Haywarduck

If anyone one of them runs a sub 4.3 40 then yes, definitely. If any one of them has a proven ability to catch the ball and has blazing speed, then bring him forth!

The NFL owners do have controls on how much money a team can spend. The owners of the NFL realize they can't trust themselves to not compete, and just spend silly amounts of money. In college football it is just a purely competitive field where each program is free to spend as much as they want, based on their budgets. The only control is how stupid is each program in their decision making process. The coaching decisions is the easiest way to see which programs have made mistakes, because that is where the money has gone recently. Now with the NIL, and what Texas is doing, creating a non-profit to pay players, it will be interesting to see if we have a real arms race with players. It is a great question, but the college football world is a different animal than the NFL. It will suffer from the same issues as it does with the coaches as the money chases the players this time. Colleges will again do stupid things with the NIL and some will do well and others suffer.

I would add it is about the jimmies and joes, but also how long they have been learning the X's and O's. It is also about how long the coaches have been at that school teaching the X's and O's. Georgia and Alabama have coaches who have been at their schools well over a complete recruiting cycle. They have their players, their processes and procedures in place. The other programs have coaches who have been hired to catch up. The question is which programs are going to be patient enough to let these coaches get their processes and procedures in place. Now you have a Mario whose processes and procedures are suspect. Texas and USC are perennial under achievers lately. They have hired coaches who didn't have it. What is it, I think that is the over riding question for each program, and something I ponder often. The 'it' is a huge question which is multi-faceted, but has become an eight figure question. It is a question we will be asking as we watch Lanning grow, struggle and create data to substantiate each of our opinions.

We are definitely beyond those days. We haven't recruited a 3* recruit since, and haven't had the success at qb since, hmmmmmmmmm! Perfect example we recruited Shough while Brock Purdy went to Iowa State. Brock was the 3*, and looked like the kind of qb we use to have.

Love that, no star chasing. Chase potential, heart, football intelligence, and team players! Does the student athlete make everyone around them better, is he a leader! I want to hear a coach more excited about their potential than their star rating. Still remember our DB coach talking about the potential of Patrick Chung. Chung was a 3* and the coach said, just wait.

Fat, Drunk and Stupid. For the percentage of Oregon fans who haven't memorized this movie. Interesting, but with an F the floor is a zero and it goes all the way up to 59. A bigger range than from A-D. The dawgs are definitely failing, that is for sure, and this scene is a classic, flounder as the dawgs.

If we had payed Miami in the bowl game, what would have Mullens done? Bellotti was the answer either way, way too many Miami coaches on the field as it was. Kudos to the student athletes for playing with purpose and intensity for the program, the Oregon Program.

More about lost opportunity while sc, the dawgs, and just about everyone was asleep, and we just sat on the recruiting crown. Time to compete on the field as best we can. Who cares about preseason rankings, winning the recruiting wars, win the games!

I agree, all three of these guys, in the right situation, can be very good. I would add "in the eyes of the head coach." A coach who wants to really leverage each of these guys talents will see an amazing qb. I don't think we ever really saw what even AB could do. Wouldn't it be fitting if AB went on to a long career in the NFL as even a back-up. Herbert became the NFL Rookie of the Year, after being throttled. AB getting drafted and making an NFL team would be an interesting development.

Interesting take, and something to watch as the players become even more shrewd about the ways of the transfer portal. I do think there will be many more players looking to upgrade their schools as their skills become evident at the college level. If you weren't recruited, go the JC route, then sign on to a D1 team, it may be the same type of path. Why stay at Arizona, when you are dominating guys on teams beating your team? Some of the recent recruits may be asking this question sooner rather than later.

Agree all is not lost, but there was a huge lost opportunity while the Pac-12 was asleep.

"It's not clear how Oregon could own the Husky football program any more than all of this." You write a better line than this, well done SI!

Interesting to see coaches who played for Western Oregon, William Jewell College, Sam Houston State, and another who didn't even play college ball, instead starting coaching while in college as our coaches. Where is the elite player turned coach? I find it refreshing these guys who know football, are passionate about football, are the coaches. Just goes to show you don't have to be a great player to become a top coach. I suppose if you are an elite player coach you might not think you could recruit to Oregon.

He could rule at Akron, Joe loved the guy. I wish the guy all the luck going forward.

Georgia will be playing chess with a grand master. Much like one of my favorite movies of last year, The Queen's Gambit, the young prodigy is going to be sparring with the best. Hopefully this won't be his only battle, and he gets to take him on again as the leader of the Ducks!

"The Ducks Are A Team To Watch," music to my ears. Now if I can just hear, Oregon should be feared, then all is right! I think that is what has been missing over the last few years, other than fearing Oregon on the recruiting trail, Oregon hasn't deserved too much respect.

The premise of what Charles wrote is spot on. If you look at the military, the weapons are continually being created to defeat the defense. The development of armor is followed by weapons which can pierce the armor and then that is made illegal. This can be looked about the hurry up offense, and how teams, defenses said it should be illegal, but then innovated to learn to throttle the hurry up, even though it continues to be effective, at times. The big lesson is one must keep innovating. A truly innovative, executed offense makes a defense throw up their hands and give up. We want to see that. We do not want to wait, and wait for a defense to give up because they can't stop the pistol plunge, ever again. Innovate while executing, will get the fanbase back on their feet and the rest of the country saying Oregon is back, not boring. Lastly I would ask Dan Lanning to look to the past, not just in the track program. Give Brooks a call, and definitely look at Bellotti as an asset. Too often our society forgets it's past and just moves on. Our senior centers are full of wisdom and insight, sadly sitting idle. Bring Bellotti on as a consultant. Get some insights on how to play at the different stadiums, and so much more. Learn more about the decisions he made and why. Respect the past while building for the future. Something to think about, and something I am hopeful we will see!

Is that you Mario?

I would add, build it, don't just boast about it. Coach Lanning, the sincerity and willingness to come across straight is refreshing. If it looks like it is going to take a while, a few quarters, games, seasons, to get this done don't switch into telling us what we want to hear. I love hearing about how difficult something is going to be and then seeing somebody overdeliver. The opposite will drive this fanbase nuts. The Oregon fanbase has been through a long process to success. We can work through some tough times, with the bright yellow glow off in the distance. I will diverge from Charles charge that our DNA doesn't include a Georgia type defense, never settle for reasonable. If an elite defense is what you want, don't stop trying, change our DNA. Bring in the big bodies, the 5*'s and make it happen. I actually think the Pac-12 would buckle under a tough defense like Georgia. That is your difference from Riley down at sc. They will try and be all offense and you can destruct sc with defense and our offense. I mean 4 of our top 12 recruits all-time were on the defensive side of the ball this season. We lose Thibs, but you bring in Cyrus Moss, a few others and you are on your way. Don't give up on your dream, if that is the defense you had at Georgia! The main item is bring speed back to Oregon. Hopefully you have toured Hayward Field by now and talked to Robert Johnson. Create some synergies which had occurred between the track program and the football team. That is an amazing tool, use it. That is what the Oregon brand use to be, speed kills! Most importantly recruit and develop the skill players on offense. There is plenty of room in the Oregon Program for more Heisman's and National Championship Trophies. The sky is the limit while you are at Oregon, but keep your feet in Nike's and firmly planted on the ground!

Consistency does matter, especially for creating real teams. Teams are made up of a hierarchy of players who bring along the new guys. Coaches have expectations and the senior players bring along the new guys, quickening the learning process. This is why Chip was able to flourish and Mark was able to keep it going until his weaknesses overtook the process. Like I said in another thread it was amazing to see Utah start one qb in one scheme and then being able to pivot to another qb and a whole different scheme. That takes consistency in expectations so then the real coaching can take place. Student athlete know how to act, when to listen. Coaches know how to work well with each other. That is what we see with Utah and we use to see at Oregon. This is also why I think there may be some growing pains with the team being fairly young and full of new coaches. There will be a process of learning the systems and learning how to all work together. If it all works like clock work in the fist season, Lanning truly will be a magician. We will begin just like Mario left it, a team with a lot of talent, but little effective coaching. How long the process of getting effective coaching will be interesting to watch He is not taking over any processes or procedures from the previous coaches. He has to create them all, understand the program, the coaches, the players, and I am sure a million other things I nor anyone who hasn't done it, doesn't even begin to understand. This is a tall order for a new coach. We need to have high expectations, but understand the challenges.

Not sure we should have to compare the decisions of Mullens to Washington's AD to make him look good. He has done some good things, the dawgs on the other hand, are a dumpster fire. I will agree hindsight can make somebody feel pretty smart. I can also admit, that is often when I am at my best!

To be fair Hutson, Franklin and Thornton didn't get to see the ball tossed their way too often. I'm looking forward to a redo on that situation going forward!

I think Mullens biggest mistakes have been Helfrich's contract and the whole slick deal, with his contract too. There should have been a bigger buyout with slick. Mario made sure there was on with his contract. Mullens is an accountant, not a Human Resources expert. The accounting errors were his biggest mistakes and I hope he gets Lanning's contract correct. I hope he doesn't just follow the herd and leads on this one. Lanning contract should make sure Oregon is compensated even more as his contract extends. He isn't worth as much this year as he would be in 4 year with success. Be innovative and demanding Oregon is protected, longterm. I actually doubt he had too much to do with the Lanning hiring other than the contract, the financial side of it. There are smarter minds on this subject and also people who care greatly about the outcome. Going back to those who just following the herd, it could be much like Oregon did with their marijuana laws. We just followed what Washington did, you could only buy 1 pound a day. It was an absurd amount, but the safe way was just to do what others had done, don't blame me. Fortunately this was questioned and changed. I hope Mullens questions the buyout process and realizes if a coach says he wants to stay then incentivize his staying, and punish the leaving at the same rate. The salary goes up, so does the buyout. I would also like to see other ways we can assure the Oregon Football Program is protected from Lanning leaving us at an inopportune time. Maybe make the buyout double before the recruiting period is over, something, just earn you paycheck Mullens. We need commitment with better, smarter accountability.

My expectations are the coaches make the players better student athletes. What I was taken aback by was the discussion about the Utah football program. They started the season with one qb and a scheme designed for him. This didn't work out and they pivoted to design a new scheme for another qb. The switch was done in season and was successful. Oregon on the other hand seemed to try and stuff a scheme down the throat of players not necessarily ideal for the personnel. We didn't have the big bruising back and didn't pass enough to allow for an effective running game against good teams. We were lucky we had a qb who proved to be resilient, tough, and up to the running expectations. I don't expect so much as far as outcomes, wins, but I do expect progress, and good decisions. I am not sure our program is aligned with just seeing progress, they probably are now focused merely on wins. You're right about expectations, but what are those expectation focused on. Are we another program which can't accept a few hard fought losses, and the learning curve we undoubtedly will see? Times are a changing, expectations too.

While I hated the idea the program was beginning to be defined as merely a recruiting powerhouse, I also appreciated the effort. What Mario did in 4 years was impressive. From all indications what Dan Lanning is doing is equally or more impressive, as you make the case for. I think the scary part for me is will the Oregon faithful be too quick to define Dan as another Mario? Notre Dame has a young coach who arguably blew his bowl game. What if Dan shows his youthfulness, and makes mistakes which echo things we saw with Mario? Will the Oregon fans begin to boo Bo Nix, a three and out? We could definitely start the season 1-2, very easily. That would include to a team whose coach we didn't hire. Dan Lanning is going to give it his all. It is amazing to see him do two jobs right now, and pretty well. The question will be what kind of growing pains will he have as he takes over the head coaching duties? I am a little concerned there is no one with head coaching experience within this staff. I know there will be a learning curve, but the Oregon fanbase has proven it isn't as patient as it once was. I hope Dan comes up with 10 plus wins out of the gate, but the real question is what if he doesn't? Can the Oregon Football Program get behind a coach who seems to be putting the program behind where a coach they questioned was. I agree I am excited about everyone thing I hear out of the Dan Lanning era. The problem is the rubber really hits the road once the season starts. We are no longer happy to win the recruiting wars, or just win 10 games. That fascination is over, the program expects big things, now.