EastBayDuckDad

Grinch getting canned may give the U$C defense a temporary shot of juice and caffeine, but their fundamentals remain the same. Those are established in fall camp, along with discipline and cohesiveness. They may simplify the defense to avoid as many coverage and gap mistakes as they can, but you don't turn around a season of bad angles and tackling on a dime. The biggest risk for Oregon is and always has been Williams. And for all of our vitriol and ridicule of his superficial substance, flash and La La Land crib, Riley is a very good offensive mind. They will score points and beat Oregon's coverage a few times. But Williams will make mistakes if pressured and the defense will need to be as sound as they've been against lesser QBs to force him to make them. U$C put up 42 on Fusky and 32 on Utah, both good defenses. Only 20 on ND, so something clicked there that I'm sure DL and Lupoi have noted. Williams can keep $C in a close game but he has to have the ball in his hands and Oregon's running game should be able to control the clock and limit that time The line opened at -14.5 Oregon. That still seems about right. A semi-close game that the Ducks win by 17 or so. Being at Autzen gives Oregon that little boost over two TDs. I'll be curious to see what the line does over the next 48 hrs as Grinch vacates his office at McKay Center. Not that it changes what will happen, but it shows if money believes the Trojenz D will get better or worse.

Not sure this changes much. Can't install a whole new defensive scheme in 6 days. Players will not gain discipline in a week. I can't see them becoming gap sound and tackling better overnight. Seems to me there will be a week or two of chaos before the Trojenz defense begins to turn the corner. If they ever do. The Ducks need to play sound offense and defense. Bo will make his reads and execute the offense. The O-line will do their jobs. The defense will have the same match ups and reads. Williams is a very good QB and he will put a few scores up. Oregon will give up 30 or so, but the offense should score 40+.

Against those same three teams, Oregon's D gave up 307 on the ground and 2 rushing TDs. Looking forward to what Bucky & Co. will do. I think I'll rewatch Kenyon Barner putting up over 300 on the Trojenz in 2012 just to get in the right frame of mind.

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I'm sure there are legions of sub-par QBs out there. May the Ducks never be compelled to settle for one. How about candidates to transfer in that might work in the current system and compete with TT for the starting job? Moore (UCLA) Mendoza (Cal) Ewers (Texas) Van Dyke (Miami) I'm looking forward to seeing the in-house QBs compete for the job: Thompson, Novosad, Van Buren and Moga. And Akili ll in 2025. If DL and Stein bring in a transfer, that will be very telling about their faith in who they've got in that room. That said, I draw hope from what we saw from TT yesterday. No more deer in the headlights.

I can't even imagine what it would be like to have Justin-ll behind this line, with these skill players, coached by Stein, running his offense and with a DL-Lupoi run defense. Then again, maybe I can . TT may have all the tools but can he use them in real time and under pressure? Yesterday was definitely a step in the right direction. We'll know in the off season when the portal is active and hopefully not before.

It's the Tez and Bo brothers show! Nice to see they're letting Troy play too.

Tez has made up for that initial bobble that was picked. 115 yds and 2 TDs in the first half.

Zebras finally called that arm wraparound PI on a Cal DB. About time.

At least the defense is forcing FGs. Then again, they have a kicker that can. Somebody shake the bed and wake OBDs up.

Too entertaining for me. Oregon should be up by 3TDs if not for the mishaps. Time to settle down.

Good Lord. You'd think that Oregon had never seen rain..

Refs missing Cal penalties right and left. Two PIs, clock violations and Illegal motion from a guard due to the tempo.

Crazy! Let's just let the D stay on the field and give the O the night off.

3 TDs for Oregon. Credit for one. As weird a game a you could imagine. Then again, it's Cal. And Lewis shanks it again. Sheesh!

Cal could be tough, but hard not to be close to the spread. TOs and sacks will reflect them trying to get back in the game after Bo and Co. get them down by 2 TDs. Wet, windy and sloppy afternoon impacts the passing game a bit. Ott gets a couple of nice runs before Cal has to throw to keep up. Oregon 42-17 2 TOs 5 sacks 245 yds (with 200+ on the ground)

There has been rather sharp criticism of the upcoming 12 team playoff from some quarters of the sports media. A lot of it valid as in years past the top four teams (in spite of the SEC bias) have usually had one or two teams that were head and shoulders above the rest. An expanded field wouldn't have altered the outcome. 2023 is different. This year there appears to be more parity, without one team, like the 2019 LSU Tigers or 2022 UGA Dawgs, that looked destined to win it all. It is possible that an elite one loss team like Oregon could be left out of the current four team mix. SEC and B1G bias could select a one loss Alabama, Georgia (in the unlikely event that they lose to Bama in the SEC CG), Texas, Oklahoma, Michigan or tOSU over the Ducks. Oregon can only control what they do on the field. Continue to win and run the table through the Pac-12 CG.

What the 2022 team lacked was a solid top 30 or 40 defense. It was good against the run until that ghastly OSU game. It had its problems with teams that could wing it all year. The difference this year is a stingy, nasty and opportunistic defense that comes at you in waves with not a lot of drop off between the 1s and 2s. Stopping the elite arms and WRs in the Pac-12 is still a concern, but it has been for every defense. The only combination that got behind the Oregon secondary and swung a game was Penix-Odunze. A defense that held Colorado, Stanford and Utah to six points. Let that one sink in for a second. Two of three were away games. Those teams put up way bigger numbers on other competition. The key in each game was getting up by a few scores then forcing the opponent to play catch up. Into the teeth of a defense that simply shut them down. That is what is different from previous years, including 2014 and 2019. An offensive juggernaut paired with a stifling defense. Yeah, Oregon could lose to Cal. It would take a series of unfortunate events. A few turnovers, injuries to essential players like Bo or JPJ, blown assignments and coverages on defense or lightning striking the Oregon bench. The game should ultimately hinge on what almost every one does: match-ups and personnel. Oregon has the advantage almost across the board. The three and a half touchdown spread is an acknowledgment of that fact. The Ducks just need to do what they've been doing. Play in the moment, execute the game plan and continue this very special season.

Slick and Mari-no-O both came to Oregon with bigger fish they thought they could fry and dream jobs they wanted. Taggart got what he asked for and proved his own Peter Principle. Cristobal ditto, but the jury is still out on what he might do in Miami. The 'Caine fan base is quickly understanding that tough talk, press conference glowering and an occasional 'The Rock' sighting won't bring back a NC. DL seems to have no geographic agenda and if he takes the Ducks where he claims he will (I for one believe he can), then there will be very few programs that can lure him away. It's not like there is a lower Midwest team that would hold much appeal. A plum NFL job might be enticing, or being the heir apparent to an SEC powerhouse like Georgia or Alabama. Outside of that, I think he's here at least until his youngest is out of school. I'd be happy with that decade.

I love that Stein thinks like the QB he used to be, "what could I have done to make that play succeed?" Followed by "I won't make that mistake again". Accountability and the 1% better creed seems to apply across the board at Oregon. Anyone in a job with risk and high stakes understands the importance of those two concepts. If you are going to be elite you realize that it is not just a destination but a process. And you have to constantly remind yourself that you aren't there yet. That humility goes a long way towards achieving the goal.

Best. One. Yet. Brilliantly edited. No MUSS no fuss. Coaching, cohesion, calculation and communication. Man, more like this please.

1 Georgia 2 Tosu 3 FSU 4 Michigan 5 Fusky 6 OBD

College age fans everywhere can do stupid things. So can some adults. They are in the minority thankfully. A year ago there was a lot of criticism directed at the Oregon student section for a few idiots that chanted some very distasteful stuff at BYU. Even Utah students can get a bit out of hand when they are hopped up on rooiboos herb tea, caffeine free soda and near beer. Boos are just a part of the game When DL was interviewed by the CGD bunch, the partisan crowd rained boos down on him. He just smiled, gestured over his shoulder and said, "They're chanting for Bo!"

Great article and observations, Charles. And not a word or video too long. I watched the first half of the game with several folks in a local bar. On that first drive when Bo hit Tez over the middle in the spot vacated by the linebacker, I announced to those within earshot that the absence of ILB Barton for the Utes was going to open up the short middle zone. And that Oregon would take advantage. When Bo changed the call on the drive in the red zone at the end of the first qtr, and had James wheel route to the same spot, he predicted the LB would bite to the outside. Dead solid perfect and even with the bobbled snap delivered that beauty to James for six. No one bought me a beer, but I got a "you called it" or two. After Utah owning the Ducks the last time they played in SLC, then again in the 2021 championship game, this was a real joy to watch. The difference between the old Mari-no-O 'physicality-but-no-mentality' offense and the DL/Stein attack them where they are weakest/not expecting it was night and day. Man, no let ups now. No one left on the schedule will be unprepared to face the Ducks or lacking motivation. Each opponent, even Sparky, will be gunning for Oregon with the hope to ruin their increasingly probable CFP run. The coaches will need to game plan with the same cold ruthlessness that we saw against the Utes and the players execute it in kind.

Outstanding. I was concerned that with the signifcant improvement in Arizona's defense he might reconsider, but that statement made by the Ducks at Utah likely sealed the deal.