EastBayDuckDad

That was Josh Pate's prediction, Oregon playing it's best game of the year. It's a bummer that both DAK and Bryant are out but its not like they are a last minute scratch. Benson, Lowe and JMac are solid, have made great catches in previous games and have been working together the past few weeks. Sadiq is essentially a super-size WR that can beat you deep or knock you out of your shoes. He is more than a load for any LB and can smoke most safeties. Saleapaga and JJohn can block and catch so 13 formation is a very viable option in passing situations with multiple threats. Unanimous nods from the ESPN crew makes sense and Oregon should be ok.

Oregon 38-35 2 TO 2 Sacks 210 yds passing Closer than anyone would like. Lemon gets his and exposes the secondary some, but it's not enough. OBD leans into the ground game to win.

This game feels different than that Indiana game. Oregon's offensive identity has sharpened in part because of the WR injuries forcing WS to modify the game plan, the talent advantage at the TE position and the O-line improvement after moving Pregnon to RG. Samples utilizing Davison, Whittington and Hill Jr as the RB by committee sledgehammer is the difference. Unlike what happened in the Autzen loss, the path to victory against U$C is clearer: Run. The. Damn. Ball

I'd buy one but not both. We lost at home to the #2 team by 10 points, beat then ranked Iowa on the road and just blew out the Gophers. Okie lost big at home to now out of it Texas and by 8 to Ole Miss. Beating Bama with Mateer having a so-so day will mean something, but not enough to leapfrog OBD. The ES(EC)PN bias will come in with leaving Bama just above Oregon. They did squeak by Georgia at home, but also lost at home to a dismal FSU that lost at home to the 'Furd. In a just universe devoid of Paaawl Finebaum, SEC bias and ESPN talking heads, the Ducks would be ranked above both. I'll be satisfied with splitting the difference. Doesn't matter anyway as Oregon must win both remaining games to hopefully end up at the 6th seed sweet spot.

I'm anticipating Bear and Pregnon will have some insights on the Trojenz trenches. Not to mention an extra gear in their giddy-up going against old teammates.

They might have shut it down as now Wrightster and Fentress do one for Oregon Live.

Oregon 35-13 2 TO 2 Sacks 210 yds passing Pass and run both join the 200 club. Balanced offense.

I thought that I could eat it in all one bite, but I ended up choking on it!

You have to hand it to Iowa, those explosives to the WRs, and particularly the TE, were unexpected given the weather and the limitations of their QB. I imagine the defensive game plan was to stop Gronowski from torching Oregon with his feet even on high probability passing situations, leaving wide open targets at times. Theinemen, Canady, Obidegwu and Boettcher all got burned. The zebras ignored holding on multiple occasions by the Iowa O-line, giving Gronowski just enough time to spot the neglected coverage. He never really threw what could be called a dime to those receivers (not like Dante's otherworldly toss to Malik on the final drive), but they were so wide open he could have shot-putted the ball for completions. Oregon also wasn't helped by the refs on the two airmailed throws to imaginary receivers on what turned out to be Hawkeye scoring drives. Calling them properly as intentional grounding would have deprived Iowa of at least a touchdown and probably 10 points.

And let's not forget🍾🥂 Larry in the conversation. His leadership and foresight was legendary.

Having re-watched the game, there is no way Iowa had zero penalties outside of the punt snap safety. Bear was held early and often. Their DBs were occasionally clingier than a needy GF/BF. The push off OPI and hands to the face by the D-line were no such thing. Gronowski threw away two 'Mr Wizard' passes that didn't have a receiver in the same area code, should have been called intentional grounding and would have stalled both of their touchdown drives. They ignored the fumble that the back judge should have easily seen if he had been where he was supposed to be. I won't go so far as to claim a level of bias, but maybe Iowa benefited from a dark uniform 'ninja' effect on a crappy conditions day where OBD white stood out like a beacon. Or maybe somebody had Iowa and the points.

That play was a great call and would have been a TD had Moore escaped Iuli's foot sweep. WS set it up with the serial runs. Saleapaga had done a feign block then go route towards the post. The DB had bit on the run fake, leaving #83 wide open. Saw it work a couple times last year with TFerg, but not with the QB under center. Everyone has those moments of doubt given the somewhat erratic nature of the offense and QB play this year..In this game Oregon was missing a starting WR, TE and RT, then lost another WR. To see Moore overcome that was a huge positive, particularly during the game winning drive. I'm going to call that glass half full

Don't look now, but PSU ahead of IU 24-20 at the 2:00 mark with the ball.

Oregon Ducks On SIConfusion Surrounds Oregon Receiver Dakorien Moore’s StatusOregon Ducks receiver Dakorien Moore has quickly proven why he was one of the most sought-after recruits in the country. The former five-star freshman has emerg SI.com just reported that the DAK injury posting was taken down, so who knows. Nothing more yet on Harkey.

Oregon 21-17 1 TO 2 Sacks 205 yds passing

When Theinemen was interviewed they asked him about Gronowski. With the 'delta' alignment that we have seen this year, it makes sense that he will be that spy for the Iowa QB. It is doubtful that Theinemen will be needed much to prevent them from taking the top off the DBs, who should be able to play a lot of man coverage. Stopping Gronowski on the ground will be the key to stopping the offense. Limiting his taking off with the ball, gashing the D, will be the priority in this game.

I agree with Alex that beating Iowa is critical but I disagree that it would need to be emphatic to matter. A win on the road at Iowa will count regardless of the score. Indiana escaped with a victory in part because Gronowski got hurt and the Hawkeye offense imploded down the stretch. Hoosier could have and maybe should have lost that game. If Oregon wins out, they are in, likely with a #6 ceiling. But they need to win to be a guarantee. 10-2 won't cut it unless the team that beats the Ducks finishes with 3 losses and beats other ranked teams along the way. A 10-2 B1G team that beats Oregon is likely in and OBD out barring some chaos in the SEC with a crap ton of 9-3 teams Indiana and tOSU will play in the B1G CG. Given a close game, Bucknutt wins and IU drops no lower than #4. Indiana wins and ditto for tOSU. The best Oregon can be is 11-1 and a 3rd place at large B1G bid. It is a narrow path to the CFP and one OBD can navigate, but they almost certainly need to win out.

If the PAC had survived it would have turned into the ACC and played second fiddle to the B1G and SEC. One, or at the most two, teams would have made the CFP each year. One loss would perenially put OBD on the edge of elimination. Now they at least get consideration for the playoffs even with two losses in the B1G. It certainly happens for the SEC and the ESPN/Finebaum honks that carry their water. Maybe the evolution of NIL and player reimbursement would level the field amongst the 'haves', of which Oregon is a card carrying member. But witness that a two loss Miami is on CFP life support, and this year it looks like only the ACC champ is guaranteed a spot. Is there any reason to believe a reincarnated PAC would be any different?

Mariø presser post SMOO: "We weren't physical enough. We needed to be more physical. We simply needed more physicality. We also needed more physicists (both quantum and classical), physicians, physiotherapists and physiologists. And a simpler play clock. One that one of our new quantum physicists could simply make relativistic or stop whenever I told them to. Oh yeah, and a quarterback that wouldn't take $4M and then throw a pick in OT."

Nothing cute. RTDB! (*run the damn ball) Feed Davison early and often and set the pass up so that Iowa will be hesitant to bring the house.

All the above is true. However, the run D has had issues. D-line play has largely been good to great, but the LBs have found themselves guessing the wrong gap, allowing some gash plays. D. Jackson may be a stellar athlete but he overruns himself right out of plays. Boettcher does occasionally as well. When that happens and Alexander or Washington get jammed up in a double team, unless Theinemen has come up in the delta set, the opposing RBs get to the second level. It has happened multiple times on third and 3 to 7 yds with a resulting conversion. It seems that OCs have exploited that trend and I imagine Iowa will as well. The DBs and safeties have been solid, except against Indiana where the edges rarely got pressure on Mendoza. When they did, he threw a pick-6 to Finney. You can only cover good WRs for so long. Matayo will need to get some mojo back against U$C and EweDub to re-establish a one-two punch with Tuioti. Although the opponent's trips to the red zone have been scant, when they get there they tend to score. This is not to denigrate the defense, which has the capacity to be one of the most elite units that OBD has ever fielded. They need help from the other side of the ball. If the offense can hold up their end, the defense will hold up their's.

Not really a trend but a tendency: Oregon playing better on the road than at home. Against Iowa that may become a trend. Offense needs to get established early with the ground game behind Davison so the RPO and passing opens later on. Defense needs to shore up run D by bringing Theinemen or Flowers/Johnson down into the box to help with spotty play by the LBs. The current Oregon by -2 sounds about right.

Oregon 45-9 3 TO 4 Sacks 240 yds passing Don Essig's exhortation notwithstanding, it will be wet and windy at Autzen, putting a crimp in passing for both teams. But Whisky will be using it in desperation playing catch-up, resulting in several sacks, a couple picks and at least two scores resulting from TOs

Stein to Louisville is one HC move that would make sense. It is "home" to him and his family. A program he could build and recruit to in an ACC where FSU and GeoTech are intermittently good, Clemson is fading and Mariø's U always loses one head scratcher a season. He could build a perennial CFP candidate there. Could he take a QB with him? It wouldn't be surprising. Novosad bears more than a passing (no pun intended, unless you think it was) resemblance to Shough and would have two years of eligibility left. If Louisville comes calling, I think WS is gone.

The visit to the Doctor seems to have resulted in a discharge from the hospital and a healthy dose of go kick some butt. Yes, Rutgers is not a top 25 team. But they have had their moments with good teams and a more than competent passing attack. Oregon came out with a fire lit up under their heinies and even with a crappy first series, they opened up a three quarter long can of whoopa**. Three time zones away in Piscataway. DL doesn't spare the rod when correction is needed, nor does he excuse himself and his staff when they fail to put the team in a position to succeed. I keep going back to the humiliating defeat that tOSU took at the hands of Michigan last year. At home. To a team that had no business beating the ultimate national champion. To lose to Wolverine is the worst thing that can happen to Bucknutt. The long knives were out for Day. Something turned them into the juggernaut that buzz sawed through the CFP. Something had to happen in the locker room to flip that switch. A boat ton of talent is not a guarantee that you end up on top. You need humility and an understanding that talent may get you in the door but it's drive, heart, desire and accountability to the person standing next to you that leave you the ones standing at the end. This may not have been the most entertaining and inspirational Ducks vs Them ever, but it displayed the process of overcoming adversity and righting the ship.