DUCKED

And Stanford, too.

Smart move by Oregon State. Smith’s stock has risen substantially and he was ripe for the picking. One of the best coaches in the Pac-12.

In a recent New York Times article it was revealed that in the past 5 years more than half of 5 star recruits — 82 of 163 - went to the following four schools: Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia and Clemson. No wonder all 4 are consistently in the playoff discussion.

I would definitely take Fickell over Moorhead. Not even close.

I think you are right. The Ducks will be fine if Mario leaves. They will attract an excellent coach, perhaps someone even better at “coaching” than Cristobal, but will the new guy have the recruiting chops? I think Mario in a class by himself as a recruiter.

Valid points, but you fail to factor in the family connection. That may trump everything you have mentioned. He grew up in Florida, played at Miami, mom lives there, brother is a Miami policeman. That, plus the money, may be the tipping point.

I’m pretty sure we would have been better this year with Shough at quarterback. The Ducks’ passing game would have been much improved, able to stretch the field, which would have made the receiving corps more productive, and the running game, the team’s offensive strength, would have been even better. The way Cristobal handled Shough at the end of last season undermined his confidence and drove him away. Who’s to say that he wouldn’t have come back strong this season. Players who are adequately coached tend to improve. Had he stayed the Ducks, at the very least, would have had a reliable backup - Shough or Brown - to step in when the offense stalled.

If Mario is offered the Florida job, he is smart and will take it.

Can’t shoot, can’t defend…… and they are a turnover machine. I think it’s going to be a long year for the Ducks.

Well, that was a 5 star that, and you made some good points. But taking personal shots at Anthony Brown, calling him a clown, was completely uncalled for and out of line. His play has been sketchy, no question, but he has shown himself to be a class individual.

So tired of projections. Just play the games. Oregon has a shot to win against both Oregon State and Utah. And, they could lose to the Beavers and end up watching the Pac-12 championship game on TV, like the rest of us.

Sportswriters, at least reputable ones, are not supposed to be fans.

They don’t look good at all…out of sync, don’t shoot well from the perimeter and give up way too many uncontested shots. Altman has his work cut out, but his teams always seen to improve as the season progresses. That’s the mark of a great coach. I have to admit, while having 4 seven-footers looks good on paper, today’s game has gone the way of the three-point shot. I’m not sure, other than Richardson who is in a slump, the Ducks have the personnel to be a threat from beyond the arc.

Agreed

No, they haven’t. And the win in Ann Arbor was the second in a row after wining the previous year in Eugene when Terrence Whitehead ran through the Wolverine’s defense at will.

I thought we lost you there for awhile Jon. Glad you have recovered. The sky has not fallen. Without you contributing where would we get all that excellent information that you regularly provide? Ducks vs Michigan in the Rose Bowl would be a great way to end the season

Perfectly stated……..

I don’t see Mullens showing him the exit. I think 9-2 or 10-3 isn’t grounds for termination, not even close. Is the season a flop if the Ducks don’t make the playoff? Is that the bar now? Cristobal has done an amazing job in wooing top level talent to Eugene, and by all accounts he appears to be a class individual, someone the university feels proud to have as its football coach. But his coaching needs to improve, as does his game management. He is responsible for bringing the talent to Eugene, but may also be responsible for their less than impressive on field performance. That has to change.

We got a glimpse of what the ceiling is in Eugene when we spanked Ohio State. The Ducks were one position away from having a “legitimate” shot at the Final Four, and that was quarterback. And that’s on Cristobal. And I take exception with Wilner…..the most devastating loss this season was against Stanford, not Utah. And I’m tired of hearing about the call at the end of that game. It should have never been close. It was inexcusable and the blame for that rests with Cristobal as well. And what about all the ridiculously close games against mediocre teams that came down to the fourth quarter? This team played far below its potential pretty much the entire season, except for one game. The Ducks have the players, including backups when someone goes down, so who’s to blame?

I don’t think anyone here wants to see Cristobal fired. That’s crazy. But we’d like to see him improve, evolve and bring some of the excitement back to Oregon football that made it a national brand and a destination school during the Chip Kelly years. He can do better, must do better, or the sniping will continue. We’ll find out next year, with Thompson or whomever at QB, if Moorhead (if he’s still here) is all he’s cracked up to be. Brown at QB was so limited that it was hard to gauge what impact Moorhead might have had.

And the Ducks would win….and we would actually enjoy watching them again, instead of being frustrated every week with an all too often inept one dimensional offense.

Me, too. Fortunately NFL scouts recognized Herbert’s ability even if Cristobal didn’t.

You may be right. Most coaches chase the money. He’ll be no different. And I don’t blame him.

Sewell won’t be gone unless he transfers.

Well 9-2 has a lot to do with playing in the Pac-12, the weakest power 5 conference.