Mike West

Soooooo, S What have I ranked about for what seems like Centuries? Take away the QBs options by covering your man instead of looking at the QB. WHAT'S THE RESULT? INTERCEPTION. Even in NW's big pass play, the safety was covering his man ( he bit on a good fake. I'll take that every play for the rest of time- that's what I want to see). That strategy alone will make this defense a 14 points per game juggernaut.

I actually think he destroyed his career this Winter. Looking like another fifth round draft pick. Won't go so far to say deserved, but this guy doesn't have the leadership skills to carry a team. Pride cometh before the fall (I believe almost all of us have been there before-but not so publicly with a few million in the bank).

Looks like Stein was told to put a blanket on the offense. Circa usu2 2024. He opened it up on that last drive just enough to show OBD can score anytime they want. Nothing to be alarmed about. This is a slow roll strategy against a team incapable of doing any harm. I like it. Sweet lullabies to put the audience to sleep. Keeping scouts wondering how lethal the playbook really is.

Coach, It's good to see you're still around! Hope all is well and thanks for the pointing it out. I didn't even notice it until you brought it up.

His injury derailed his ability to perform like he did in high school. He isn't the same player. I do wish him the best. He comes from a very rough neighborhood, and it appears football is the route he chose to escape it. It always pays to have a backup plan. I absolutely hope Jurrion is planning for life after football. I have serious doubts he will play in the NFL.

Well my entertaining friend, you bring up so many astute observations yourself. You're a key part of an ensemble of guys that really help me look at OBD from better perspectives. I do hope 1/1/25 is on everyone's minds every hour on the hour. The time off (three weeks) really hurt, but that sting is ample motivation to make sure that never happens again. And I want some Buckeye blood. I already have a problem with Buckeye fans (I happen to really like Ryan Day, and that fan base is ridiculous about the guy-he's been nothing but stellar. And he is starting to look a lot like Kirby Smart in his own fashion-so their arrogance and distaste for Day miffs me quite a lot). I think Lupoi has improved. I don't like the Mint defense, so that may be more my problem with the issues I see. But I do like that he is moving players more towards their strengths. He absolutely must get his linebackers to take away patterns in the middle of the field. They keep drifting out of coverage responsibilities. Coverage rules in my mind dictate the corners take the short routes outside. That leaves the LBs in seam, slant, digs and post pattern support. But that's just me. Let's see if Lupoi irons those things out. Keep them coming Jon. You add so much to this forum!

Thanks for the article David. Another deep set of observations as usual. Not much to add to this one, as you really hit the nail on the quality performances coming out of so many players.

Last year, I believe Chip kept his best plays close to the vest and waited to unleash his full set of plays in the playoffs. It explains the close games after losing in Eugene in my mind. Penn State, Nebraska, and Michigan had no business staying close in the regular season last year, and I believe Chip just let the defense do its thing, and baited the physical teams into believing they had a shot in the playoffs (Georgia and OBD come to mind). I believe Stein is serving notice he not only has the talent, but he also has multiple offenses that DCs will have to prepare for. It still hinges on a powerful running game, but one thing that stands out in my mind is Stein is getting Moore out of the pocket. That is going to wreck havoc on pressure oriented schemes. Not only does it mean Stein is looking to buy time, but it messes with coverage rules (because now Moore is also a running threat). Getting Moore out of the pocket also disrupts blitz strategy as Stein has already shown multiple ways he will get Moore rolling out (left, right, bootleg looks, and he hasn't had Moore simply roll left or right yet). Stein is also designing plays for his talent. He now has three reliable WRs he can get the ball to in the 8-12 yard range. He is using the TEs more creatively, and he hasn't really shown what he is going to do with Sadiq yet. Moore is a slot receiver, but he can stack Moore behind a blocking WR, or like he has already shown, the WR screens are no longer a feature, they are a foundation for getting the ball downfield. I believe Stein is providing information overload, as now, he is showing looks that don't tip off what they are actually going to do (like they did last year). The best aspect of it is I am not as concerned about WRs having cruise missile speed anymore. WR Moore is enough, because Sadiq is also lightening fast, so Stein can occupy Safeties using either Sadiq or Moore. And he is throwing formation looks that make it difficult to determine what he is up to. That he has simplified the packages to the degree he has with more formations is awesome. Not only am I impressed, I am not even sure what he has pocketed for future use.

FPI is based on raw talent and past results. The SP+ rankings are more accurate. They include current year performance, and expectations based on the current composite of the team. FPI is what the Sports Books use to calculate point spreads, and they are probably more reliable as the season wears on. Texas is high because they were more potent last year against the second tier level of schools (now that we have the Ohio State sample, we now know Texas struggles against elite defenses. Clemson is in the same category as the sample is out there as well -though I am not so sure about LSU yet). I haven't watched the Florida-South Florida game yet-or a number of others, so I don't have a complete feel on the group of teams outside of Ohio State that I feel are OBD's biggest challenges. I will say this about OBD: effort and depth are outstanding. I still have some concerns about the secondary, but the talent and skill level is much better than any time in the Lanning era. I still see the LBs watch the QB too much, and I do believe coverage rules are a problem more than the talent-but the LBs not taking away options (instead of trying to determine where the QB will throw the ball) is a major weakness. Lupoi absolutely needs to keep his edge defenders on the edge, somebody is going to crush it with counter runs if he keeps dragging the DEs to the middle of the box. I believe Stein recognizes he will need to drop forty on everybody, as he is employing a much more aggressive approach to the game. Stein is using some elements of Taggart's Gulf Coast offense. And he is going under center. I love that. He is actually employing elements of other offenses into his scheme. Lanning even referred to it in an interview-they are scouting other CFB teams, and maybe even looking at the NFL. Whatever it is, Stein just signaled he is going to unleash more styles than he has been employing. Somebody mentioned it, not sure who, but the WRs blocking downfield is much better. And the WR screens are now a set up for Sequential/Constraint plays downfield-the screens are a set up for fakes so Moore can throw downfield. So I believe the staff learned its lessons in January. You can't put up enough points against elite teams. You need to think its an NBA scoring fest. Like the Alabama/Clemson title games last decade. Until I see the secondary shut down elite WRs, I will not crown this defense as elite. Georgia and Ohio State have the best pass defenses in the country until proven otherwise. That is the kind of defense OBD need. If we get those kinds of defenses, then we are looking at the rest of the decade as true top shelf, tough to defeat elite teams. Like Nick Saban/Kirby Smart kind of teams. Lanning has the team on the path. I just need to see the defense tighten up some loose ends

A major lack of desire. They didn't look like they were interested in defending their legacy, much less put a foot up FSU's behind for talking smack before the season started. They expected to walk in and dominate, and when FSU was taking it to them, they didn't respond. It took a late fumble for them to get back in the game, and when their defense started putting in effort, it didn't last when FSU responded (FSU wanted that win way more-it was totally evident the entire game).

They were that bad. Saw the whole game, eating massive crow!!!

It is so great to be humbled so emphatically!!! It's definitely Gut Check time for DeBoer. He looked a little dazed. Unlike Ryan Day last year during the Michigan game, DeBoer looks concerned. I watched an ESPN analyst put it all on QB Ty Simpson, and I laughed outright. Bama might have lost its soul when Saban retired, Or perhaps he saw they didn't have the fire in them anymore. Whatever it is, nobody fears Alabama anymore. I loved the QBs today. Wished Novo got more time. DL has a dilemma on his hands. Play Novo and burn a redshirt (or Moga for that matter), or race to 45 and get them both some ample experience against teams like Indiana and Iowa (which it looks like both are possible-no joke. I wasn't impressed by either on the LOS). There is still much to work on, but now we know this team is more focused and seems to have a chip on their shoulders.

I couldn't have said it better Solar! If you're going to get criticized anyway, you might as well do it your way! I do believe the best coaches are flexible however. Think of Nick Saban throwing a Freshman into the fire in the second half of the Natty. That takes guts!. Then imagine the next year, those two players switch again, and defeat the same team-again. In both cases, the playbook expanded according to each players' relative strengths. Against an extremely talented defense both times. In my eyes, that says to me Saban recognizes things happen that require junking your game plan. Of course, that's a tough pill to swallow if you believe in your philosophy (or game plan), Which of course means, how much do you trust yourself and your instincts? How much do you trust your staff? There are so many components to dealing with the intricacies of the game. Which means sometimes it really isn't ego, but just going with what you feel is the best move to make according to what you see and feel about what's happening. Which is why I believe your point is so valid.

Oh I believe we all feel this way. We really want that Natty!

I'm with you on this Drake. Sometimes it just boils down to mano y mano, and your philosophical take on the game won't necessarily work.

Very good observation about the secondary, and the fact the OOC teams (and West Coast Offense type teams) exploited those weaknesses.

I agree Microburst. If Lupoi struggles this year, I believe he will be on the hot seat. This year's unit is too talented to waste.

Thanks Jon for the compliment. As for above, I believe Ohio State's plan for the season was to script slugfests while in conference play. I am sure the players DID emphasize they wanted to exploit their talent advantages. But I am almost sure the team had been practicing plenty of plays designed for the playoffs. The way they executed reminded me of Michael Penix and his receivers the way they played us in Seattle-they were unconscious. The back shoulder throws were perfect, and in my eyes that was due to hundreds of passes in the summer were thrown to be that perfect. I believe Ohio State had done the same. In no way were they going to expose much of their "real" offense during the season (though I did see one play run twice against Penn State). I personally believe the elite teams should design game plans for the playoffs (against likely contenders) all year. I actually would be surprised if they didn't. They have a whole team of analysts that scout all year. In fact, I'd personally develop those analysts as if they were coaches. I'd have one set scout and design game plans for opponents, and the other design game plans against OBD. I would have them emphasize every players' weaknesses as well. But that's just me. Who knows what these elite coaches do.

Pretty much Smith, Lupoi did a very good job of shutting down Henderson and Judkins in Eugene. Chip came back and exploited Lupoi's tendencies in Pasadena so well it looked like it was a scrimmage.

The real tragedy is that 300-500 kids have ruined access to paid education for possibly a million others. I stopped being a fan of G5 visits to the P4 when the SEC kept heralding their vaunted conference schedule (while scheduling 4 automatic victories using the G5 as fodder). But it was a viable model for plenty of kids that were all state at home, but not quite good enough to land a P4 scholarship. I thought it was real cool that these kids got on TV too. Now, a bunch of no names as far as I'm concerned are getting paid millions, and the hundreds of thousands (male and female) that worked as hard in high school are faced with dwindling opportunities to earn a scholarship as a result of their efforts. As far as OSU/WSU/Cal and Stanford go, they made their bed in the 2010s. They ignored a full 10% of their respective Universities revenue base figuring times would never change. Cal and Stanford had a more nuanced situation given they are both heavy laden with pro sports as the prime source of entertainment, but this elitist (dare I say I am being a hypocrite here lol) mentality relegates them to exactly what they deserve-Ivy League status in their major sports. Heck, I actually hope they end up getting dropped by the ACC when the next round of conference realignment settles. They deserve to be little sisters of the poor. Pride cometh before the fall.

Very good summary and assessment David. Thanks for the article. Really made me think about this year's challenges the team will face. I believe we will be seeing key elements we haven't seen before in this year's defense: Lanning's first group that is overwhelmingly his as an entire unit, and the fact that most of that group has been in the system at least two years. I believe it also will be a true evaluation of Lanning's version of the Bear Defense. Which I myself am looking forward to evaluating over the course of this season. I am looking forward to scrutinizing the defense in both college and its iterations in the NFL as well. There are a good number of teams that are very close to each other in terms of talent and ability. It's going to be a fascinating year as I believe coaching is going to be a major factor in determining who wins this year's title.

Well, When you and I again are about as good as Michigan's QBs were last year, you're going to lose five games. It is ironic however, that they did beat Ohio State and Alabama again after losing five games. I believe we all know Michigan was just better than everyone they played in 2023. Way better. Besides, the controversy started the beginning of that season, so Michigan wasn't stealing signs. They were just beating people up. As in dismantling the thought they were cheaters. They lined up, kicked butt, and left no doubt. Not hard when they returned so much talent and experience. The time to have punished Michigan was in 2023. They deserved it immediately. I don't believe that would have changed results on the field though. I think they would have run up the score to prove a point. They were that good. It's time to honor their accomplishments in my opinion. They were pariahs, and they still took care of business. I respect a team that handles their business under such scrutiny.

When Taggart sealed his reputation as the dumbest coach to ever leave a program, OBD had the very best recruiting class EVER...until this upcoming class that is. One glaring misnomer (not attributed to you David-you brought a great summary to the entire season as Taggart basically left everyone feeling completely soiled, including the very solid staff he brought-which refused to join him at Florida State) is until Justin Herbert lunged for that fateful TD, Oregon's offense was running at an unprecedented clip to the degree that Taggart's Gulf Coast Offense would have obliterated Chip's legacy. And I do mean obliterate. It was scoring a staggering 50 plus points per game. The offense was unstoppable, and I do mean no SEC defense would have touched it unstoppable. It was on LSU's 2019 juggernaut pace, and more. And that was without the blazing speed he had recruited that fall, which would have made that offense better than LSU's a year in advance (that WR class was top shelf-as in better than the Dakorian Moore and Dallas Wilson combo). The only reason I don't dare declare we would have seen a Natty Trophy join Marcus Mariota's Heisman is Taggart flamed out so spectacularly. That's how much of an impact that class would have had. Taggart would have been better off if he had solicited a mentor. He literally had put OBD in elite category by simply putting a staff together that was recruiting at epic levels. But his immaturity was evident, and he clearly has character flaws. That brief stint however, launched OBD into contender status forever. The ironic aspect to all this is both Florida bound coaches ruined their best chances at earning a National Title as they had one of the very best Oregon QBs combined with close to the very best defenses we as fans have witnessed. U2 has this great line in one of my favorite songs of theirs: "It's no secret that a conscious can sometimes be a pest, it's no secret that ambition bites the nails of success". That and "it's no secret that a liar would believe no one else" sums up Willie Taggert for me. The guy was paying attention to everything but the present-and he was too foolish to grasp his goal of becoming the first Black coach to win a National Title was staring him in the face in Eugene.

The only way I’d accept at large births is if they turn CCG weekend into play in games between the remaining contenders from each conference. For instance, an Illinois versus South Carolina. SMU verses Bama, Indiana vs Ole Miss. Clemson versus USC (or Iowa). You get the picture. Then nobody can claim their SOS was better because of conference play. It would give the ACC and Big 12 a legit shot at proving they qualify any given year without hearing how they played lower competition. Something like the 9th rated team to the 20th rated team facing off the week before the playoffs start. No more arbitrary decisions, no more maybe getting the field right. That is a true definition of proving it on the field in my opinion. It would lend more credence to the regular season, it would match the teams politicking for those final spots. And yes, that would mean it’s 14 team field, and the teams would actually decide who qualifies ( the winners of that week would advance to the playoffs, and the Top 2 teams would earn a bye). You could also just take the top 24 instead of top 25. That would make it a 16 team playoff field with no bye week. Start the season week 0, and end the season New Year’s Day. Make college football better. Let the teams decide instead of a committee (no conference auto bids as a G5 team should qualify within the Top 24). I don’t want to hear "you aren’t what your record says you are," and the P2 have more difficult schedules. Heck, ASU would have defeated Texas if the refs weren’t told to make sure Texas advanced. And yes I’m calling it a conspiracy. Just like Cam Newton fumbled, threw an interception against OBD, and Thomas Dyer’s wrist hit the turf. We know TV execs want to see ratings juggernauts. I want to see a "why Ole Miss lost to 4-8 Kentucky" scenario in one of those play in games(and yes, I believe last year that would have happened). No more excuses.

When Tez Johnson stated Dante Moore would win this year's Heisman, I was hyped. When I saw the tape of the Spring Game, I said to myself: "huh". One thing I am certain of, we have 3 QBs that can start just about anywhere. I think Moore gets the nod. I would like to see Moore play like Novo makes me feel: smooth. Moore has shown he can handle responsibility of the job. I just don't feel like he jumps off the page the way I feel about other QBs around the country this year. Novo doesn't necessarily execute flawlessly, but I just feel more comfortable with his play for some reason. I can't put a finger on it. Maybe its just my expectations for Moore. The only thing that makes me comfortable at all is Moore throws the ball so effortlessly. He doesn't strain when he throws the ball. I am not worried if DL doesn't decide right away. And I certainly hope Moga gets plenty of reps. Moga is a best kept secret. But he needs the reps too. We are in very good hands for the next 3-4 years. All four of the QBs make me feel confident in OBD's future.