Jon Joseph

Your record is what you are as coach. Mario's record at Oregon has been fine. Not great, fine. His recruiting has been excellent. Not very good, excellent. Scheduling matters. An 8 game conference schedule and the Ducks play Utah in Las Vegas and not SLC. And in 2022, Mullens has given Mario an opening game 'at' Georgia and a home game vs BYU, plus 9 conference games. This is silly PO scheduling. It's not like UGA and Bama continually battle and roll over top 25 teams. Check the latest rankings to see how many top 25 teams these 2 have defeated. UGA gets a bump because Clemson is is in the top 25. Any number of teams with Clemson's record could be in the top 25, including Fresno State. Dabo is in happier recruiting hunting grounds than is Mario. Dabo plays 8 conference games and not 9. Top to bottom the Pac-12 is as good as the ACC.

Bummer! Should not be behind 2L Baylor. This makes it harder to garner a Fiesta Bowl bid.

CHEER ON OHIO STATE. If Ohio State wins out, the Ducks defeat OR ST and lose a close game to Utah in Las Vegas, the ONLY shot a 10-3 Oregon would have to go to the Fiesta Bowl is if Ohio State finishes 12-1 and wins the B1G championship.

NO! The W in Columbus was the only reason after the L at Stanford why the Ducks was in the top 4. The 4th cross-over, 9th regularly scheduled game, on the road vs a top 25 team is what hurt the Ducks.

Wilner has Oregon #14 in his AP vote. I think the CT ranks OR at 9 or 10 tonight? This would mean a shot at the Fiesta Bowl if OR does not make it to the Rose Bowl.

But I wouldn't mind seeing Rattler at UO in 2022?

That was a 'perfect storm' in SLC. Reminded me of when the Ducks played WAZZU the Saturday Gameday finally visited flag waving Pullman. I want a re-match in Las Vegas. Utah is clearly not 31 points better than the Ducks. Your comment about Thompson is a good one. Both Bryce Young at Bama and CJ Stroud at Ohio State sat on the bench last season. In fairness, they did sit behind 2 guys now starting in the NFL. If Moorhead stays it will be interesting to see if McSorley made Moorhead or vice versa?

Good stuff. Unfortunately the Ducks tip off very late eastern time so I watch the video. Very interesting game tonight 10 eastern on ESPN when 1 Gonzaga plays 2. UCLA.

David and I am not in the least being facetious, I can't help but wonder if Mario and the team for that matter could be helped by a top drawer psychologist? Many individuals and teams have gone in this direction and seen improvement. Someone from the outside who could perhaps help Mario and the team play on a more even keel? The roller coaster performances are so puzzling. Mario does not seem to be learning on his own when it comes to having the team prepared to play to its ability every week. Perhaps this would help?

Thanks Ducked. The loss Saturday really, really hurt. But life goes on and the Ducks keep on quacking. Facing Big Blue and Harbaugh would be sweet. Have the Ducks played Michigan since Dennis Dixon baffled the Wolverines in Ann Arbor?

Although I did call Saturday's game in SLC a crucible coaching challenge for Mario, I find Wilner's take to be over the top. A loss at Utah defines Oregon's ceiling? First, Oregon has handled Utah regularly since Utah joined the conference. 2nd, the conference will smarten up and go to an 8 game conference schedule. The Ducks should have been playing Portland State in Autzen Saturday night and not a 4th cross over game on the road. Bama played NM ST a week ago Saturday. Kentucky played NM ST this Saturday among the cupcakes the SEC played and consumed on 11/20/21. Second, how does your PO upside improve at UF or Miami? Way Over The Top.

Not making the Final 4 is disappointing but 'Game On!' Lots to play for. ROSE BOWL - The Ducks represent the conference if 9-2 Oregon defeats 7-4 Oregon State on Saturday, and then defeats Utah in Las Vegas. Both games are winnable. The Beavers have not been a good road team in 2021. Utah is certainly not 31 points better than Oregon. Opponent - Unless Michigan can defeat Ohio State in Ann Arbor on Saturday a 10-2 Michigan will likely be the B1G representative. FIESTA BOWL - A defeat of the Beavers and a close loss to Utah in the champ would give a 10-3 Oregon a shot at the Fiesta Bowl? This would mean another $4M for the conference. Watch where Oregon is ranked tonight? High enough, no lower than10, and a 3 L Ducks could get the invite as did a 3L LSU in the past. Opponent - Cincinnati if not in the Final 4 could be sent here? But I see a number #5 Bearcats team playing in the Peach bowl? More likely the opponent would be the B12 runner-up, Oklahoma or Oklahoma State? Although Notre Dame and Baylor could be in the mix? ALAMO BOWL - Defeat Oregon State and lose to Utah in the champ game. 9-3 may not be good enough to qualify for a NY6 Bowl? This will all come down to the whims and rankings of the playoff committee. Opponent - Oklahoma State and Oklahoma still have a reasonable shot at the Final 4. If one does make the playoff field, the Oklahoma school left out will play in the Sugar Bowl. This means Baylor would play a few hours south of Waco in the Alamo Bowl. What about an L versus the Beavers? Oregon would finish 9-3. With a W over a likely Final 4 team and 2 Ls versus unranked teams, one at home. I think this would mean the Holiday Bowl? Opponent - the opponent will come from the ACC. Could be Pitt, NC State, Wake Forest or even Clemson. Tough loss on Saturday. Let's hope the team rallies, wins the next 2 and plays in Pasadena?

What is Mario's Mendoza Line? How many years should Mario be given to reach the Playoff? How many years of losing to inferior teams on the road and scrapping by inferior teams at home will be acceptable? In how many big games will rushing for less than 70 yards and allowing 240 yards rushing be acceptable? How long will playing at altitude, injuries and the team's youth keep Mario off of the hook? How long will the team's retrogressing during the course of the season be acceptable? What you see today with Mario is what you will continue to see. A very good man. A very good recruiter. A baffling failure of the roster not playing up to its potential. An antiquated offense that will not win titles. A coach who has won around 60% of his games as a head coach. I asked if anyone saw 'progress' from the 2019 PO game failure at ASU, to the debacle we witnessed on Saturday night? A debacle that confirmed beyond doubt the 'experts' view of Oregon and the Pac-12. A blowout loss at the hands of a team that was 7-3, ranked 23 with losses vs BYU, Oregon State and San Diego State. Ls to teams ranked 14 and 19 and to a NR team. Oregon came in ranked 3 with a win on the road at the #4 ranked team in the country. A win against a team that earlier in the day blew out the #7 team. Fire him? With Mario's buyout does Oregon if it wanted to, have the money to fire him and pay the buyout of a replacement coach? So no, I would not fire Mario. But at the same time I would not give him a bump in pay and a contract extension before he earns it. Many seem to be perfectly satisfied with a division championship over multi-loss teams, a conference championship over a multi-loss team, a non-PO Rose Bowl or other NY6 bowl appearance; or, playing in the Alamo Bowl? Satisfied with the conference making the PO 2 out of out 8 years. Satisfied with the conference falling farther behind the B1G, SEC and based on today's rankings and records, the 'New B12.' conferences. Satisfied with the status quo but for an extra P5 OOC game vs a B1G or ACC team. If the above defines 'success,' then Mario is the guy. And I say this will all due respect to those who are happy with Mario and his performance to date. Not all aspire to be national champions, which is fine.

And the Beavs just throttled a good ASU O. The Beavs will be coming in fired up. The Ducks now out of PO contention? As you so noted Utah was run down and run over by the Beavs run game. However, the win at SC was the Beavs only win on the road this season. Should be a very interesting game. Who wants it more? Oregon settling for a Rose Bowl chance or the Beavs going for their first Rose Bowl shot in many the year?

WHY? Look at the man's record at FAU and Ole Miss. With this group of Ducks athletes Kiffin would be putting up 40+ points game after game. And the D at Ole Miss does not stink. Plus, the guy can recruit.

It's year 4. I have no patience left. QB's developing? Where? On the bench? WRs developing? As blockers?

My good friends, I am just short of not caring. The same thing we saw at ASU in 2019, we saw last night in SLC. And if you saw Herbert play tonight; well, that is a further reason for frustration. More proof that this coaching staff does not have superior athletes prepared to play to their level of ability. There is NO excuse. Injuries, youth of roster, not enough experience with a coach who has been a HC for over 70 games, to justify or excuse the failure to win when it matters.. None whatsoever, The failure to make the PO in 2019 and 2021 is all about incompetent coaching. And IMO, this cannot be excused by superior recruiting, a 1 point win over 3L Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl or hidden behind a complete Fiesta Bowl no show vs Iowa State and a loss to Stanford team that did not belong on the same field. Oregon was PO worthy team in 2019 and 2021. The failure to reach the ultimate level is squarely on the shoulders of this coaching staff.

God bless you. The 2022 schedule? Opening 'at' Georgia with a QB who has not thrown a pass in for real playing time? And not against Portland State but against UGA? I love your and others optimism but I just don't see it?

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN? That was a sterling effort throwing and running the ball. UNDERUTILIZED. Such a shame and such a waste of talent at Oregon. Let's take the best QB in CFB and put him under wraps so he doesn't screw up. Fed up!

Oregon has quality QBs in the locker room with quality WRs to throw to. But this potential excellence will not be seen in a risk adverse offense. In a playing in a phone booth O that depends on smash mouth O that the D knows is coming. The O has been buried in a go slow, non Chipper O. Oregon should have run 20+ more plays last night. Oregon has a 5 star QB on the bench who along with talented WRs and TEs are buried in this O. Bringing in stud race horses and letting them run like a horse and buggy in today's CFB? Why did Bama beat Arkansas on Saturday? Because of a wide open, aggressive passing game, Cristobal's O is destined to fail in today's CFB. It is far too easy to defend. The OL is good but it is not the Packers OL that could move you off the block even when you knew what was coming. At Utah was there a single hurry up play on O? Did Oregon ever pressure the Utes with an up tempo O? No. Oregon played slow ball with an adequate not great, QB.

Should we dismiss losing on both LOS? THIS was a game for the Golden PO ticket. This was a complete no show. vs a team that lost at BYU, SDS and and OR ST. A trip to the Rose Bowl? A trip to a consolation prize. When will you be ready to acknowledge that Mario is not a big time coach? I saw the 2019 melt down at ASU. I watched last night as a team being built to dominate both LOS lost on both sides of the ball. The guy is golden at winning games, barely, in Autzen, But this is a HC who will never take OR to the Final 4. A coach with a roster advantage who cannot win at Stanford or against a 3L Utah team on the road. Please stop with the Mario props and the excuses. Props for being a good man? Yes, For being a great recruiter? Yes. A guy who can have his team ready to pay? NO. Dan Mullen is available, Dave Aranda and Matt Campbell are available. Hell, Justin Wilcox is available. Gary Patterson is available. In 7O+ games as a HC Mario is close to .500. I'm tired of people thinking that an exhibition Rose Bowl game is a big deal. Do you want to challenge against the best, on occasion win at Ohio State and go 9-3? Losing to schools roster-wise inferior to Ducks Scrapping by inferior teams the Ducks should blow out? I for one am no longer willing to trade excuses for wins. If Mario makes the Rose Bowl it will be a battle of a Pac-12and a B1G team not good enough to win their conference, Ask yourself, where would Oregon finish in the B1G E or W or in the SEC E or W?

EPIC FAIL! Chance to erase the 2019 at ASU no show; no show Fiesta Bowl; 2020 Ls vs CAL and OR ST? How is it possible to take an L vs Stanford your 2nd unit should defeat? What Oregon CFB head coach in recent history would lose a game in this manner? Not Bellotti. Not Kelly and likely, not even Slick? Oregon looked like a lower-level Mountain West team last night. Not a San Diego State level team that beat Utah, a BYU team that beat Utah, or anywhere close to an Oregon State team that beat Utah. Yet, Mario continues to receive all kind of support because of his recruiting and defeating a 3L Wisconsin team in the Rose Bowl by 1 point, with the NFL rookie of the year at the wheel. He is an excellent recruiter as proved at Bama. And a very good OL coach as he proved at Bama. He is a good man and a good person as he proved at Bama and has proved at Oregon. He is a mediocre at best head football coach. Which is OK. Most of us reach a certain level in life at what we do professionally and if advanced beyond this level, most of us fail and fall back. Oregon is competing in a CFB, billion dollar arena. Oregon's coach can close the deal on the recruiting front but not on the playing field. And the field Mario is playing on is a piece of cake compared to competing in the B1G, SEC and even the B12. Every excuse: give him more time; too many injuries; the team is young; altitude; is at this point in time simply BOGUS! Do I as much as I admire Mario as a person, have a better option for the Oregon HC? YES. But why would anyone come west to coach in a conference that has not made the PO since 2016? A conference with an insolvent network. A conference with many the football budget less than AAC and Mountain West schools? A conference that has many games KO when most of the country is in bed? It's time for the TEAM to move on. In terms of a HC, and so as not to be saddled by inferior partners who do not have the money or the desire to compete at the highest level of CFB.

It's been 4 years. When does 'time' run out?

What would Mario's record be if he played Mullen's schedule?

Dan Mullen is out as the HC of the Florida Gators. UF, USC, UW, LSU, TCU. WAZZU. Lots of big time gigs are open. And when these openings are filled, lots more coaching dominoes will fall. Jimmy Sexton and his clients, already well paid, are about to see even more bank headed their way.