DUCKED

Playoff gold, yes. But only if they run the table, and end up handing Ohio State it’s only loss.

Possibly, but I don’t believe anyone wants anything to do with John Gruden right now, nor should they. Racist, bigoted, homophobic……doesn’t play well at all. He’s done…and should be. Good riddance.

If the Ducks go 13-1, yes, they have a shot at the playoffs. But that’s a big IF. They have some tough road games coming up. Winning convincingly the rest of the season and in the Pac-12 championship game would certainly help their chances. You gotta figure the SEC to have two teams, especially if Bama can beat Georgia. The Big Ten champ will likely make it (which, if it’s Ohio State, will help Oregon’s chances) then there’s the Pac-12, the ACC, and Cincinnati if they win out, which is likely given they have a weaker schedule than everyone else.

Whenever I see someone stand over the ball too long, it drives me crazy. Too many swing thoughts paralyze you, tightens you up, makes you tentative. Scott Hoch many years ago stood over a gimme putt to win The Masters, way way too long and missed it. Even the announcers said, “he just needs to hit it.” The analysis I realize is shaky, but is Cristobal standing over the ball too long? Does he need to stop over analyzing everything, and let his players take a full swing? Grip it and rip it? Maybe it’s time.

Right on. I’ve posted this same sentiment a few times. Football is entertainment. If it doesn’t get the juices going, if it doesn’t provide the opportunity to stand up and cheer for an exciting play, like a long touchdown pass or a breakaway run (see Verdell at Ohio State) it’s just not as much fun. If you don’t put an entertaining, exciting team on the field, win or lose, you will lose fans. Most fans don’t know all that much about football. A game is an event for them. They are there to have fun, let loose…..not sit around waiting for the boring Ducks offense to do something worthy of making them stand up and high 5 everyone within reach. If this keeps up more fans will stay away and the brand will be damaged, possibly to the point where the once cool school will no longer be on top recruits’ short list. With continued lackluster play, and with a weak remaining home schedule, expect Autzen crowds to begin drop commensurate with the upcoming chilly temperatures.

The departure of Gruden will have very little, if any, a effect on Mariota’s future. but Gruden’s future, relating to football, is pretty much non-existant.

On fire, up 8 at the half? Tied after three quarters. Even with Thibs for most of the first half, it would be hard to characterize the Ducks’ play as impressive. This season has been so frustrating. The excitement generated after the win at Ohio State catapulted Oregon to a number three national ranking. Knowing what possibly lay ahead - a birth in the playoff - should have been enough incentive to prevent any letdown, and yet it happened the very next week against Stony Brook, then again against Arizona, then Stanford. Those lackluster efforts may doom Oregon come playoff time, should the Ducks still be in contention at the end of the regular season.

NFL scouts know talent, and potential … that’s why they draft a guy like Josh Allen out of Wyoming, even though he looked rather average playing against the Ducks a few years ago. It’s why they draft Justin Herbert at No. 6, even though he played in an offense at Oregon that clearly underutilized his immense gifts. Herbert is currently shredding NFL defenses and has quickly established himself, in year two, as one of the league’s best quarterbacks. Not an up and comer. He has arrived. Just think what he could have done with the Ducks had Cristobal opened things up. What a waste. All the buzz about nabbing Joe Moorhead as OC and how he was going to bring more productivity and excitement to the offense seems to have fizzled. The Ducks are not all that productive and, let’s face it, they are boring. I don’t feel the Ducks have any reason to be included the playoff discussion at this point in the season. There is too much football left, and Oregon’s toughest upcoming games are on the road. And teams with an average, at best, quarterback don’t typically fare well in playoff discussions, especially if they’re from the Pac-12.

Kiffen, Jonathan Smith (remember, Rich Brooks was a Beaver before he became a Duck), Leach (at least would be entertaining if not necessarily winning football)….and of course Urban Meyer will be available soon, probably before season’s end.

ASU exposed UCLA….wouldn’t be at all surprised if they expose the Ducks, too.

Excellent post Jon. Mario is a class person, no question about it. A real asset for the university. As a recruiter he is phenomenal. As a coach? That’s a different matter. Oregon football became popular nationally under Chip Kelly. The cool uniforms, the explosive offense with plays being run so quickly that the opposing defense had no clue what to do. The Ducks were very successful, but perhaps equally important they were entertaining. And as far as fans are concerned, they want to win, but they also want to be entertained. They want that adrenaline rush when they go to a game….they want it so bad that they’ll drive several hours for a 7:30 kickoff knowing they won’t get home til 2am. I sense that this team doesn’t stir the same enthusiasm as past editions. Oregon football, certainly offensively, has become boring. Unless they find a way to open up the offense, recruiting 4 and 5 star players may become problematic.

I feel the same way about the Beavers. I always root for them except when they play the Ducks. Maybe it’s the underdog thing. But it appears to me that they play with a lot of heart and determination and you can’t help but support a team like that.

With Anthony Brown at QB the Ducks absolutely cannot score 50 points a game. A change is needed to revitalize the Ducks’ offense. That has become glaringly apparent.

Jon, you are clearly a half full guy. This team has serious issues, especially on offense. A change at quarterback is a must. The offense needs to open up, and with the loss of Verdell, that becomes even more critical to the Ducks’ future success. Oregon needs to get its young playmaking receivers involved. What good is a 5 star receiver, or veteran for that matter, if they are never targeted? And why don’t we see more of Seven McGee? He was mentioned quite a bit by Cristobal in fall camp as being ready right now to contribute but he’s barely seen the field. Defensively, the Ducks have been riddled with injuries, and that has been largely responsible for their inconsistent play. Hopefully they’ll heal up and will become solid once again. The loss of Flowe really hurt as did the injury to Swinson on the edge. Fortunately the Ducks play a reeling Cal team next, and they have almost 2 weeks to prepare. Hopefully they’ll use that time wisely.

“Justin Herbert has a feel for the game that TT lacks.” How do we know? Let’s put the kid in there and see what he can do.