Drake

We must be old school in Oregon. Most are still red here. Yellow trucks must offend the rodents.

Over the years I have accumulated a ton of Duck gear. Wife worked at Nike for a long time, and Internet shopping on the employee website can be a hazard to the wallet. For nationally televised games I think yellow looks great. If it is cold and wet, then anything goes…not the guy that drinks excessive amounts of “antifreeze” and stands around shirtless…at least not anymore. 😎

Safe standing zones? Does that mean they will have security guards protecting obnoxious students from the players?

I love the story of how he got started. Saves money as an entry level high school teacher…not the easiest task…so that he can leave high school teaching behind, and be hired as an unpaid assistant. RESPECT

Why not? If you are being honest with yourself, and not thinking an NFL career is your future, a college education is a good long term personal investment when it is taken seriously.

Scoreboard and wins. No need to see an injury in a blow out win. Mariota sat in the 4th in a number of games. The backups need experience in case of injury, good for moral, and the future. Developing players is part of the game. Can’t always rely on a Heisman caliber QB transferring to Oregon each year.

Maintaining intensity and our depth will be driving the bus to our success. We will need to rest starters by blowing out lesser teams, and No Running the QB until it is necessary. Letting Gabriel stand on the sideline for the 4th quarter will pay dividends. Our stout OL, QB’s, RB’s, and WR’s = points. Add in the stout DL, fast LB’s, and DB’s = wins. Let’s play ball and see how many wins this adds up too.

Long term Oregon fans have dealt with more than our fair share of adversity on the football field. That is part of our journey. Winning a championship doesn’t define who we are…but, it would be awesome after all those darn miles I have logged driving from Portland to Eugene for over 40 years. 😎

I can’t say I blame coaches for “coach speak”. The number, and types of questions asked have to become a blur over the course of a season, much less a career. The other part of that is some reporters ask really dumb questions. I think fans like to know about injuries incurred, and the potential outlook for an injured player to return, but that information is somewhat guarded. Recovery is not an exact science, and the severity may really not be known at the time. The main reason I watch some of the interviews is to get a feel for the coaches, and players personalities. It is always easier to be more personable after a win vs. any loss.

The rules changed the game. I don’t think for a minute that NBA players are soft. Hand checking has been eliminated, the refs finally started enforcing the rule in the mid 90’s. The 3 point arc was shortened to encourage more outside shooting, and zone defense, once banned, is allowed. Eliminating hand checking turned the game from the low scoring rough and tumble games of the late 80’s, where the Bigs ruled the paint, to the “softer version” that we see today. You want a more physical game, bring back hand checking. Zone defense makes it more difficult for a center, or power forward to offensively dominate the paint. For a reference look at old games that show how the Pistons (Bad Boys) man handled Jordan his first 4 to 5 years in the league. You can’t do that anymore, because the NBA wants to showcase their “best players”.

Blending players from the transfer portal into the “family environment “ that is spoken about by recruits has to be managed by the coaching staff. Many of the transfer portal players are immediate impact players, and are filling a position that younger less experienced players want as well. Egos get bruised, and that “family environment” gets tested. I listened to an interview with Jabbar Muhammad and he spoke about the connection that DL and staff wants the players to develop on and off the field. The idea is that you will play harder for the players you feel a connection with. College football has changed, and the Ducks seem to have a grasp on how to navigate the landscape.

Dillon Gabriel’s arrival definitely changed the outlook for this season. Not to overlook other players on the team, but a senior QB with the potential to win a Heisman seems pretty huge. I anticipate that our offense thrives, and the defense is looking nasty for anything less than a top rated offensive unit.

Jumping from a High School in Missouri to Nebraska…hmmm…not the normal career path of a coach. Jamar Mozee (father) has become the new Senior Football Assistant at Nebraska.

There is good weight and bad weight depending on the position. The amount of calories these guys need to maintain, lose, or gain weight is monitored regularly. Some guys maintain their weight and add muscle, others will add weight and muscle. The season is longer now, and I know how much it cost to feed my kids. Any guesses as to the cost of maintaining the training table for +100 guys over an entire season? 😳

Guys like RaShaad Samples, Alique Terry, Chris Hampton, Will Stein, Dan Lanning, etc., have the advantage of youth when it comes to the energy needed to recruit. Chip Kelly comes to mind as a solid offensive coach, but not an energetic recruiter. What is impressive is that our coaches collectively bring offensive and defensive schemes, along with their vision of winning a championship that attracts players. Not everyone can pull that off. If I was just looking at the ages of our staff, I don’t think I would guess that they are coaching one of the top teams in the nation.

An uptempo offense that has a veteran QB is always dangerous. When you add all the other ingredients, top receivers, great RB’s, solid OL, with a QB that is accurate, scrambles well, and runs when necessary…opposing defenses have their hands full. Ultimately, our defense, and overall team health, will decide how far we go this year. Our defense doesn’t have to be in the top 20 for the team to be successful. The exciting part is that the defense has the potential to be top 20, or top 10. Can’t wait to see these guys get after it this season.

If Autzen’s total capacity disqualifies us as a legit member, then Nebraska’s population should disqualify them as a legit state. Makes about as much sense. I will buy their corn products and they can buy our lumber products.

You know you are having football withdrawals when you watch highlights for the umpteenth time… Click the Watch on YouTube… (should be able to read the comments section) I finally read some comments and had a good laugh. Thought somebody else would enjoy as well. Many Colorado fans used these highlights to “scout” the Ducks and then proclaimed their optimism in the comments section. Perhaps they forgot they were on the road and playing at Autzen.

By the end of the season everyone’s starters are going to be hurting. I think our depth will play a big factor against the puppies, and if somewhat healthy our OL and DL overpowers them in a potential bad weather game.

Not a surprise. I have to think that getting “your top teams” in a bidding war is common. However, I also believe that at some point a person’s character is important as well. If a player checks all the boxes, then all you can do is offer a competitive bid. It is a business transaction, and the highest bidder does not always win.

I like it when a perceived weakness is relying on 3 or 4 players that were all 4 star recruits.

The last conference game of the season had relevance because of conference standings. It was fun watching the Ducks knock the rodents out of the running for the Rose Bowl the few years they had a chance. For me, when the PAC imploded, so did the relevance of having them on our schedule.

Considering that Neuheisel has fallen out of the coaching ranks, at a time when successful coaches land huge contracts, he is where he belongs. A healthy percentage of Sirius subscribers leave after their free trial is over after buying a new vehicle. Siruis(ly) does anyone subscribe just to listen to his broadcast’s?

An embarrassing press conference. He will be in front of a microphone every game. He better perform much better on the sidelines, or his coaching career will end quickly.

Our 2nd tier players could easily be a top 25 team if we got solid play from one of our backup QB’s. The talent we have that will be standing on the sidelines any given play is unprecedented.