latracey

Alabama is the mountain top. I don’t see how could Lanning say no.

Although I have a definite appreciation for the culture Lanning is creating at Oregon, I can’t help but believe that the NIL money that these players are getting from Division Street is also a key factor in their decision to return. Word on the street is that it rivals the money paid to most first year players in the NFL.

I’m still mourning the end of the PAC-12, but joining the BIG-10 is paying dividends for OBD on many fronts. As Lanning has said, coaches and players are excited by what they see as the move up to the BIG-10.

It’s hard not to be excited about next year when you look at how CDL has fortified the quarterback and wide receiver rooms. Getting Johnson back is truly great news.

I’m with Annie. In spite of being the recipient of occasional bad behavior on the part of my Beaver friends over the years, I find myself feeling sorry for them. Immediately after spending millions on facility renovations, the PAC-12 disintegrates, they lose Jonathan Smith, and then they lose most of their key players. It’s a chain of events that was unimaginable a year ago. The PAC-12 hit an iceberg and they were trapped in a lower room. I guess, as a native Oregonian, in spite of the fact that I’m irritated by certain Beavers from time to time, I really don’t hate them. If I hate anyone, it’s Kliovkoff and the idiotic decisions made by university presidents that led up to the collapse of the PAC-12. Even if they manage to keep a chunk of their PAC-2 war chest after all of the legal dust settles, they have a tough road ahead of them. I’m interested to see how they manage to climb out of the mess they are in, and I wish them well.

I’m surprised Tez Johnson wasn’t ranked in ESPN’s top 100. He certainly should have been. Franklin is rated 26, yet Johnson caught more passes than Franklin and was only slightly behind him in yardage. Maybe it’s another example of east coast bias. It’s wonderful news for OBD that Johnson has decided to return for his senior year. His skill and leadership will add to what should be an outstanding team next year.

42 - 6 was OBD’s score vs Stanford and Colorado this year. Great prediction TerryM9!

Liberty does an excellent job running the triple option, and they lead the nation in rushing statistics. As Charles pointed out, their plan will be to maintain possession, control the clock, and keep the ball out of the hands of Oregon’s explosive offense. Oregon’s defense will need to play disciplined football, mind lane assignments, and contain the edges. Oregon’s offense needs to take control early and get a good lead in order to force Liberty’s offense out of its comfort zone. If Oregon wins the toss, I’d like to see them take the ball first. I like how seriously Oregon seems to be taking this game. I could see this being a blowout victory for Oregon, but I could also see it being a game requiring Oregon’s serious effort to win.

As Kirby Smart said after his team demolished FSU, something needs to be done to prevent so many bowl opt outs and defections. I expect bowls will soon be paying players as an added incentive to play. That might help a bit, but it isn’t going to solve the problem. It’s true that FSU was missing many key players from their regular season team. That said, even if every one of those guys had played, Georgia still would have won today… by a lot!

To be fair, Ohio State’s defense is pretty good. Their offense is decimated by injuries, opt outs, and defections. I’m hoping Mizzou can do what they need to to scrape out a win.

Arizona started and finished with a bang. By far the best bowl game I’ve seen so far. Oklahoma could have really used Gabriel tonight.

The clock management, or lack there of, is the thing that drove me crazy when Mario was Oregon’s coach; and today’s game demonstrated that it’s still an issue. Great recruiting can’t overcome poor coaching and poor game management. The day Mario left really was one of the greatest days in Oregon football history.

You also have to remember that, due to transfer portal defections and NFL opt outs, these teams are mere shadows of the teams they were during the regular season.

I think USC may have found their next quarterback. Miller Moss played lights out tonight. That said, the Big-10 is going to be a tough row to hoe for USC.

Putting a priority on having good kickers reinforces my belief that Lanning is indeed brilliant. Championship teams have dependable kickers.

Helf has a brilliant football mind and he was a great quarterback coach. He was born and raised in Oregon and devoted to the University of Oregon. I agree with many of the points Fentress made. That said, being a good head coach that can continue to grow and improve a program is a complex task and Oregon made the right move to part ways with Helfrich when they did. Given the challenges and complexities of being a good head football coach these days, I’m truly in awe of Dan Lanning and all that he has been able to accomplish in 2 short years.

In the olden days, when a player committed to a school you could pretty much count on them remaining there for their full college career. Similarly, schools were committed to developing their players, and young back ups who, more often then not, became starters as they matured. It was the world of college football that many of us understood and loved. That has all changed with transfer portals and no holds barred NIL money. It now makes sense for elite players to consider their college options given that NIL money rivals what they might expect to earn in the NFL. It also makes sense for coaches, feeling the tremendous pressure to win and supported by wealthy donors, to instantly fortify their teams with game proven talent, regardless of who has been patiently waiting for his turn. You could say Ty Thompson was shafted because the loyalty and patience he afforded to his team was not extended to him. As jrw said above, sports are not nice. Lanning’s job is to utilize all of the resources at his disposal to field the best team he can assemble. Patience and loyalty don’t always figure into the “win now” equation. It’s the way of the brave, new “what have you done lately” world. Although Ty Thompson’s patience and loyalty to Oregon’s football team didn’t pan out for him, I appreciate and respect what it demonstrated about the kind of person he is. His character most definitely earns 5 stars. I truly hope he goes on to find a team where he fits and where he gets to shine.

Getting Gabriel is a pretty big deal and proves, yet again, what an adept recruiter Dan Lanning is. Like Bo, Gabriel is a highly skilled quarterback who is also a mature decision maker and a good leader. I definitely believe that getting Gabriel will help in Lanning’s quest to land several of the other top players he has his eye on. It will be interesting to see what TT and the others in the quarterback room decide to do.

Coach Prime is working to fix what needs fixing.

I’m guessing Moore hit the portal to find a destination where he will start. It looks like negotiations with Gabriel are in the advanced stages. If Gabriel chooses Oregon, I’d be really surprised to see Moore also come to Oregon. In truth, competing with and learning from someone like Gabriel would be great to help Moore develop, but I sense that the kind of development he’s looking for comes along with him being the starter.

I’ve been a Duck fan long enough to remember several seasons when Oregon had no chance to play in a bowl game. I’m very excited about the chance for our team to play in The Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Day. Our team gets a couple of extra weeks of practice, they will get a chance to showcase Oregon’s program to recruits, and we will get to see this year’s fine team one last time. Go Ducks !!

After all of my years of watching football, I wasn’t aware that a defender could go out of bounds and come back inbounds to intercept a pass. I thought the rule was the same as it is for a receiver. It should be. Bo was an amazing quarterback for the Ducks, and perhaps the very best ever. I understand all of the reasons to sit out the bowl game, but I’m hoping he decides to come back one last time.

I’m with 1Ducker1, it depends on who decides to play for Oregon in the bowl game. It would be interesting to play Georgia, but only if Nix and Franklin decide to suit up.

Ducks win in a closer game than most expected: 35 - 28 2 TOs 3 sacks 345 passing yards

Washington State looks like they could score 100 points tonight if they so desire. Coach Sanders has the flu, his QB son left the game injured, and CU looks clueless.