Log Haulin

5*+ DJ Pickett on Oregon per On3 Oregon: “Oregon has a lot of resources, and it’s somewhere I feel like I can be successful at. That’s a long ways from home, but I’d have less distractions. And it’s an opportunity to get to play early, and everybody in the building, they’re just really cool people. They’ve got the connection with Nike, and after school is over I could get more into the Nike business. They have all the resources, in my opinion. They’re about their business, and they take the defensive side serious. They’re prepared, and they do everything well.” It's not a leap to conclude that Nike and Knight are behind Oregons recruiting success. When Lanning was hired he made it clear that the Knight and Nike connection was a major factor. DL is a great recruiter and hot up and comer. Knight played a huge role in locking Lanning in. DL snub of Bama and aTm is a direct effect of the Knight factor imo.

It's no secret, they just call it valuation and use collectives like Division Street. Just word games is all, imo. You don't even have to be among the best players in the highest rated sport going to storied school to cash in. Livvy Dunne and Bronny James were/are top 5 NIL earners. There are a lot of reasons athletes choose a school. But money, opportunity and connections will always top the list. As will "can you get me to the league?". "Money talks" will never not be a thing. These come from the collective. And it's not always talent alone that gets you paid. Sanders and James have name recognition and Dunne has beauty. These 3 are top 5 earners at one point. The game has changed and Oregon has the greatest sports marketing organization in history backing them. That makes a huge difference.

Precisely. The game changed overnight. It's great that Oregon has the "flex" to produce in this new environment. Oregon, as a sports business, stepped into the opportunities created very quickly. I applaud that even if my thinking of what college football now is has a degree of lag with such rapid change in the reality we see now. Well done Mr. Knight, even if it's click bait.

Oregon FB's Recruiting Run Funded By Nike BROBIBLE.COM Nike founder Phil Knight wants the University of Oregon to win a national championship in... Pretty obvious who funds Oregons NIL. Nonetheless, it puts a ton of pressure on DL. Especially on 4th and 3 from 30. Looks like Oregon is Texas 2.0. I love the fact that with the new CFB, Knight is willing to dump a truck load of Cash on that big yellow O at Autzen.

Oregon fans are the clear winner. One could argue that that's the way it should be.

The "reload" era has arrived!

Meh, the world is small and shrinking with every tick and tock. The only thing in the way of Oregon recruiting like tOSU, Bama or UGA is time and decision. Oregon has made a decision to be the "best of the best" years ago. They grabbed another gear a few years ago and as the clock ticks year to year, they are now one of the leading programs with one of the most talented rosters. Oregon has no excuses for failure at this point, imo. They definitely don't seem to be a program looking for excuses either. In today's world, geographic location is one of the weakest excuses. I hear people say "I want my parents to be able to watch me play" is a real issue for top recruits. We live in a world of NIL and kickbacks. There isn't a top recruit in the country that can't get their folks to the game. "Get me to the league" is the base. It starts there. So do that and Ducks will be top 5 every year. The rest is just excuses.

I think Fusky will struggle. 8-9 wins. The Wisky game is the one that has my attention. That could be a make or break game for UO with the playoff committee. If Ducks drop tOSU and Mich games, Wisky game is super sketchy.

I have to agree. Football rarely has a Cinderella win it all. Especially college football. The paring down of conferences and ultimately teams able to compete for top talent will expand the number of programs with a legit shot at a title. But those teams will basically be compressed into two conferences. It will be like the old AFL/NFL.

Going undefeated no longer matters, 10 wins in the B1G gets a playoff birth. "Every game matters" mantra no longer applies. At Wiskey in late Nov? At the Big House? V. tOSU? B1G champ game? Ducks could go undefeated... sure Odds are greater for a 9 win season than a 12 win season. DL needs to show more with in game coaching to get to 12 wins. I no longer care about an undefeated season. Ten or eleven gets the job done. The rest is just bragging rights.

Oregon has done well. They have positioned themselves near the top of college football in the minds of highschool recruits and portal transfers. The leadership at UO and Nike have been brilliant at maneuvering in this rapidly changing landscape driven by money and power. There are so many layers to the college game outside of fall saturdays. Oregon has played this game as well as any other program in the country. From NIL to conference realignment to portal transfers, Oregon is at the top of the game. Now they just need it to translate on the field. With the massive changes in the game there will be a ton of losers and a few winners. Looks like Oregon is in the winners bracket. With the culling of the herd and Oregon leaderships ability to see around corners of an ever changing landscape, Oregon will continue to attract a high level of blue chip talent. In the end, there will be only two conferences elite talent will be looking to. Oregon, so it seems, is perceived as one of the elites of the Big 2 in the minds of recruits. Oregon is in position to become the elite program of the west. That is a huge advantage over Trojan and Fusky. It appears soon Oregon will be on equal footing as UGA, tOSU, Bama, Mich... So these visits and increasing commitments of elite talent, to me, isn't surprising. I said it months ago, Lanning and the Ducks will simply reload every year. Soon, instead of me saying at the end of seasons "we are losing this guy or that", I will be saying "ok... who's next". And that's pretty cool!

I don't mind spending a couple/few hundred to go see a big game once or twice a year. These prices, in my mind, can't be justified. Television coverage is excellent these days and UO is a primetime attraction. College football, a stretch calling it that these days, is rapidly becoming unrecognizable. We will see where the college game ends up but I will not be spending thousands to watch a game that, to me, is becoming increasingly unattractive. That's just me though. I have no opinion on those who are willing to spend that kind of money. Many will. I can see many occasional attendees and season ticket holders being priced out of a seat.

Not a big risk to make the statement Dillon Gabriel "feels like... most likely...". Not a serious article imo. Gabriel is in a much better position than Nix when Bo showed up. Gabriel has the support of a majority of Oregons fan base and arguably better tallent around him. Something Nix did not enjoy and had to earn in year one. Also, more continuity in the coaching staff than when Nix showed up.

Ok... Bucket list check off: Cordon Blue cooking lesson... check.

Yea, I don't know how to cook neither but my waste removal skills are blueblood for sure.