oregon112

I like the nightmare green unis.

Both the offense and defense looked good much of the time that year. If Taggart and Leavitt stayed, who knows what the Ducks could be like right now? But they also lost to every ranked team that they played that year. Where was the 'system' in regards to getting the backup QB ready for action? Wasn't that the year that Burmeister was not so good? 2017 was when Herbert started getting all that recognition as a top QB. Thanks for the trip down memory lane. As for the 'system'... it looked far better than the system the next two seasons on offense, anyway.

To make it super simple - just play a 4 team playoff AFTER all the traditional bowl games have been played. For example, this season: Cincy and Coastal Carolina could play some top teams in bowl games. Then pick your top 4 ranked teams after all the bowl games. With power 5 conf championship games in the mix as well, you will get a true top 4 when the bowl games are done. And the best part is - the traditional meaning of the bowl games are restored. The bad part would be top teams knocking each other off in post season games before the playoffs start. But no system is going to be perfect. To go to 16, the conf championship games would probably have to be scrapped, which would be OK if they went that deep in the playoffs. I hate the bye round for the top seeds. Too much of an advantage. Football has injuries - its not like playing an extra baseball/hockey/basketball game. Or shorten the season by a game or two, and give everybody a couple of extra games that would be good matchups at the end of the season.

Great Question. And why leave if you don't perform a miracle, you are out fast and your reputation is in the toilet. Kiffen is a good coach, and he was bounced out of there. Lane has been succeeding at every stop since. USC is a setup to fail, especially since many of the top players in so cal are going east to play college football. I doubt that anyone could restore USC to the Pete Carroll era anytime soon.

Absolutely. But if Ga wins the SEC, and bama has 2 losses, then bama should be out - under normal circumstances.

In this day and age, you always have to worry about your best potential talent going away via the transfer portal. Play Thomson a few series each game, just to keep him around for next season.

My best case: TT starts and hits Thornton on many deep balls. Devon W. is unstoppable and racks up many first down catches. Brown gets comfortable at weakside LB. Pressure on QB from both edge positions. Benson plays like a beast. McGee is the second coming of DAT. Secondary tightens up and makes QBs afraid to throw the ball. Bass, Forsyth, and Sala are all pac12 offensive linemen. If all of this happens, then everything else takes care of itself. I have a thousand times more faith in the players than I do in the coaching staff right now. This team still has the roster to do great things.

Outside of Ws and Ls, the playoff spots are largely a 'beauty contest'. Oregon got its spots in 2010 and 2014 due to looking oh so good. In 2012, Oregon lost to Stanford late in the season. Alabama lost to A&M also late in the season, but bama went on to the conf championship game, after blowing out Auburn. Oregon would get in front of Ohio St with even records, but only if Oregon starts looking like a playoff team. The problem is - Oregon does not look good and if they are beating unranked mediocre pac12 teams by one or two scores, they will not be impressing the selection crew. But if the Ducks start blowing out teams and get the excitement cranked up, they could get a spot. If bama loses to Ga in the SEC champ game, then they are out, and another spot opens up.

The fan base was concerned due to the style of play the two games before Stanford. What happened at the Stanford game was what we were all afraid of. Barely beat Cal, blow them out, or lose like to them like they did last year. Its anybody's guess.

I was thinking the same exact thing about the next Alabama game. Unfortunately, I don't feel the same way about the upcoming Oregon game. Cristobal will probably get mad and call for more running plays.

Cal and Colorado should be wins and the rest could be close games that could go either way. As long as opposing teams are much better at QB, Oregon is in trouble. I think they lose two more games from here on out. Could be worse.

Leavitt is a great DC. Helfrich was a great OC. Great coordinator does not equal great head coach. It would be a huge gamble for USC.

I watched a good part of the first half of the Red River Shootout last Saturday. THAT is the kind of college football that I want to see. Teams going at it with style and aggression. Taking shots on offense and defense. Oregon football has become lame. Offensive plays to gain just a few short yards and defense that lets teams march up and down the field. Everyone who loves college football can see that Oregon's style is just not very inspirational, and it is the same kind of stuff that we have been seeing since 2018. The Ohio St game was really fun to watch, but I think that will be the high water mark for the next several years. When we heard that there would be no QB change after the Stanford game, I think that took a lot of air out of our balloons.

Assuming that Oregon does not make any major changes, and that is probably a very good assumption, I think it would be tough for Oregon to cover the spread. So assuming that Oregon is still vulnerable to the short passes and gives up a lot of yards. Cal gets 24. That means that Oregon has to score over 38 to cover. I don't think it happens, especially with Verdell out. I predict Oregon wins by 7, they get scared a little, and the pull away late. I never pay any attention to over/under. You never know when a game is going to offensive or defensive minded. But according to my prediction, the combined score is 55 (31 to 24), so I would take the under by half a point.

I recall Lincoln Riley this week, Sweeny and Saban a few years ago, changed QBs and the results were a dramatic improvement. Helfrich did well with Adams and when he decided to go with Herbert. Switching from Prukop to Herbert was the only time I recall an Oregon coach doing something like that since I started watching them in 2006, other than Brown going in for Shough parts of the last two games last year. Most of the time, when Oregon's replacement QBs came in due to injury, it was a dramatic step down in performance. By game 5 of the season, it should not be a mystery of what to do. The coaches had the same QBs in Spring camp, Fall camp and the first month of the season. At that point, it becomes a question of willingness to make a change. I think Oregon should have started TT vs Stoneybrook to see if would be ready if the need arises, due to injury or less than stellar play from the starter. Also, why take a chance on getting your starter hurt in a cupcake game? Had TT gotten a full game in previously, he would have been more ready to come into the Stanford game. We don't see practices, only games. So we don't know how much the backup gets to practice the playbook and how well he runs the plays. Therefore, we don't know how ready he is. Same thing with previous Oregon coaches. But Lincoln Riley obviously had his backup ready to play.