cartm25

I've never been high on the "vacating wins" punishment; seems silly to me. Fine them and move on.

Though I can barely hold back my hatred for osu, the only thing I agree with what McElroy said is, ". . .worthy champion". A quick story: In college, we had a roommate from a wealthy family that confessed to us that he had been "salami-style" stealing our shampoo (i.e., take shampoo from a different roommate each day) in order to save money and hide the fact he was stealing. We appreciated his honesty, and not caring very much, we all laughed about it and easily moved on. A few days later, he entered the apartment and triumphantly declared that he bought his own shampoo. He had a look on his face that made it appear he expected us to congratulate and applaud him for this. We were unimpressed because normal people buy their own shampoo and don't steal from others. That is how I feel about osu having to "overcome" something. Really!? They had the most expensive, talented, experienced roster in the nation with legendary coaches as OC and DC; arguably the best coaching staff in the nation. You didn't overcome hardship, you just finally played up to what was expected of you. A worthy champion, yes . . . but no applause for your "hardship".

I still give Brady the GOAT status, but Mahomes is approaching rapidly. Hard to argue, if KC 3-peats, that they aren't the best team--or had the best stretch--in NFL history. I guess, now that I've typed that, I'd probably only give them the best stretch in NFL history because there are some LOADED teams from the past. Amazing how teams with excellent HC's and QB's can have prolonged success.

This is concerning, especially because DL had been given the "defensive genius" label. He still could be if they overhaul and things improve, but the Ducks defense didn't look the part against elite competition.

I was rooting for Buffalo in this one. I'm to the point now that I'm rooting against KC in almost every scenario. Nothing will turn me against a player/team than seeing the best player in the world getting treated with kid gloves, and even worse, when the best player (Mahomes) flops . . . in football. Unfortunately I'm compelled to root for the Eagles in this one. I like Andy Reid, and I generally like the KC team, but at some point I have to oppose the team that has stymied my 49ers their last two SB trips.

So good!! Sadiq must be unleashed next year . . . and every year he's on the Ducks roster.

I'll take someone from the Lanning, Sark, DeBoer group. If I were forced to put money on it, as much as I don't want to say it, I would go with either Sark or DeBoer before Lanning; primarily because of the monsters they always have at every position group. DeBoer only needs his style of QB that can pass all over the field, rather than only run or throw bombs. Sark appears to have a generational talent in Manning at QB. Pair Manning with the Texas monsters and they'll be formidable. I think Lanning is setting up for a serious run at the National Championship starting in 2026+. He needs to recruit more athletic beef on the Dline, and more length at the DB spot. Couple that with Dante Moore having two years experience and developing chemistry with the offense, and we could finally see the ultimate prize come to Eugene.

It's a shame it could take that long. Every person in the sports media world, that I watched, thought the Ducks got hosed with their path to the CFP. Strike while the iron's hot.

Thank you @Darren Perkins!! We need this during the offseason. 1) What will Oregon’s record be and how far will they get in the playoffs? -- Somewhere between 10-2 and 11-1 is my expectation. Let's get past the first round of the CFP is my minimum hope/expectation. 2) Will there be a dominant team in college football? -- NO then Yes. To start the season, I think there will be a lot of developing teams without one really standing out, and by the end of the year one or two will emerge. 3) What the heck will happen with Lincoln Riley and USC? -- Hopefully he continues to perform below expectations, but do well enough to not get let go. My ultimate fear is USC getting someone like Deion Sanders. 4) Will there be any changes to the playoff seedings and who deserves a first-round bye? -- There should be. Why wait when there is an ultra-rare, general consensus about certain items, specifically the seeding? 5) How will the SEC “rebound” from having only three teams in the playoff? -- The SEC will be fine, but they won't have a stranglehold anymore. 6) Will a team not from the SEC, B1G, or named Notre Dame make the semi-finals? -- Likely not, but best bets would be Clemson / Miami from the ACC. 7) Will Michigan and Alabama bounce back? -- If DeBoer gets HIS QB (an actual competent passer), then watch out for Bama. Michigan is a toss-up for me. 8) Will Dante Moore succeed at quarterback? -- He appears to have all the "arm-talent" in the world. Let's make it happen!! 9) Will the Ducks lose a coordinator? Maybe 2? -- Hard to predict. If Will Stein's offense can bounce back, then he's most likely to get scooped up. Lupoi is a known entity, and if the Ducks D is incredible, questions will remain as to who's responsible, Lupoi or Lanning. 10) What is your gut feeling for 2025? -- Always nervous excitement. I trust Dan Lanning. I'm concerned about the OLine (chemistry) and the Dline (bulk/depth). Can't wait to see Dante Moore in action!!!

Definitely a possibility. It was a fun pondering exercise for myself to consider all angles, possibilities, implications, etc.

I second this! Was looking through comments to see if anyone else had selected it. Too good not to include.

Great post! Colin Cowherd often says, "Judge your decisions based on what your primary rivals think about them." A variation of that would be, "What can you learn from what your primary rivals do." If osu is interested in Hampton and not Lupoi, that would get my mind churning. Do they see Lupoi exceptional and untouchable? Have they seen enough of Lupoi, and know they don't want anything to do with him? What is it about Hampton that they want so bad; what do they know or see?

Didn’t realize Brian Kelly was on the bad end of this list.

I thought this was interesting, so I thought I’d share: