Dr Hilarius

Good point! Correction, the Buffs have an elite QB. Shedeur Sanders is #2 per PFF. Also, I just learned that Hawaii’s QB is #4 per PFF. The Ducks dominated on passing defense against both these QBs.

Some might argue that had Colorado not been boat-raced by the Ducks, the Buffs would be considered an elite offense. They are putting up gaudy numbers other than that game.

Great post! I guess being in the top 10 in both offensive and defensive scoring will do that. As a Duck fan, it’s been a looooooooong time since we’ve seen numbers like this. When was the last time we had a top-10 D?

So true! Because there are no other better offenses in FBS. Including the Ducks at #2, the Pac has 4 of the top 5 scoring offenses, and we play the other 3: USC, UW, WSU. We have shut down all the pass-heavy teams we’ve played this year. We are a top 10 D, and our passing D is better than our rushing D. I would much rather be us than them.

Passing D was our kryptonite last year, but this year we’re actually a better passing D than rushing D. We’re 8th in FBS in passing D (153 ypg) and 26th in rushing D (102 ypg), which translates to 10th in total D. Another reason to trust DL.

It’s the only move that makes sense. But it will never happen.

Wow—Bryce Boetcher is a captain this game. Give that man a scholarship already!

I have been thinking about this, and I am sure DL and crew don’t look at betting lines, but I bet they think about the games with the same analytics. What should the score be based on trends. That becomes “the standard” to beat. It’s not the opposition we’re beating, but our own performance against the oppo. And so far this year, OBD are 4-0 ATS.

The clear winner of this game is Kyle Whittingham’s hair.

This. I was listening to a podcast about politics this week, and they spent 10 mins chatting about Coach Prime, what he’s done at UC, how he’s done it, and how it’s been received. And of course, OBD got a shout-out for the beatdown.

The only reason I know anything about UW is bc they get mentioned in the same articles.

Great point!! We know from last week that DL gets the importance of style points and surprises.

If everyone stays healthy, we’re going to see head-to-head matchups btwn all of these QBs. I think those performances will go a long way in influencing Heisman voters. Williams, Ward, and Penix are surely going to attempt to put up bigger numbers, but Nix _should_ perform better for the wins. Also, the Duck D _should_ make them all look bad. Shedeur was in the Heisman running, but no one watching him last weekend would say he was the best player on the field, let alone the country. I can’t wait!

Is it a coincidence that FBS is reaching parity almost immediately after these improvements? I think the portal is a bigger influence, but when paired with NIL, student-athletes are empowered to serve themselves. They can make decisions that are right for themselves and achieve more. Wyoming better than Bama?? It’s not a whackadoodle question this year. EIGHT Pac teams in the top 25? Not a joke. Maybe talent is going where it _wants_ to go instead of where it _has_ to go and, therefore, performing better? (Or on a more conspiratorial note, maybe some of the blue bloods were offering NIL-equivalent deals on the D-L.) Anyway, correlation is not causation, but coincidence becomes pattern, which becomes reason. And the parity is way more fun to watch!

I totally agree. And I will add the Vernon Adams year was pretty dang fun to watch. I hope the Ducks beat USC this year in the same fashion that VA did!

Penalties will be a big story. While the HI game had too many penalties, there were fewer and for different infractions than the TT game. That is a big improvement IMHO. So if we continue the trend, we should be clean in a game or two.

I remember the first few games for Joe Walker, Troy Dye, and Kiko Alonso, and BB’s debut at LB is very similar. They are all ballhawks w a ton of energy and technique. Add on the story of the hometown center-field walk-on, and you have a Hollywood picture.

At some point coincidence can become a pattern. Is the O line bad? Is the strength and conditioning coach bad? Are there issues with communication and teamwork?

While I am glad the betting lines are favoring the Ducks, -21 seems like too big a spread. UW is -22 v Cal. Yet, CU seems much better than Cal, and UW is ranked higher than OBD. Don’t get me wrong, I fully expect the Ducks to win by 5 TDs, but I’m a homer. I didn’t think Vegas odds-makers were also Duck homers.

OMG—I am laughing so hard trying to say these names. Thanks @Charles Fischer!

It really depends on the current state of the Pac’s books. The Pac could conceivably have assets that would make it more lucrative for some Mountain West teams to join the Pac rather than the other way around. Granted, they would still drop to G5, but if they grabbed the better MW teams they would surely get a better TV deal than the MW. This scenario would be my preference.

…was that he was not a leader. His teams had the worst discipline of any team, ever. Bottom-dwellers in the penalties/yards stats. It was even worse off-field. Drugs, weapons, violence, all-of-the-above… I don’t want to rehash those painful memories.

I have nightmares about DAT racing Mariota to the endzone instead of turning around and blocking. I love your idea, @candyduck, of creating a “low-lights” reel to motivate and show why details matter.

I forgot that MH was callng the game and was just as disappointed with the commentary as I usually am. @Augduck had a good point—most Duck commentators know football but don’t actually know the Ducks.

Excellent point! And we were substituting like crazy with no drop-off.