As usual, the Pac-12 is not taking it easy with its 2022 out of conference (OOC) games. And of course, 6 Pac-12 teams, including the Ducks, will play 5 conference road games. The conference is considering going to 8 conference games but this will not happen before 2023 at the earliest.

 

These are the OOC games I think conference teams will lose (L) or have a chance to lose (C) in 2022.

 

SOUTH -

ARIZONA - L- at San Diego State, Mississippi State/ C - North Dakota State

ASU - L - at Oklahoma State

CU -  L - TCU, at Air Force Academy, at Minnesota

UCLA - 3 cupcakes for the Chipper, unless he decides to go on a diet, to consume in 2022. Return game at LSU is not until 2024.

USC - C - Fresno State / L - Notre Dame - In his 1st season I do not think Riley will have the Trojans ready to defeat the Irish?

UTAH - C - at Florida, San Diego State

 

NORTH -

CAL - L - at Notre Dame - this is a one off (why is it being played game?) for the Bears.

OREGON - L - versus Georgia in Atlanta/ C - BYU 

OREGON STATE - C - Boise State, at Fresno State

STANFORD - L - at Notre Dame, BYU

WASHINGTON - L - Michigan State

WASHINGTON ST - L - at Wisconsin/ C Colorado State

 

9/3/22 is a big time game day for the conference with the Ducks playing the Dawgs in Atlanta and the Utes playing Florida in The Swamp. This is a H+H for Utah with Florida scheduled to play a return game in SLC. Including Mississippi State at Arizona, the conference could go 0-3 vs the SEC? I expect the conference will go 0-3 vs the B1G? CU at Minnesota, UW vs Michigan State and WAZZU at Wisconsin. I also see 0-3 vs Notre Dame.

 

Hopefully, the conference will win some of the big games I think will or could be, Ls and not lay down vs the Mountain West?

On 12/14/2021 at 12:49 AM, RkyMtnGuy said:

First of all glad Seven decided to stay.....and Verdell and Dye need to go....RB's tend to have short life spans and they've taken enough hits. If either has NFL ambitions another year at Oregon won't help....they are what they are.

And honestly it's time for new backfield blood. Cardwell, Seven, Benson and Dollars should give us all we need in the running game.

 

Great take. But I think there is a reason Benson came in as a 3 star recruit. As of now, there are better RBs in the portal than Oregon has on its roster, including a stud RB from Georgia Tech.

On 12/14/2021 at 11:06 AM, 30Duck said:

The Elephant in the room that Lanning, at Georgia, and now at Oregon, and all of college football, has to deal with is this one:

 

 

. I'm hoping that the last few seasons, and the beat down, Alabama applied on his defense in the SEC Championship game, told him that his offense has to score points!

 

It's Kirby Smart that has to be told: Start JT Daniels!  Like, Mario, Smart is a great recruiter and a risk adverse, other than for untimely fake punt calls, coach. Not benching Bennett was a big time upscrew for Kirby.

 

I think UGA beats 1 dimensional Michigan? And if UGA starts Daniels, I believe UGA beats Bama; especially, without WR Metchie being available for the Tide. I also think the entire UGA team after watching Bama struggle against Auburn and basically struggle all season long, came in way over confidant against a Tide team the Dawgs believed it would roll.

 

I think we will see the DC of Playoff Champion Georgia coming to Eugene?

On 12/14/2021 at 1:36 AM, deschutesduck said:

Well since Mario already misled us on what his offense would be I'll wait till the fall before making judgement.  That said his loss to Alabama was a result of having an offense that looked helpless... i suspect he knows scoring points is the name of the game even if he's a defense guy.

 

It looked 'helpless' because Smart started the wrong guy at QB. Daniels should have been brought in after Bama took its first lead and Daniels should start against Michigan and against Bama after UGA defeats Michigan.

 

However, it was a terrible effort by the UGA DL and LBs. Auburn sacked the Heisman winner 7 times; UGA, zip. I think UGA came into the game far too overconfident and Bama played, by far, its best game of the season.

Good take Darren, thanks.

 

What will Bama do when Saban leaves, if he ever leaves. Hire Lane Kiffin, Jimbo Fisher, the top pro candidate available or anyone else Bama wants. BTW, Bama has a football budget far bigger than Oregon. Bama sells out a 100,000 seat stadium every Saturday.

 

I like this hire. Oregon was COOL! under Kelly and Cristobal did all he could to wreck the brand. Yes, this is a risky hire. But it is a reasonable risk, hiring a young man with coaching experience at a Playoff quality school and also out west at ASU. And without calculated risk you will never have an excellent ROI.

This is why the man was hired. The 1st HC to leave OK since 1946. This hire took SC from the back page to the front page. Riley was an excellent recruiter at OK, without much of in-state talent base and and he signed a lot of kids out of CA when he was at OK. SC is "cool" again.

 

With all dur respect, how many Playoffs have BYU, Utah State, Fresno State, etc. qualified for? BYU had a very good year but it lost at home to Boise St and on the road at Baylor. 5-0 vs a Pac-12 as down in CFB as it has ever been. All the schools mentioned above where guys are coached up have to coach guys up. These schools are not signing 4 and 5 star recruits. Not signing the better 3 star recruits.

 

No school without a Blue Chip Ratio won a BCS title. No school without a Blue Chip Ratio has won a Playoff title. Recruiting, plus wisely picking from the portal, matters more than ever. 

 

Recruiting battles that Oregon won vs Helton will be far more difficult to win vs Riley and his staff. SC after being lost post Pete Carroll has stepped up and is spending money like a blue blood should be spending money. The kind of money Bama had to spend to bring Saban back to the SEC from the NFL. I certainly am not going to say that Riley will do anything like what Saban has done at Bama, but I think many the Ducks fan is selling this hire and this guy way, way short.

Why was this guy hired by ESPN? How does he stay employed at ESPN? In terms of players and when and where they will be taken, this guy and Kiper both, hit less than 10% of the time. 

 

Fantastic job. No reckoning for consistent failure. Whenever McShade says: 'I've been watching film of ... ' I say, 'So What?' McShade's credentials? He played QB for Swampscott HS in Massachusetts. Then he QB'd the Richmond Spiders. 

On 12/13/2021 at 5:28 PM, David Marsh said:

I've said it multiple times... but with Oregon a top 20 finish would be fantastic all things considered. We'd prefer a top 10 but that is pretty difficult in our situation. 

 

Also... keep in mind 85 is the max number of scholarships a program has to work with... right now Oregon is projected to be over that max number with our measly 12 commits currently. There simply isn't a whole lot of wiggle room in this class. Now, if there are some more transfers (only 1 so far post-MC leaving) and some more graduations / players leaving to try going pro.. we might have a bit more to work with but this class was going to be tight regardless. We are LOADED with players who are classified as Freshman for one reason or another. 

 

The next two years we are going to have a whole lot of players peaking. No excuse for youth next year, at least in terms of players (maybe the HC though? lol). 

 

This season you are allowed to go over the limit by 7 scholarship players. Should be plenty of openings to find gems from the portal.

On 12/13/2021 at 4:06 PM, Drake said:

We have a base to work with from the MC era. This year there is coaching turmoil in the PAC 12. There are a lot of very solid players in the transfer portal to fill gaps for Oregon if needed. Oregon will be fine…The puppies are, well just that, the puppies.

 

If Lanning can pull some SEC territory defensive line, or linebackers out West for Oregon, that would make me smile.

 

As I noted earlier, one of Lanning's best DBs at UGA, No. 5, Ringo, is from Tacoma, WA.  He has recruited out west.

Kiffin, with Saban's approval, reinvented the Bama O. He did a great job at FAU. In his 2nd season at Ole Miss he has the No. 8 ranked team in the country and playing No. 7 Baylor in the Sugar Bowl.  His D at Ole Miss from year 1 to year 2 dramatically improved.

 

I think his on field results trump his on occasion over the top quips and I love his enthusiasm on the sideline.

FSU? Hard to make chicken salad out of chicken slop. But once Gabriel enter the Notre Dame game at QB, the FSU O pushed the Domers D around.

 

Dillingham had great success at Memphis and having worked together with Lanning is not a bad thing.

On 12/13/2021 at 1:16 PM, Steven A said:

Rating = OVER RATED in a lot of instances as stars change based upon who offers.

 

Get your kids AND coach 'em up.

 

However, SA, no school without a Blue Chip ratio, 50% or more of the roster 4 and 5 stars, won a BCS or has won a Playoff title. Going to miss on certain 4 and 5s, but today's analysis of incoming recruits is pretty darn good.

Thanks.

 

Slovis departure noted earlier along with the portal entrance of Auburn's Bo Nix and A+M QB Calzada. Lots of darn good players in the portal now and more will be coming. Need to recruit the portal today like you recruit HS kids.

On 12/13/2021 at 3:48 PM, 30Duck said:

 

 Hopefully it will be on the Pac-12 Network, in place of the replay of last night's basketball game against Stanford. 

 

THIS is asking for a miracle. It would be on the ACC, B1G and SEC Networks but the Pac-12 network?

Thank you for the post. IMO, UGA was not ready to play Bama in the SEC champ game. Over confidant. That and Daniels should be the starter and not Bennett.

 

I think UGA defeats a 1 dimensional Michigan team and defeats Bama for the title? But only if Daniels starts at QB.

On 12/13/2021 at 2:46 PM, Orebcker said:

One cannot discount the recruiting advantage of Lanning’s geographic familiarity with the southeast.  That’s one important factor that set him apart from the other runner-ups.  Can’t wait for an SEC style defensive line that will wreak havoc in the PAC 12..

 

Interesting that one of his best DBs, Ringo, is from Tacoma.

On 12/13/2021 at 1:41 PM, Haywarduck said:

All I care about is T Thompson isn't in the transfer portal, and is showing leadership on the team right now. I also don't want a coach bringing somebody who may be perceived as having an advantage. The culture Ty is part of is important. 

 

We need somebody who will continue the build, not knock it all down and start over.

 

I agree with your thoughts; however, if Ty could not not beat out Brown? 

Significant that Michigan is dropping Adidas and like Ohio State, will be wearing NIKE gear.

 

Uncle Phil, if you have B1G commissioner Warren's phone number please call him and make another sale to the Big 10? After all, your alma mater is an AAU member school.

On 12/13/2021 at 1:46 PM, Charles Fischer said:

 

Now that cracked me up!

 

Personally, I am very happy that we will not be watching Act 2 of Chip in Eugene.

On 12/13/2021 at 12:47 PM, Mike West said:

Have faith fellow Duck fans.

 

Everything works out the way it's supposed to.

 

Personally, the current roster matters more. 

 

High school kids are less invested because they just don't know what they're really doing.  

 

How many of them are going to recognize MC built on the recruiting foundation the Snake launched?

 

How many can even recognize MC solidified that legacy? Not to mention  coaches from every region of the country recognized this team is ready made for a solid title run IN 2022?

 

Heck, most fans don't even recognize it.  

 

Injuries this year exposed how solid this team truly is.  And now they have experience.  

 

I reviewed the talent pool of the recruits we've lost so far.  I don't think they would crack the starting unit ahead of the talent that played this year.  

 

We could always use more depth.  But the impact players in 2022 are here NOW.  

 

Now I have issues about next year myself.  But Mario Cristobal gave a talented coach a battle ready group capable of doing some real damage next year.

 

The isn't a single recruit we lost that worries me.  We're going to kick some butt next year.  Trust me.

 

 

Have faith and work the Portal!

On 12/13/2021 at 9:53 AM, Grandpa Duck said:

The timing, "so close to early signing day", was not Oregon's choice.  Once Cristobal left the alternatives were to hire or leave the position vacant.  Mullens made the obvious choice.

 

There is no optimal time to bring in a new player.  Spring practice is in April.  For conditioning it's nice if a player graduates from high school early and comes in for winter term, but the same player can enter spring term and make spring practice.  

 

Early signing day means it is better to get rid of the existing coach sooner rather than later. Mario should have had the sack to leave when he mentally checked out.

Great post. Thank you. 

 

He talks the talk. Hoping, unlike Mario, he will walk the walk Including 'airing it out.'

A+M's Calzada who took down Bama is also in the portal!

On 12/12/2021 at 10:31 PM, David Marsh said:

At the end of the first series didn't he become a logger in Oregon? 

 

I mean... We all have expirence with Florida transplants in Oregon... They never last. How many seasons until he's back in Florida? One or four? 

 

AMEN! How did he get from Oregon to northern New York? How did his son find him? But I am glad Dexter is back.

On 12/13/2021 at 1:16 PM, Steven A said:

Rating = OVER RATED in a lot of instances as stars change based upon who offers.

 

Get your kids AND coach 'em up.

 

A good point. But there are 12 teams in a conference that produced 6 bowl teams in 2021. Not all of 2 and 3 star recruits will be coached up. Looking at the OOC schedules in 2022, I will be surprised if the conference wins the majority of its OOC games. And continuing to play 9 conference games does not help the cause.