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I would add the offense may not need a Heisman caliber qb to win games. With the weapons available, and the O-line, we may be able to win some games with a serviceable qb. The D might also be good enough to help win some games. I do agree it is not a good sign our new senior qb with experience didn't see the field. Maybe beating North Park, with an enrollment close to what my high school had, isn't a good way to prep for D-1 football? I think we have some options, with good coaching, to sit Bo for short periods. I also agree there isn't greatness sitting on the bench. I do look forward to seeing the defense we thought we were going to have last year, materialize this year. We can't afford to see the defense fail like it did at critical junctures again. What I saw on the field gave me hope.

Burch and Jacobs are going to be even more impactful than Gonzo was last year. I think these critical positions are now manned by players who can do what Lanning wants to see. We have legitimate speed at wideout, and Tez is going to create some highlight film before the season is over. At qb Ty seems to finally be hitting his stride, and Austin looks to have potential. I think Ty needs to start every set he goes in for with a run where he gets hit, and never repeat any of the plays he has runs first up to this point, ever again! The guys head doesn't seem to be right when he goes into the game cold. Fortunately our qb's have weapons galore! I still look forward to seeing what Jurrion Dickey can do, and how Pleasant's speed impacts the team. Also it will be interesting to see who leaves, and any moves Lanning makes in the portal. Lastly I love seeing the energy, and camaraderie the teams seems to be building. It is going to take a team of players, and continued development of on field leadership. Lots of potential, and the future looks bright! I will say this was one of my favorite moves.

I actually hope he stays a 3*, comes to camp with a chip on his shoulder and outworks everyone. We need some effort guys to push everyone to their potential. A big possible weakness to our program is student athletes getting soft after arriving at the best facilities in college football. I'll always remember Ngata talking about seeing Olshansky in the weight room, and thinking this is the place that will push me to my potential. We need guys thinking this way, not I have made it. I love the talk about Oregon being one big family, but a working family. A family with goals, expectations and achievements!

Scholarships are offered, and until signed are not binding. Most scholarships are binding for one year, and renewed for up to 5 years, Covid, extended this length. Scholarships can be binding for multi years, and I think Charles mentioned transfers get a locked scholarship, all the way until they get their 5 years. One way to look at it is if an academic scholarship is given and the students grades drop, they lose their scholarship. I suppose, the same is happening with athletic scholarships, if your performance drops you lose it. Transfers aren't the same, they get the full length, unless the scholarship athlete decides to move on. I don't think I covered everything you asked but hope this helps. Maybe others can chime in, correct me, add on?

The good, if you really are that great and can produce there is NIL money. The bad if you really aren't that good, and don't produce the scholarship may not be there. Welcome to the new world of college football. For every Gonzo who transfers and is extremely successful, there are many more who never leave the transfer portal. We can say we don't like it, but it is the way college football has evolved. To me it seems like shopping for players in the December to January time frame is more fruitful. The players who have proved themselves at a lesser school hit the portal looking for a better place to show their skills. Oregon is a perfect place to upgrade at that time like we did with Gonzo. The problem now is we need a few players, and we might get stuck with underperformers. As Charles has noted, when you pick up a transfer you are liable for his scholarship for the length of his education, produce or not. I wonder if we fill our scholarship max with transfers if we have more transfers out, or will they hold a few for the better transfer window in January?

We should never compare ourselves to any other program, especially one which has never won, and probably never will win an NCAA mens championship. I think our strength is we never compare, we just lead, and let the rest wonder how we do it. Oh they wonder along with complain, and come up with a massive list of excuses for underperformance, which is the definition of a loser, by the way. I think one of the Oregon greats said it best with this.....

Pretty sure Holden was reinstated back in February, but maybe I missed a headline? I also think Jordan Burch might one of the difference makers on defense to watch. Jacobs will be another player who fits Lanning's ideal at LB, and this should impact our defense in a huge positive way. My main concern is depth at QB. Too many seasons have relied on one qb, and when he went down so did our season. The critical element to this season is having a back-up qb ready to go. Stein will need to install our offense, but more importantly have a back-up qb ready to go. Hopefully this will be the quiet story we never have to see develop. Maybe this season, and definitely next season is going to rely on this story to actually have legs.

This is Thompson's year to establish himself as the back-up, and I don't think there are far better options now. If he fails to develop this season, then I would agree there will be better options, but, this season, Thompson is the guy. The question I have is will Stein be a better qb developer for Thompson. I could attribute some of Ty's issues with the play calling, and maybe he wasn't in sync with Dilly. I hope this is the case because we will need a back-up ready to go. The spring game will be our first step in seeing if this is the case. I do agree this will the biggest developing story this spring, fall and during the season. We are, again, one bad break away from being without a leader on the field for our offense. We can't put our back-up in and not have confidence he can throw, and lead the team down the field. Right now this is a big question mark. I would love to see Thompson really shine, and Novosad look like he can do some things. Right now I don't want either guy having to lead the team.

I would say Saban is very concerned, for the student athletes who sign on with the U. Saban is good at developing talent and helping young men reach their potential. When he sees young men buy into the shtick Cristobal is selling he has to know, better than most, exactly what the outcome is going to be. Saban sees Cristobal as a threat to these poor impressionable student athletes. My bet his recruiting pitch to anyone considering Miami is better than anyone else's. He can say first hand how he used Cristobal, and what these players are going to see. If your not an O-lineman, run, don't walk away from playing for Cristobal. Saban may be a little concerned about Cristobal the recruiter, but it is because he knows what Alabama can do with the talent Cristobal can bring in. On the field Saban's Alabama against a Cristobal led Miami would look like...... It is impressive to see a fanbase go from 7-5 to 5-7 and think they are going in the right direction. I suppose you spend that much on a coach you have to rule the preseason.

What seems to be lost in this day and age is the fact that when you denigrate an opponent you take away from any victory, or moment you may have had. When you build up an opponent your victory or moment becomes even bigger. I hope Coach Lanning can get the players to buy into that kind of culture. I realize football is an extremely high energy sport, and emotions can get the best of our players. At the same time, in the vast majority of the situations, I want players who act like they have been there before, and are ready to do it again. This will serve players longterm in football and life.

Morning music to my ears!

Wow, how lucky we are to have you bringing us your insights, thank you! I have to admit, you had me at 'The Oregon Ducks Offense.'

Some great insights, but just give me football, and my Ducks!

Thanks for sharing your insights, and the work you have done to bring it to light for us, bravo!

There is plenty of amazing talent which never makes it past AAU ball. Just like there are brilliant people living on the street. Aptitude doesn't convert into what someone is capable of without the right attitude. We need attitude, not just aptitude. Agree I do think Altman is over trying to convert attitudes and look for more scrappy talent going forward.

I remember this free throw discussion before, and it hasn't changed. To me free throw shooting is a direct indicator of both a players ability, discipline and willingness to struggle. This team lacks discipline and doesn't seem to understand how ability develops. If I was coach, go less than 70% from the charity line then you shoot underhanded. You don't average more than 33% from the 3 point line you don't shoot the 3. You also better have an extremely good rebound per minute stat if you weak in an area, or you will never see the court. Maybe I am too harsh, but there needs to be certain metrics you have to meet. Seems like basketball players are all about the moments where they slam the ball, or break somebodies ankles with one move. That now means they are the best players on the team. No longer is passing, moving, defending, rebounding, free throw shooting, and effort valued. I think Dana needs to bring back value to those statistics, attributes. I think Dana has lost his way, these kids are out there, but he has chased the wrong student athletes lately. Those attributes are what Duck basketball was and should be all about.

I'll just say I look forward to what he puts on the floor next season. At least one of the players playing last night seemed to be trying to earn a spot on the floor next season, a 7 footer from a small town in Oregon. I look forward to a couple more from Oregon seeing the floor next fall. That team needed the heart and soul Dana tries to instill every night. I actually wouldn't mind seeing some of the players transferring out.

Agree this is about as frustrating as it gets, but it also jumps into the political world, and doesn't really meet the standards of discussion, IMHO. I also applaud all posters for not taking this sideways!

Richardson was a very nice young man and a decent basketball player. You need ice in your veins and spice in your heart to excel in competition. He just didn't have it.

Whatever it is going to take, but I would say an upgrade at point guard, and better 3 point shooting is critical. When I saw our point guard left wide open at the three point line at the end of the first half against UCLA, and he decided to drive for two I knew it was over. We need players who are threats from the outside, and inside to be a well rounded team. I am excited about the Jackson Shelstad era we are about to see begin!

The best recent news is we signed a transfer who can shoot the long ball, over 40% at threes! Oregon basketball lands transfer commitment from JUCO ranks SATURDAYOUTWEST.COM Oregon basketball adds a JUCO transfer.

The article got me to think about the LA schools move to another conference like to the two coaches who left us. Slick and MariØ left our team for more short term money and for something they perceived as better. Both of them have failed miserably. Do we want to chase short term money and fail like the LA schools undoubtedly will? I would rather potentially suffer a little, and keep our integrity. A reputation is earned over decades, and often destroyed by one shortsighted move. Our program will be desirable if we build it like we are. Our program will lose the one thing it has fought for over the decades by the doing the easy thing, leaving the Pac. We need to stay in the Pac, and win big. The eyeballs, and money will come, and we can keep our probity, unlike the LA schools and the old coaches.

San Diego State wins the Mountain West to get into the tourney. They will have to win the Pac to get into the tourney if they get into our conference. They are tough at home, but winless against ranked teams, like most of their conference teams. The Pac did fairly well against ranked teams, except the dawgs, 0-5.

Guaranteed Lanning is calling Duce regularly until he signs in April. I would love to see him come to campus again. I would also imagine if a higher rated prospect goes all in on a verbal and a lower ranked verbal is on his 4th official visit after committing, the next call may be, we have moved on. <iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/3o7btNRptqBgLSKR2w" width="480" height="480" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/latenightseth-whatever-shrug-3o7btNRptqBgLSKR2w">via GIPHY</a></p>

Purdue losing to a team seeded lower than them isn't a bad bed historically. I wonder what the betting line was for the game with their history? That dark cloud over Matt Painter's March resume just got darker as the Boilermakers fell 63-58 to FDU, becoming just the second No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed (UMBC beat Virginia in 2018). This is the fifth time a Painter-led Boilermakers team has lost to a double-digit seed: No. 11 VCU (2011), No. 12 Little Rock (2016), No. 13 North Texas (2021), No. 15 St. Peter's (2002), No. 16 (Friday). Purdue is the only team to lose to a 13-seed or higher in three straight NCAA tournaments. If your having a bad day, be grateful you're not a boilermaker, or a real boilermaker, I suppose.