EastBayDuckDad

As if 97° on the field isn't enough, the Ducks will have to deal with the distraction of hooters. I understand they really like that stuff in Texas, though.

Texas Tech starting linebacker Jacob Rodriguez out vs. Oregon football WWW.OREGONLIVE.COM Jacob Rodriguez, who had two tackles against Wyoming before leaving the game with a foot... TT is out one of their experienced starting ILBs. His replacement is a redshirt frosh that is a converted safety and has limited playing time outside of special teams. Sounds like an early and often Bucky opportunity!

Living in Troy's head rent free. And good luck planting that silly sword in the Autzen Field Turf. Maybe the Trojan can use it like a combination polo stick and shish kabob, plucking Traveler's road apples up off the endzone turf each time Oregon scores.

Still a bit early to say but Stein seems to be turning out to be a good, possibly great hire. Even though he didn't start much at Louisville, playing behind Teddy Bridgewater, when he played he had a high QBR. He stuck on at Louisville to coach and that wouldn't have happened if he didn’t know his stuff. He has been better than good at each subsequent coaching gig and he appears to be a QB whisperer if recruiting and Thompson's improvement have anything to do with him. Exciting to think what this offense can do when he takes the muzzle off and opens up the playbook. Wyoming gave the TexTech D fits in that 2nd half and OT. Think what Bo, Bucky, Troy and TFerg could do behind the revamped O-line when Stein looses the hounds.

Their D coordinator had the flu, combined with pleurisy, lumbago, scabies, dropsy, bubonic plague and the seven year itch that day. It was contagious and the entire tOSU team was afflicted. Certainly wasn't that they were outplayed by the Ducks. That game and the Rose Bowl were the two shining moments in the Cristobal firmament.

Also not a Prime fan but have to admire the job he and his son did against TCU. Wouldn't mind Colorado being ranked when they come to Autzen now that TexTech is out of the top 25 and a Duck win next Saturday won't hold as much weight. My guess is that Prime stays at Colorado to coach his sons, then it's adios to SEC land.

While I would agree that the road OT loss might make TT more determined against the Ducks, two factors give Oregon a small but real advantage. DL and staff have more and better film to study. TT was likely forced to use more playbook to try and pull out a win in Laramie. Perhaps of greater importance is that OT offense and defense is all red zone, and could tip their hand to how they would play in the toughest part of the field. Historically teams are impacted by OT games. The impact on the following game is greatest when you lose, particularly on the road. While teams that subsequently play at home still have a relative advantage straight up, they do poorly against the spread. Again, small but real potential advantage Oregon. How do Teams Perform the Week After an OT Game? WWW.ODDSSHARK.COM There have been seven overtime games so far in the 2019 season, including six in Week 2 alone...

And Wyoming scores a TD and makes the 2pt conversion to win 35-33. They were a 13pt underdog. Oregon will absolutely benefit from this.

Oh my. Just tuned in to this. TT up by a TD over Wyoming in the 2nd OT. Plenty of film for DL and crew to study.

I know Jacobs didn't play at LB, but did MatayoU get on the field at all?.

I should note those were 1st half observations. DBs tackling better now

Five observations, even given the weak opponent: D-line solid with addition of Burch to take pressure off Dorlus. Secondary still has tackling issues that need to be addressed. O-line is the real deal led by JPJ with Cornelius and Conerly at the tackles Insane group of WRs led by TFrank Dilly who?

I believe he is an Aussie like Dunne. Good on ya, Mate! Florida looked sluggish and a bit out of shape. Maybe the altitude in spite of everyone having a personal oxygen cylinder. Ute D is solid and disciplined. How many sacks they get, like six? Biggest concern for Utah is how their offense petered out in the second half. They'll be better once they get Rising and Kuithe back. It'll be a great game in Rice-Eccles against the Ducks.

Oregon 59-10 2 TOs 4 Sacks 265 passing yds These modest numbers are predicated on lots of backups seeing 2nd half action and DL/Stein not opening the offensive playbook up too much. But also showcasing the new and improved defense, particularly edge play and secondary.

Jon, Duckhart is right. Oregon faced Williams and Oklahoma in the 2021 Alamo Bowl. He threw for 242 yds and 3 TDs. Cristobal had given Oregon the big middle finger on his way to Miami and acting HC Joe Moorhead finally opened up the offense and let A. Brown chuck the ball down the field. Too little too late, though. So, yeah, the Ducks have seen Williams before. Beating him, 'Check Out My Crib' Riley and the entitled Spoiled Children at Autzen would be sweet. And here's to being a thorn in U$C's side for years to come in the B1G.

Excellent observations in the article, Alex. Avoiding injuries and a step up in defensive efficiency make every game in 2023 winnable. As far as USC goes, what I saw in their win over SJ State was that in spite of better personnel, their defense is still very vulnerable to a good rushing attack and a mobile QB. Oregon checks both of those boxes. Williams is dynamic with a big accurate arm but could be lulled into throwing picks against better competition. The Spartan coverage was very soft and he found wide open gaps most of the time but took some chances with the ball that Oregon can exploit if DB and safety play is solid. And Zachariah Branch is the real deal. The announcers gushed on him and crowned him the 2nd coming of Reggie Bush. He reminds me more of DAT as he goes down easy once corralled, but you've got to catch him first. Lanning and crew now have a heads up that he needs to be game planned for. Time for some football!

Great article. I have a lot of faith (hopefully not misplaced) in the new O-Line based on the experienced transfers and returners that rotated in with the starters last year. They appear to be holding their own against the significantly improved D-Line in practice, likely as good or better than the majority they will face this season. They don't need to open huge holes for the RBs, just enough to get to the second level. Many of the yards Bucky got last year were after first contact and he didn't need a lot of space to get there. The biggest question is can the line play enough as one unit to protect Nix for that extra second to get the ball off to the right read or break off a first down scramble.

frick-i-de-doo-dah. What a unique take on getting into the CFP by Cowherd. So who died and made U$C king? They laid an egg against Utah (who staged a great 2nd half comeback) in the 2022 Pac12 championship game then squatted out a whole baker's dozen against TULANE !(kudos to the green wave). "Check out my crib" Riley whiffs on the big games routinely. No way they back in without beating Oregon or anyone else in the PAC championship. The beauty in all this is that we get to stick in the craw of the spoiled children for decades to come in the B1G.

Murray = Oklahoma (not TA&M) Burrow = LSU (not tOSU) Williams = U$C (not Oklahoma) So. Nope. Bo = Oregon, not Auburn. The team you did it with is the team you win it with.

Take Brutus and make him slightly less yellow. Squash his big round head at both ends so he looks a bit like a pointy football. Lose the silly cap and, voilà, you have Stewie from Family Guy! So yeah, that's a bit creepy. But not more than Purdue Pete, voted the creepiest mascot in all college football. He's supposed to be a big friendly boilermaker, but Purdue had to change his appearance as he was scaring small children. Does Purdue Pete scare your kids? He's voted creepiest and second worst mascot in NCAA WWW.JCONLINE.COM Quality Logo Products Bog conducted a survey this month that found Purdue Pete as the... And as pointed out on the Michigan State website, msu.edu, the lack of a Michigan mascot may be more than it just being "undignified" to have one. Like impossible, as in essentially extinct in the 'Wolverine' State. "There are currently no wolverines in the Wolverine State (other than a few in Ann Arbor). The last known specimen is in the stuffed animal collection of Gary Kaberle of Traverse City; it was killed in the 1860's. As far as is known, there is no evidence that wolverines were ever commercially trapped in Michigan." So yes, Puddles is going to have a lot of fun as the new cool kid in the B1G.

And that (snicker) is just (guffaw) plain (hahahahaha) MEAN! (I blow a mouthful of IPA out my nose and convulse on the ground).

Adding Cal and Stanford to the B1G certainly works on an academic level. It would create a west coast pod that would reduce travel for the teams and preserve some sense of the traditional PAC. It solidifies all of the western major media markets and might actually generate some CFB interest in the SF Bay area. There are no other natural landing places for the two premier academic institutions in the west. A revamped Pac with the likes of SDSU, Fresno St, UNLV, Boise St, etc isn't really much of a fit. Forget about the Mountain West. Big 12 maybe, but still not a great option. If Cal is able follow UCLA to the B1G there won't be any political friction or payoff problems within the UC system once you get past the partial share issue. That should bring UCLA on board. Stanford could go it alone ala Notre Dame but likely couldn't generate the same financial incentives for linear broadcast as the golden domers. Stanford brings big value in the non-rev sports and certainly WBB. And it preserves the Big Game if Cal moves with them. U$C is going to whine no matter what. Their biggest fears have already come to fruition with the addition of Oregon to the B1G. Push comes to shove, I think the Trojenz won't fight the tide if every other B1G institution wants to let Cal and Stanford in.

I might be the only one who thinks this, but here goes. I'm sick of the crocodile tears shed by sports journalists like Canzano, Orem, Fentress, Meek, Crepea, etc. over the Ducks selling out OSU, $10 of extra church group parking fees at Wazzu, and the rest of the PAC for a 'few dollars' of media revenue. Like any of them would turn down a big payday to jump from a smaller west coast media outlet to a national position with CBS, Fox or ESPN to further their own careers. They need to write a story and it's legit to mourn the passing of the PAC given it's rich sports history. It's their job and for the most part they do it pretty well. I lament what has transpired having been a Pac8/10/12 fan my entire adult life. But to lay this at Oregon's feet after the hamstringing that U$C and UCLA delivered to the conference is disingenuous. Champagne Larry and some enabling university presidents ran it into the ground, not Phil Knight. The same crowd that applauded NIL and giving some payback to players should have a hard time keeping a straight face when proclaiming that Oregon is cynically chasing the dollars by making the only sensible move available: Joining the B1G. The dollars to support all college athletics has to come from somewhere. College football is big, big money. How the heck else do you come up with a contract so lucrative and ironclad that you put a 20 million dollar buyout provision in it so some other institution can't pilfer your HC away without real pain. The media, fan bases, broadcast providers, and the advertisers and donors that float the boat have injected an insane amount of cash and drama into the process. Is it any surprise that we have ended up here? There, got it off my chest. In the end I just want to see Oregon thrive. Maybe win a national championship under DL. Watch the next Sabrina and the WBB team defeat another team USA. See the men in another Final Four. Maybe go to Omaha to cheer Waz and crew. Don't blame Oregon for doing what they had to do.

Looks like we will be getting that promised home game with tOSU after all. Then more rounds of the same. And playing Wisconsin in some venue other than the Rose Bowl. When you look back at the Oregon v B1G match ups in the last 15 years, there have been some great games, with the Ducks ending up on top in most of them. As far as the new expanded playoffs go, to see the B1G and SEC put 4 or even 5 teams in each year is not a stretch. Oregon will be a good bet most years. As a born and bred west coaster, with extended stops at Cal, Arizona and finally Oregon, I hate to see the PAC die. But survival dictated this move as did the SoCal schools breaking ranks. And as far as U$C goes, karma sure is a beach.

I don't know if eyeballs on screens matters much in all this, but since subscribership and ad revenue still appears to, here are some numbers of interest. Most viewed games of 2021: tOSU v Michigan. 15.9M Alabama v Auburn. 10.4M Mich v MSU. 9.3M Georgia v Clemson. 8.9M Ala v Tex A$M. 8.3M Ala v Florida. 7.9M Norte Dame v Florida St 7.8M Oregon v tOSU. 7.8M Most watched Pac12 game was Oregon v Utah at #28. After that at #30 was Washington v Michigan. Fact is that PAC football (at least in 2021) outside of Oregon, was not must see TV. And that took playing in the horseshoe at Ohio State. USC and UCLA didn't register much. If there is a brand in the PAC that brings a market, it is the Ducks.