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EastBayDuckDad
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Posts posted by EastBayDuckDad
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On 11/3/2023 at 6:24 AM, Nevada Dawg said:
Yep, this year would certainly be an interesting 12-team playoff if only it had come to pass. I can't remember a year in recent memory when that would have been true.
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.
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On 11/3/2023 at 1:49 AM, Dr Hilarius said:
In the 30 years I have been paying attention to OBD, we have had some of these pieces but never all on the same team.
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.
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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.
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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.
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Best. One. Yet.
Brilliantly edited.
No MUSS no fuss.
Coaching, cohesion, calculation and communication.
Man, more like this please.
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1 Georgia
2 Tosu
3 FSU
4 Michigan
5 Fusky
6 OBD
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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!"
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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.
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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.
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On 10/29/2023 at 2:41 PM, Steven A said:
P.S. Let's thank coach Smith for making a call more questionable than all three of Dan's v ewe dub.
It's almost like he watched the Oregon-Fusky games and said to himself "Anything you can do, I can do better!"
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On 10/29/2023 at 1:22 PM, Jon Sousa said:
Interesting, but I think the sample size is still too small.
IDK. Two of those losses were to UW with Penix at QB, each a 3 pt game decided by a questionable play call or two and a bit of bad luck. Last year's CW loss where the Ducks knew what was coming and inexplicably didn't stop the run. Not really OC into HC playmaking brilliance.
Remember the UCLA game last year. The Chipper certainly didn't have DL's number there. Not a reason to underestimate the challenge from U$C, Beavus, hopefully the mutts again, and even Sparky. Let's see how the rest of this season plays out against offensively minded HCs.
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On 10/29/2023 at 6:58 AM, spartan2785 said:
One question I have for those who might chart the games or just simply have more knowledge than me: Are we blitzing our secondary more than we have in the past, I can't seem to remember a time when we've had as many sacks or pressures coming from our CBs as we have had this season. Are we just being more effective with the blitzes and I'm just noticing it more since it's been more impactful?
I don't have any data, but it looks to me like there were more blitz packages the last two games. For different reasons, I think.
Against Wazzu to try and corral Ward so he couldn't go bat guano crazy on the scramble (which he managed to do some anyway). And against the Utes to disrupt a shaky pass offense. Both strategies worked for the most part.
I suspect we'll see a steady stream of calculated pressures and safety/DB blitzes going forward now that DL knows what he can do with Evan, Tysheem, Kyree et al.
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Very entertaining and telling game between the next two opponents. I'm an old Cal alum and have hated the Spoiled Children since childhood so I wanted a Bear victory. But a I'm willing to settle for more game film that will help the Ducks beat them both.
Love it that these games are at Autzen. Both teams can be dangerous and Oregon cannot let down on either one. Williams is still one of the top QBs and he will get his. To a lesser extent Ott and the Cal run game. Both Cal and U$C have swiss cheese defenses that Stein and Nix will shred.
I figure Cal by a couple touchdowns and Trojenz by one+ when it's Vegas odds time.
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One thing the coaches appeared to plan for was to neutralize the Utes two-way emerging wunderkind, Vaki. Lupoi had a sign to let the D know he was in the game, as the Utes apparently had a limited number of offensive sets to use him out of. Makes sense since Vaki had only recently moved to offense. Thus Oregon more or less knew what was coming when he was in the game.
So not only did the Duck D shut him down completely, they had a heads up on the plays being run. He ended up with 5 carries for 11 yds and no receptions. He was responsible for the first of Tysheem's two picks when he didn't complete a route (although TJ was in perfect position and may have made the play anyway). By the 2nd half he was back on defense almost exclusively and the Utes had abandoned the offense centered on him.
That, my fellow feathered fanatic friends, is just plain good coaching and game planning.
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Fumble a bummer but D held and only 3 points for Utah. And the Kyree PI was totally bogus on the prior series. Now another Duck TD drive is in order
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Oregon
24-17
1 TO
4 Sacks
265 passing yds
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On 10/27/2023 at 7:57 AM, Jon Joseph said:
The central figure in the investigation, Connor Stalion (is life a movie?) a 28-year-old Naval Academy graduate, whose parents both graduated from Michigan and a Captain in the Marine Corps, is alleged to have attended 35 games at 17 stadiums over the last few seasons. Stalion's has been suspended with pay.
Everything was secret and hunky-dory until he tried to relay pilfered play calls back to Harbaugh with a WWII naval signal lamp.
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Yo, Coach Whitt's got some guns! Pretty good for a 63 yo dude.
Great to see a coach that hits the weight room with his players. No wonder they run through walls for him.
And on a related topic....
https://www.si.com/college/utah/football/lincoln-riley-acuses-utah-of-stealing-signs
No, Lincoln, Whitt doesn't steal your play calls. And if he does it's because you are too predictable.
What he does is steal your lunch. And drink your milkshake. He lives rent free in your head, haunts your dreams and owns your candy-caboose.
And while I hope for your speedy recovery and return to the sideline for the Cal game, I'd get pneumonia too if i were as exposed as you and your defense were against the Irish and Utes.
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On 10/26/2023 at 1:29 PM, Charles Fischer said:
Not me. Too much fun, and I'll take my punishment later if we lose...
It's not like anything we say here has any bearing on whether the Ducks win or lose. So you might as well enjoy yourself and toss as many road apples at the feckless Trojenz as you want.
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On 10/26/2023 at 9:16 AM, jrw said:
I'm with Haywardduck and am going to hold off on the trash talk until after November 11th.
As much as I dislike Riley and the hype train he pilots at U$C, I will moderate my schadenfreude at the Trojenz' self inflicted wounds.
It all means diddly squat until the week before the November 11 match up in Autzen. Then it's coaching, watching film and game planning to exploit the weaknesses in their defense and limiting the damage Williams and their offense can do.
History tells us that they usually wrinkle and fold like their disposable namesake when faced with adversity and dashed hopes. However, they have a lot of talent so Oregon cannot be lulled into a sense of false security over U$C's travails.
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Interesting that DL seems to be more aggressive on offense than on defense. Maybe it is game management situation or whatever analytics he uses to decide when to go for it on 4th down. It also looks like there is a default position of a higher level of risk tolerance on offense.
On defense he seems to be taking more of a conservative 'stop the run and don't give up explosion plays' approach. Perhaps fewer blitz and stunting pressure packages than we night have expected from a defensively oriented coach.
It may also be a reflection of the pass happy teams leading the PAC this year. If it is personnel related, Lanning certainly appears to be recruiting the quality of edge and D-line players that will ultimately let him get much more aggressive on that side of the ball. It's a good bet we'll see more of that next year against B1G teams.
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It'll all come down to O-line play. Win at the line of scrimmage and minimize drive killing holding, false start and ineligible downfield penalties. The Utes have legit D linemen that will make life tough for our tackles.
Utah will be missing their very good starting play calling ILB Barton, who went down in the U$C game. If the O-line can get Bucky to the second level he'll get yards. Hopefully there will be opportunities in the passing/RPO game to take advantage of the short middle zone as well. Then Tez and Troy will get a chance to open it up.
With so many injuries the Utes don't have the quality depth they normally do and Oregon needs to grind them down with the run game. If the Ducks can start strong and get up by two scores, it'll be hard for Utah to respond in kind. I'm not minimizing the Utah offense, but they are not built to stretch the field with their 2☆ QB and repurposed skill players. They still have a very good ground game and Oregon's D will have to slow them down.
If it's close going into the 4th quarter, the relative lack of depth should allow the Ducks to wear down the defense. Then they use the run game and ball control to win.
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On 10/24/2023 at 6:34 PM, Augduck said:
My $.02 take is no one has clipped his wings and if I had to sit down and take questions from Crepea I might be a little weary too.
I'm with Augduck. The last Ducks vs Them video after the Wazzu game had DL delivering supportive and fiery locker room talks to the team. The first was after the UW loss. No backing down and lots of well directed passion. I didn't see any clipped wings.
The daring play calls like fake punts and 4th down attempts were not needed against the Cougs. After all the criticism about not taking the points against UW, Oregon attempted two FGs. Lewis missed one and needs to get his mojo back after two weeks of subpar performances. You don’t do that by benching your kicker. Remember that Lewis won the last WSU game played in Autzen two years ago. I'm willing to bet Oregon will need his leg at some critical point later this season..
Maybe Lanning is going to put a somewhat more subdued face on during the pressers. And I totally agree about Crepea. Taking his multipart, obtuse and occasionally inanely picky detail oriented 'I'm the smartest dude in the room' questions would make me want to smile thinly, subtly shake my head, and reply in monotonal coach-speak.
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On 10/24/2023 at 10:40 AM, Santa Rosa Duck said:
I like our chances here. I think we are favored by 6 points +/-. Not sure the quality backup QB has seen a defense like ours. Utah has the home field and the altitude advantage but I am sure our DUCKS are superbly conditioned. I don't think this will be a nail biter. GO DUCKS!
Utah has seen a quality defense, and that was in Corvallis. Utah could only muster 7 points. The Beavs stuffed the run and held the Utes to under 200 yds total offense.
The UW game was predicted to be a boat race decided by a single possession, and it ended up being just that. Utah has as good a defense as UW (perhaps better even with injuries) and Santa Rosa Duck is spot on that they have a significant home field advantage in the crowd and elevation. What they don't have is a Heisman level QB and an offense loaded with weapons. A boat race it won't be.
Utah does have an interesting two headed QB in Johnson/Barnes, neither who would be playing much if Rising was healthy. U$C's porous defense ultimately couldn't contain Barnes and the converted safety, Vaki. He burned both Cal and U$C for big yards, but he is no longer a secret weapon. Oregon's defense will hopefully lock down Vaki and stick an apple in the pig farmer's mouth.
Utah likely can't match scores with the Ducks if the offense gets rolling. The Ducks have the personnel advantage and have already done Game Day at an intensely hostile site. They will be up for this challenge. Time to purge the curse of Rice-Eccles Stadium.
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OBD Prediction Contest vs. Cal!
in Our Beloved Ducks
Posted
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)