DUCKED

Very impressive performance by the Ducks, but what really stands out to me is what Whitingham is doing at Utah with the fifth best roster.

“The Guy who went to the Cal and Stanford games.” As a Cal alum, that hurts. The truth always does. As a 10 year old kid, I sold programs at Cal games, when Joe Kapp was the QB and the Bears went to the Rose Bowl - and lost to Bob Jeter and Iowa - and in those days and subsequent years Cal drew decent crowds and was competitive. And, under former Duck assistant Jeff Tedford the Bears became a top five team led by QB Aaron Rodgers, an unknown kid from Butte Junior College, who had no D-1 offers out of high school. I have been back to Berkeley many times over the years, usually to see the Ducks, and it’s sad to see what has happened. The “crowds” are sparse and subdued, which is understandable. There hasn’t been much to cheer for. While I still root for Cal, I have been a Duck fan for 50 years (my kids and grandkids are Ducks). May no mistake….the Ducks are “my team.” But there still is something about the walk up Bancroft to Strawberry Canyon and Memorial Stadium on a fall afternoon, the scent of Eucalyptus the air……there’s nothing quite like it.

That’s impressive. Unfortunately Chase Cota and Brady Breeze didn’t make the cut with the Lions.

Great article today in The Athletic about Bo Nix……and the billboard in NYC.

Thanks Jon…..number 3 is a concern of mine. The Ducks’ roster is dramatically improved this year, and I hope the in-game coaching decisions, at crucial points, do not sabotage that. The Ducks could have won 12 games last season, and likely would have if not for a terrible call on 4th down against the Huskies and the inexplicable inability to stop the run against the Beavs in the 2nd half of the Civil War.

I don’t respond at all to the visiting team taking the field at Autzen Stadium. I save up my booing and whining for the officials, but I’ll admit that I groaned out loud last season at the occasional inexplicable play calls in crucial situations by Dilly.

Ridiculous.

What are the odds of couple of kids from southern Oregon ending up with the Lions?

Thank you Charles! Do not pay much attention to anything Lanning has to say. If you really wanted to know how he felt you would have to secretly record what was said at the post scrimmage coaches’ meeting, where they speak candidly. So tired of coach speak, though I acknowledge that it must be done. What did we really learn? Not much. Please……let the games begin!

I’m glad you included coaching in your remarks. There were a couple of games last year when head scratching offensive plays were called that impacted the outcome….Washington for instance, being one example. And our inability to stop the Huskies’ passing attack, even when the Ducks knew a pass was coming on virtually every play, cost us that game, just as our inability to stop the run against Oregon State in the 2nd half (when the Beavs didn’t throw a single pass) doomed us in the Civil War. So, yes, the Ducks appear to have strengthened their roster through effective use of the portal. I hope we see an uptick in coaching and game management as well. Everything points to a great season for the Ducks. We’ll know soon if what’s on paper translates to the field…..perhaps as soon as the Texas Tech game in Lubbock.

Yes, prove it on the field! Preseason hype means very little. It's fun of course, and we're all excited, but there will be "bumps in the road" this season, just like every season, and how the Ducks (and coaches) handle those bumps will determine if Oregon can be in the playoff race.

That's so much bull..... Had the Big Ten offered Oregon State, Barnes' response would have been, "Quick, get me a pen before they change their mind!'

This sort of stuff drives me crazy. So, Oregon's chances of winning the Pac-12 went from 16.9 percent to 18.2 percent, BUT its bowl eligibility prediction went from 99.4 percent to 95.9. How does that make sense? Head scratcher. Somebody far brighter than me, please explain. I'm going back to my book "A Gentleman In Moscow," which is absolutely wonderful.

I think Kliavkoff was sincere in his comments throughout the negotiations, but in the end it seems clear that he got played.

The Ducks chose the known over the unknown. Time will tell if it ends up being the best decision. But, in my opinion, it was the right decision, especially given the choices available.

That was awesome! Thanks.

Is a 24 team conference even a conference? You play each other, what?…..every 3 to 5 years, unless it’s a rivalry game. The whole thing stinks. Having said that, I think the Ducks made the right decision, given the circumstances. Still stinks.

Source?

Regarding recruiting, J. Brady McCollough in today’s LA Times made the following observations observation: “USC and UCLA will no longer be able to tell Southern California recruits who are being pursued by the ever-persistent Ducks that going to Oregon means you won’t be playing in marquee games on Fox, NBC or CBS. From a competitive standpoint the Ducks and Huskies are now on equal footing and can venture back into the Southland with a renewed swagger.”

My college roommate went to Boalt, and after first year realized it wasn't so hard after all, so he screwed around, got C's, then passed the bar and soon after decided being a lawyer sucked. Started a business, hired a bunch of B-student lawyers.....and made a fortune. Not exactly Subway and Netflix, but still. I hope "business people" will be consulted, and listened to, before Oregon makes a final decision.

If you want to find blame for the Pac-12 folding, look no further than USC and UCLA. Everyone else is simply reacting. Oregon is NOT responsible for saving the Pac-12, nor can they be blamed for its demise.

So have I. It pains me to say it, but I don’t disagree with Finebaum. And I would like nothing more than to be proven wrong.

Yes

Add San Diego State now, maybe even help with the increased exit fee. SMU, too. Get aggressive. Pac-10 or 11 sounds a helluva lot better than PAC-9. Don’t just rope-a-dope…….throw some punches. Act like you care, show some heart. Enough with the empty promises, the “deal is right around the corner” nonsense. But if AZ in fact leaves, it may be too late. I hope Oregon is looking around, too. It’s the 11th round, the PAC-? Is still standing, but it needs a 12th round KO.

As far as football goes, yes, The Big Ten is a cultural fit. If the Big Ten were to invite the Ducks and offered a boatload of money, how much of a factor would cultural fit really be? Would it be a deal killer?