fred flintstone

What makes me think Utah will be as good as last year.......Rising. He was injured early in 20. Last year as the year progressed he got smoother every game. If they can protect him........hard to beat. The Utah offense reminds me of the old Stanford offense. Those TE's will be catching lots of balls. Can Oregon beat them???? Yep......Oregon has the best talent in the pac 12 and now has a coach that knows how to coach them. Will Utah beat UCLA and USC......IMO the Utah defense will tear the USC and UCLA offensive lines up........

OK......LOL.......PFF thinks USC has the best line in college football........which IMO is nonsense. I could go in depth on each player but......lets just watch the games. I will admit the team will be measurably better than last year.

I'd be a lot more excited for USC if he was 6'7" and 320 and moved like a deer.

New coach, new schemes........10-2......but......I really think the Ducks should win the conference and head to the playoffs. The talent level at Oregon is supreme and the coaching will be vastly improved. So I'am really thinking 11-1. Georgia...down there.....early.....with a new coach.....is a tough climb for anyone......but the new coach is from .......Georgia......he'll know a few things about Georgia that will help.

This is great news. The pac 12 needs to get back into the national spot light. It will help all the teams.....but especially the leaders.

Under Helton, Prior to Riley, the motivation was to be the first player lined up when the ice cream, truck arrived. .....and they played like it.

Both....but forced to choose.....a close loss to Georgia followed by a decisive win over Utah.......puts the Ducks in the playoffs......assuming the rest are W.

USC will be improved no doubt (how could anyone not be a better coach than Helton)........but over the years the preseason folks have tended to rate USC significantly better than their results. Wait and see.....

Jon.......why not be optimistic.......I am not trying to lock Lanning into a bad season.....if Oregon goes 10-2......that is a good season. I just don't see anyone on their schedule except Georgia that represents a better than even chance of beating them. Utah will be at home......and I suspect the offense will be totally different.....and don't under estimate Nix......it's going to be night and day with the skill positions loaded. Aside from them....Oregon should be a solid favorite in every game. Of course new systems take time to adopt......but the talent difference is appreciable. Every tougher game is at home. I also think Tosh is a measurable improvement with defensive coaching. Injuries can change things......so all bets off if a few key injuries develop.

Lanning is a smart coach that knew exactly what he was getting when he decided to coach the Ducks.......lesser talent and he would not have signed. I suspect a playoff slot......11-1 or 12-0. The talent is there.....accept it.......and for the first time since Kelly......the coaching that can get the most from it is also there. Just my opinion.

As I've tried to communicate......of course a winner will attract attention and more attendees.......but some of the old Trojan family that would have attended a game against Hawaii while a wife was having a child is long gone.......they built the new stadium addition to please the wine and cheese crowd, who largely buy up tickets to entertain business friends but have a lesser attachment to the program, while giving up 16000 seats......that was no miscalculation........USC has tried to become more an international west coast Ivy and hence has a student body that has quite a few folks that are more soccer oriented or non sport oriented.......its admin while still interested in a sport that provides a nice budget is more interested in the US News academic rating. If as a recruit you want to have the whole experience.....best to steer toward Tuscaloosa, Athens or Eugene. This is not to say that USC will not excel in football......just saying that the old days are gone. Filling up the colly with two pro teams, the ruins and all the other stuff to do......some marginal fans may tune in if it's a top 10 program.....if not......not so much.

Riley will get USC going again......but it will be a year or two......

Considering that neither team has made the national stage in a long time........please don't settle on beating USC.......focus on beating Georgia/Alabama. If you focus on USC you'll be settling for what it takes to beat a program that has not been to the playoffs........ever....... and last won a NC in 2004. I have grandchildren in college that were born the year the last time SC won the big time.

Mario did exactly what needed to be done at Oregon......changed the roster from a ton of 3 stars with a couple 4 mixed in to........mostly 4 star with a couple 5 star and 3 star mixed in. He is owed his due from Oregon fans. Helton at USC did the opposite........received a team mostly 4/5 star with a 3 star being rare and changed it to mostly 4 star with quite a few 3 star mixed in. Oregon has the best raw talent in the Pac 12 without doubt. For Lanning its a great opportunity......and since Oregon could use some help on the defensive lines.......as a defensive guru.......he is a perfect hire......IMO. Can't wait for the season!

Great video!

If you review most of these rating mags at season end (except for the top 3-4) their accuracy is akin to throwing darts from 100 feet.

Wrathis......I'm a fan of college football in general. I attended USC and Illinois but lived just a few miles from Oregon for many years. Got to be a fan of all three programs.....it was easy because they all had good runs at one point or another. As for the hate on the Trojans.....you ain't seen nothing if you have not been on a Trojan site when they describe Oregon. I will not repeat the junk. Its all in fun as far as I'm concerned. Just want the kids to have a good experience, make some friends, stay healthy, get a few bucks(in today's game its easier) and execute well. My best day is a USC vs Oregon game in which they both play well..........as for who I would root for........the better team. I want a Pac 12 team to get to the big show every year. Lately that has been Oregon. There are going to be some great games the next few years as SC finally has a coach that has banned the ice cream truck at practice. IMO.......Both USC and Oregon have recently improved their chances......Helton was a overall huckster and Cristobal was a great recruiter but a miserable game coach.

Aside from some comments about how USC has improved its OL and offense...... Speaking as a person that has watched every game they have played for 40 years, Their OL still is substandard. By the way I've watched every Oregon game for 20 years. Now back to it. Very little to do with Riley.......you don't flip an OL in four months. USC fans are so upset because they know of the need and it frustrates them to have missed on Conerly when he could have just about walked in underweight and started anyway. USC is loaded with linemen on OL that move like they have lead weights around their ankles. They will pick up some major help next year but that is a long time away. Will their offense be better based on some young talent that will make mistakes,,,,,,yes,,,,,,,but great......lol. Their DL also has problems that have yet to be addressed. Riley has created some great frosting......but the cake is still in the oven.

Yep.

I am a fan of both programs......and they are both great programs......but..... IMO Oregon hired an excellent head coach and an excellent staff to go with him USC hired a good head coach with an average staff So.....after the initial hoopla wears off IMO Oregon might continue its progress toward a NC or being in the hunt USC, while making great progress at becoming an Ivy League academic institution, and winning the south more often, might struggle on the national stage. Push come to shove USC admin is more interested in other things

Very nice pickup.......and in spite of it all a very good year for the OL.

The USC OL is a mess........and Riley has not brought in anyone so far that changes it much. As for Oregon.....a weakness on the DL exists......whether it is fatal is yet to be seen.

IMO....that is what Lanning thinks. One of the reasons he went after an experienced QB with some very good stats his last year.

USC is improving.......but.......to date during the Riley era they have yet to land a lineman on either front that would be considered elite. Next year all this talk of their dominance is nonsense. They will be substantially improved and probably will not be losing to the likes of Oregon State much.

Not so much hate.....as envy. Oregon has great facilities, a world class coaching staff, better than average weather, access to the ocean and mountains and one of the richest men on earth as a supporter. What does Utah have?