Haywarduck

I agree with Charles and Mr. Joseph, with an even rosier outlook for some programs. I would argue many programs have been playing the NIL type game for a while. Most have suffered, and the ones doing it right have, mostly, succeeded. This is my basic philosophy of life, I think there will always be good and evil. Trying to put down all evil is like playing whack a mole, it will always rise up somewhere else. In college football there has always been the programs which go after the Reggie Bush's and Cam Newton's and some succeed. Others go after the student athletes who want an education and the best opportunity to get the NFL. I think Oregon can really make a name for itself if they continue to be a program that enables players to make the NFL while expanding their educational opportunities. What Oregon needs to do is to get ahead of educating these student athletes on how to manage money and the opportunities which present themselves. We already lead on academic help with the Jaqua Center. We now need another element to teach them how to deal with these new opportunities. If we fall into the same group as the A&M's and just give massive money to student athletes we will fail like many entering this new era. I think we will position ourselves uniquely as we have many times in the past. I look forward to Oregon staying above the fray, for the most part. We can knock down all the negative impacts, but we can become one of the success stories and create even more capable student athletes in this new transfer, NIL era. I can hope so, can't I?

I think it wall add another wrinkle in analyzing recruits. Is this recruit worth the effort based on talent and based on attitude within the new structure of college football. Teams miss all the time with their recruits. Missing based on the attitude of a player might be even more devastating for a program. If you miss on the talent of a player you usually have a back-up plan, maybe even a walk-on who adds to the program. If you miss on the attitude of a player you may have a hole in the program or even worse. The attitude of the team is going to be an even harder component of a program to develop and keep on the healthy side. How long before a player runs off the field like Antonio Brown did as a Bucc? Playing time, playing up their egos, and making sure they have enough NIL money is going to potentially add a hole, not just a wrinkle. I just hope it doesn't also add a large sucking sound on the field, sideline and locker room.

Agree the RB group, and coaching of that group may be the surprise of the season. While our qb play was subpar in comparison to the past starters, the RB position has also faltered. With a proven RB coach and a new speedster we may just see a renewed threat in our running game. I think what will be interesting is which coach is able to instill his scheme and player development into the program first, and best. We have a qb, and rb transfer who their position coaches wanted. Which coach can get their group playing up to the level we expect, and functionally into the scheme they want? I would say our RB coach is the one who is most proven and under the radar. I look for the RB group to have a large impact this season. No more repeated runs up the gut will help. I think the coaching ability will be an even larger factor.

Great discussion, but it will always be the last one. Proud to see the old teams defended, but when a team wins it all it will be the greatest. All the teams which made it possible, will most likely, be forgotten. One item we have always been weak at is depth. When Dixon went down it was over. In 2014 we didn't have receiver depth. Even in 2001 we didn't have the depth in program history. I think we just might be beginning to have the depth of players and program history to make a real run. The powers that be may just let us in. Once there we just might have the depth in players and win it all. Once that happens I hope we don't forget the greats of the past. Much like Brooks who doesn't look so great because of his record, we can't forget those who got us here. This is another defining element of the Oregon Program and it's fans. We are proud of every part of our program. From the Brooks program, to even recently the hiring outsiders, we have built a program we can be proud of. A program moving towards being the greatest of all time!

The problem with AB was teams figured him out. He was like a pitcher who baffled teams with one pitch, but then once they figured there was only one pitch he was easy to hit. AB was a running qb with limited passing ability. I was actually startled more teams didn't pick off his sideline throws after Stanford figured out that was one of the few passes he could complete. The Stanford LB almost picked off two of them. That was a pass AB made way too many times if I was a DC of the opposing team. AB did his best and gave it his all. For that we should all be grateful. The fact that the guys underneath him didn't get any playing time would seem to have been unjust. We will see in the coming years.

I suppose the question should also be asked who would have started at Texas A&M and won the heisman with Mike Evans as a receiver? Johnny wasn't all that great without Evans.

And what happens if Bo isn't named starter? There are so many what ifs, that it is hard to even begin to put the variables together. All I hope is we have a solid starter and a back-up who is ready to take over. I also want to see a starter who has upside over the next few years. Nix has two years to play, but will he improve over the next two years. I could see both Ty and Jay leaving if it looks like another two years sitting on the bench. This is going to be a tricky needle to thread. We are going to want to see our qb thread the needle on the field. We are also going to want our coaches to thread the needle on picking the right guy, and having a strong back-up. I would say this is probably the most difficult decision I have seen at Oregon in a while. All I can say is all the qb's better be working hard right now. Another variable is working hard down south, without the Oregon receivers may not be the smart way to work hard. The shrewd qb is working with his receivers and not on spring break away from the program. Staged practice < Fun practice with your teammates.

I am about ready to give DanLan the coach of the year award already. I do love hearing the players respect his football intelligence. Hearing he is thought of as genuine also fills me up. I would add Mario did a lot of in game adjustments. Seeing adjustments which work and beguile the opponents, now that would be an adjustment.

Of course Oregon has an Ultimate Frisbee title too!

And they won in women's boxing too, where dawgs never lift a leg, probably aren't any urinals either.

I thought you were going to say the Cougs, that would have been a shocker. Sounds like he has a pretty solid list. Oh yeah, I guess the dawgs are only 35 minutes from his house.

TE position, my sentimental vote would be for Cam McCormick to have THE breakout year. I would also love to see him have a strong 4 year NFL career so he has a pension and then leave with his body is decent shape. The kid has had more bad luck than Ann Hodges. Ok, Ann is the only person known to have been hit by a meteorite. Cam certainly has all the measureables, and it seems like all the things you can't measure, best of luck to this guy, this year and going forward!

He is 6' 5" and runs a 4.43 40. The only reason he didn't break out last season is now in Miami. The kid sat on the bench after averaging a touchdown every other catch. I suppose he also needs a qb who can throw the ball, and see the field, but that hopefully won't be the issue it was last year. Breakout is a great term to describe what is going to happen this year. Unleash the hounds, I say. The other guy to breakout is our only Butkus Award winner out of high school ever to sign to play for the Ducks. If he can stay healthy we are going to see a defense which will be unlike anything we have ever seen. QB's are going to be seeing shadows for a couple games after playing the Ducks. The tackling ability of Noah and the speed of a safety is going to be unleashed on college football. Look out for the college Butkas award arriving at Oregon. Basically the Oregon we all knew and dreamed about is about to breakout of the shackles it has been under. The whole program is going to breakout with a few of the players exceeding even our wildest dreams!

The fall of the once great, well thought of as great, dawg empire. A very good coach, who will help a lot, but going from head coach at dawgtown to an analyst at Oregon speaks volumes about the two programs directions!

Great points, but Mario was able to convince recruits, even though he had a very suspect record as a head coach when he took over Oregon's gift to head coaches. You do provide a very good point of view we should all ponder as we judge our recruiting out of the gate. Agree Dan-Lan is looking better every day. I also look forward to seeing those game management skills!

The smart NIL money will reward play at the collegiate level. All this money chasing high school kids is going to ruin the 'culture' of college football. Programs who reward players who are performing, whether it is a transfer or star player will thrive. Transfers are the ones who should be rewarded. The starting players should also receiver NIL money unlike the rest of the team. Performance should mean pay. Players who come on campus already fat and happy will most often make the team worse off. I can only imagine how the upper classmen are going to receive these overpaid freshman. There use to be hazing, and I can only imagine hazing on steroids for some of these kids. I remember how Oregon use to put out a few select jerseys for sale at the start of the season. The DAT jersey and a couple others. The players got none of the money. In the future those select players should benefit from their past performance, and lead the team. This can be a healthy situation as long as their is respect of the team and players who have earned it. I will say no one knows how it will all play out, only time will tell.

What I find troubling is Altman is the king of finding and creating team players. It seems he went out of his standard makeup of players when he put together this seasons set of players. Maybe he was just unlucky, but Altman has a formula I don't want to see changed. I can agree we need a supreme leader on the floor going forward. I do think when we see Oregon win it all, it will be with a floor leader like we have never seen before. If we have an Altman on the floor with ice in his veins we just might see the second big trophy for the Oregon Basketball Program. What is exciting is we do have the bigs to complement a true leader. Another years development of the bigs, a floor leader, and a cold blooded gunner and we can make another great run! What Altman is doing right now is laying the groundwork for what he wants. I hope it works out, and we see that dynamic team we thought we might just have this season.

This is where the smart money will go. I can only imagine what the programs that are spending like drunken sailors on the whole NIL are going to look like down the road. It takes a team to win it all, and my bet team won't include any Name, Image or Likeness of what Tennessee is doing.

It would seem if it has lost all meaning, then a discussion would help better define the term, right? If you truly want to stifle the use, maybe suggest the next time somebody says culture they have to take a shot of tequila.

Great update on the programs, and one of the great, but tragic stories of Oregon football players.

The men's programs most often lauded in preseason polls. Remember they were predicted to go undefeated last year. The truth, they can barely lift their hind leg on the national level.

And the dawgs are still waiting for their first men's NCAA title, I mean never have the men won at anything. The women up in seattle also have the only club championship for the dawgs, in boxing, sounds about right.

I have a feeling we are going to see production from the RB position like in the past. Whoever Locklyn wants I am all in for. I do want to see more speed return to the position!

Nice to know what it was, Richardson is a quality Duck. Too bad his season was effected like that, shows his impact on the team.

Lucky lady, truly one of the great Ducks. This young man has what it takes to be successful on and off the field, congrats to both.