraska. Look at Tennessee. Look at Auburn. Look at Florida. Only one of them had a coach that succeeded a title winner ( at that) and led them back to the Natty. Not one of them have the stature Oregon presently has. And they all have titles.
Helfrich kept us on the map. Never forget that.
-
1
-
-
I believe this post truly started due to ALL the changes going on in college football today. Recruiting has somewhat been shady for decades given plenty of teams "bend the rules". Now that it is no longer a secret college football is a major industry all in itself, it is understandable why some are just pining for simpler days.
I'm more concerned with the effect the sport is having on other sports. If and when the football players start sharing revenue, it is going to dramatically alter scholarship sports overall. Not to mention, tough I don't watch much G5 action, I think it is totally awesome those kids get TV exposure too.
I'm hoping for the best, and I completely get the angst over what has evolved in college football the past five years. The issue is valid. It just happened to be mentioned when Lanning pulled in Oregon's best class ever.
-
2
-
1
-
-
On 12/21/2023 at 8:15 AM, Annie said:
As for some of the other previous head coaches, well, I'll just stick with my philosophy of being polite.
Not sure we're where we are without them. Sure, they showed some serious flawed judgement, given both of them recruited their way to actually winning a Natty ( too short sighted to recognize what they had right in front of them).
Both absolutely slaughtered the narrative you can recruit elite talent to Eugene. Hence, every year since Willie Taggart was named HC, recruiting has been stellar. Especially during the mayhem of abandoning what they built.
Who cares what they did, they started a legacy that led us to exactly where OBD are today. Thank goodness they came and left.
As for Helfrich and his staff: they lifted OBD to new heights, but the game literally passed them by live and in person. They left a good legacy as well- that Oregon football was a force no one could ignore.
We all benefitted in the long run from all three coaching staffs.
-
1
-
-
Going to Georgia after that statement quelling rumors about A&M? Talk about ruining any integrity you have!
As for coaching in the NFL? Kirby has it way better than any challenge the NFL provides. Just ask Spurrier, Saban and the old Chipper. The best NFL coaches start and develop in the NFL.
-
1
-
-
On 12/21/2023 at 10:32 AM, JabbaNoBargain said:
Of course recruiting is the priority, but I think an average recruiter can still get top 5 classes at Georgia. DL is a proven recruiter, but arguably the jury is still out on game day coaching in big games.
Not in my opinion. Execution matters, and I saw plenty of execution flaws- especially in Vegas.
DL does not have the personell on defense he wants or needs. That was especially evident at the safety position, and both games featured understaffed talent at corner.
Losing by three with gaps like that tells me he is on point.
But that's just me.
-
1
-
-
He we go again with me posting an unpopular opinion in a thread.
I want to share with you some experiences...
I was a traitor and spent my first two years of college in Fuskyland (I wanted to get away from home, got lonely despite being associated with literally hundreds of people, and came back to Eugene and I'm a proud Duck alum).
Outside of the extremely tight academic rigors (if you didn't seriously study, you were seriously up for getting kicked out of UW), playing football is a full time job. I met quite a few players. Steve Pelleur was one of them (great human being). Almost all of them complained heavily about being exploited- to the number.
They literally spent four to five hours a day at the football facilities, not including practice. Again, not including practice. From weight lifting to getting ankles taped, to film study, it was brutal. I left the school with a 3.0 average, and let me tell you, that was forty hours a week for real. I would've flunked out of school trying to play football, and I wasn't up for that.
This doesn't include kids that couldn't even afford to breathe financially because of the restrictions placed in them to earn enough money to buy clothes and trivial things (it was against the rules to have a job).
Add insult to injury, an Olympic medalist was kicked off his football team because he earned endorsements for his prowess AS A SKIER. Tyrell Pryor couldn't sell his Jersey, but Ohio State could. Future Buckeye players couldn't play in a bowl the following year because of it.
That spelled out exactly how universities and colleges felt about their athletes earning money while they raked in Billions of dollars. The hypocrisy stunk so bad you could smell it from Pluto.
Thus, the moniker student athlete in 1980 was already a joke. Kids weren't close to graduating even then. Not to mention, as we now know, Don James cut corners just to stay nationally competitive. This doesn't include what is now considered NIL "contributions" to highly rated recruits. USC used to sign players just to keep them off teams like UCLA and UW.
College Football has been professional for decades, and the NFL gave them quite the assist by lobbying Congress to ensure kids couldn't enter the league before their third year of college.
I doubt anyone who avidly followed college football then actually believed in the amateur aspect of college football. It's simply a myth. A well propagandized myth at that. There is no Innocence to college football in my eyes. About two thirds of football players graduate nationwide. As I said, that wasn't for me and I was talented enough to play college ball.
After the 1978 NFL strike, it was clear money was going to be huge in the NFL. College players that wanted to excell just as a college athlete had to train, study and live like an NFL athlete. It was already that way in 1980. There is no "walk on the field and play at an elite level" in college football. You sacrifice just to stay on the team.
In the 90s I used to argue with a friend about this. Back then, Troy Aikman and Rodney Pete jerseys were donned all over LA. I always asked him, if college football is really student athlete driven, then why aren't there Jerseys with the number 0 worn all over LA?
It's because marketing is player driven, not student driven. The universities were exploiting the kids, and they absolutely didn't give them six or seven year scholarships so they could graduate (which is far more realistic).
So excuse me for wanting to puke when the institutions want to claim their sport is purely about academic integrity and amateurism. It has not been for nearly my entire lifetime.
Do I like NIL? Not really, but I do see the generous players spread the love to make sure their teammates get rewarded too. Do I like the NFL style "trading aspect" of college football? Nope, but I guarantee you Alabama will hog every player if the other teams don't compete in that market.
Most kids are not going to play in the NFL. Why shouldn't they get paid? The schools rake in BILLIONS OF DOLLARS. That is 1,000 MILLION. Individuals and institutions want their alma maters to succeed.
This is America, the only country in the world that absolutely fosters individual liberty and prosperity. And don't forget, some of these kids just aren't good enough to play for elite teams, and want to play period. Kids aren't any more loyal than the schools are to them.
Alums have the right to assist their cherished institutions to thrive in football, and kids have the right to prosper during what is truly the most difficult time in their lives to thrive financially.
Now I get the sentiment. It stinks that money drives the sport. Just look at conference realignment. However, amateurism doesn't pay the bills. It is best left for high school football (it's expensive to run at that level also). Still, I get it: the love of money is the root of all evil. Let's hope evil doesn't creep too far into the sport.
By the way, love the campus in Seattle, but the fans...I'll never forget the Rose Bowl chants when those Fuskies used to slay us. I'm forever a Webfoot.
-
6
-
4
-
2
-
National Championship Game Discussion Thread
in Our Beloved Ducks
Posted
Look at THAT hold...
Yeah, both ways