EastBayDuckDad

All of the above! And I'm thankful for family gatherings, flight delays, ER visits after the morning "touch" football game and bickering over when to take the turkey out. Overcooked turkey, three cousins that brought cranberry sauce and none a decent salad, nephews and nieces that will only eat drumstick and weird 2nd cousin Hubert insisting that everyone try his Rocky Mountain Oyster stuffing. Far left uncle Fred and far right uncle Louie that just can't keep political opinions to themselves. Hearing about Aunt Tillie's colon operation at the table, for the fifth year in a row. Discovering that grandma Ethyl's teeth have gone missing in the mashed potatoes. And having to hide the Chianti from your half-in-the-bag step brother before he gets unruly again. And I'm particularly thankful that this holiday comes only once a year, that the next day they have all gone back home, and that it is time to watch the Ducks kick some river rat butt! Happy Thanksgiving to all!

I suppose, as it would mean the swan song of the Pac-12 represented the one time it was perceived to be as strong as the SEC. Even remotely possible? No, probably not. Oregon needs to have convincing wins over Beavus and then Fusky in the Pac-12 CG to ensure it gets to the CFP as a one loss team. Beating UW in that fashion would effectively knock the mutts out of consideration, just like Oregon needs tOSU or Michigan to win convincingly enough to knock the other out of contention. If Alabama eked out a narrow win over Georgia in the SEC CG, does anyone think the CFP committee wouldn't put two 12-1 SEC teams in and leave a 12-1 Pac-12 champion out? Oregon needs to put the hammer down the next two weeks to just be in the narrative.

Let's face it, the Heisman is largely a QB beauty contest. Unless there is one undeniable winner, like Marcus in 2014 or Burrow in 2019, there will be regional (meaning not west coast) bias in the voting. Victories do seem to count. If Bo continues to play the way he is playing and Oregon wins out, then the odds are he will win it regardless of any gaudy numbers put up by an SEC QB against late season cupcakes.

But it may not be with U$C. Carolina or Arizona maybe.

Arizona is the real deal and I would rather play Beavus and Fusky instead of those guys. Good on 'em. Today turned out about as well as could be hoped. Oregon has it's path set loud and clear. Beat the Beavs then beat the purple pooches. It's that simple.

Oregon 46-16 2 TO 5 Sacks 345 passing yards DL has the 2s and 3s in by mid to late 3rd qtr and eases up on the gas in deference to his friend and former OC

IMHO: Prepared, yes. Worried, no. The narrative before the Utah game centered on how badly they beat the Ducks two years ago in SLC, then the Pac-12 CG, and how the Utes don't lose at home. History doesn't seem to count as much with this Oregon team and specifically the defense. There is nothing magical about Tempe. I lived in Tucson for five years and can personally attest to that. Oregon should dispatch Sparky by at least three touchdowns if the Ducks play anywhere near potential and limit penalties, on both sides of the ball. Oregon has the advantage at essentially every position, skill and otherwise, and better team speed. And that is against a healthy Sun Devil team, which they currently are not. Multiple inside zone runs don't work against ASU (as Chip and UCLA found out), but nearly everything else does. The Ducks just need to execute the offense, let Bo be Bo, play solid defense and not do stupid things.

Oregon's first NC game was with Chip at the helm in 2011 against Auburn. Better defense may very well have won that game. And Dyer's knee was down.

The coaching carousel is a result of success on the field and the perceived status + $$$ of the jump. Add in the home boy/native son component and the deep pockets and desperation of the pilfering program. If Oregon doesn't have a decent bounce back season and improved recruiting under Taggart, he doesn't leave for FSU (dream job, where he rises to his own level of incompetence). Ditto for Cristobal after a RB victory followed by a couple ok seasons then a dream job offer (competence level TBD). Dilly jumped due to the home boy effect, P5 HC gig, money and the fact that he would be given a cushion of time to resuscitate the dumpster fire left by Edwards and the recently departed ASU AD. Sure Stein, and for that matter Tuioti, Martin, Adams, Terry, etc, will all get offers in the future. What has impressed me about this year is how smoothly the new assistants have fit the DL culture, improved their position groups, excelled at recruiting and put the Ducks in the CFP conversation. The more important point is that each new hire last year was a success. DL knows from his time at Alabama and Georgia that success breeds coaching change, it is inevitable and that it is the culture that matters. I'm not saying you can just plug and play new coaches. But if they fit the culture and the system and are good at what they do, they will want to coach at Oregon. Stein seamlessly adopted Dilly's basic offense and has molded it to his vision and Bo's strengths. But it is all within DL's framework. Although Lanning is a defense guy, the offense is not left on an island. Contrast that with what is happening at U$C with their defense under 'great offensive mind' Lincoln Riley. Coaches will come and go. Like with great players graduating or going on to the NFL, the best programs reload as opposed to rebuild. So far DL has been able to reload when it comes to quality assistants and I anticipate that will continue to be the case.

When they are all bled out. Witness 2023 U$C (and UCLA) Physiologically, red is the normal color. and blue is the color at the end of the line. Perfectly happy for Oregon to remain outside of that classification for the foreseeable future.

DL always drops a nugget or two mixed in with the 'coachspeak' during those Wednesday press conferences. They're usually in response to a particularly good question or to a bad one he has to take issue with. The quote from him in the thread title was the nugget. KT was such a fantastic DE/Edge for the Ducks, and now emerging in the NFL, not because he was always on the field. It's when he was out there he usually had an impact. The current approach at Oregon emphasizes depth and limiting reps to situations of maximum impact. The DBs play more reps but aren't getting beat up every play like the down six are. You look at their snap counts and they are almost always a third less than the DBs. You make Dorlus and Rogers play every down and they won't be as effective. Tuioti, Matayo and Purchase as freshmen don't take that many snaps, but man you really notice them when they are in and make a play. That is what DL is selling to recruits and to his players in the D-line and LB rooms. What recruit wouldn't want a piece of that after watching Tuioti's center delay blitz from the edge that slobberknock sacked Caleb Williams last Saturday? It only takes one of those to light up a highlight reel.

I look at Hythloday1's post game analyses every week and really enjoy them. Ditto his Friday pregame reviews of the upcoming opponent. He is usually spot on with player and scheme evaluations. He had U$C's weaknesses pretty well defined and how Oregon might take advantage of them.

So true. He makes everyone around him better by getting alignments and reads right and distributing the ball to his playmakers. Most of the 'fails' have been iffy routes, drops or penalties. He's missed a few reads and open receivers, but not many. How many coaches around the country would think about a play then run it by their QB first? Oregon v them (U$C) video, middle route to TFerg in the end zone: "Ask Bo" "Yeah, that's not a bad call"

Overall, no brainer: Bo Nix On defense: Dorlus On offense: Bucky Honorable Mentions: Offense: Franklin, TFerg and the whole O-line I suppose Defense: Kyree, Rogers and believe it or not, Bassa. Maybe not for raw skill, but getting the right calls.

Penalties are the major issue with the O-line now but, my oh my, the talent level is great. Solid across the board with maybe Jones as the weakest link. Yet any Pac-12 OC would be thrilled to have him. I try to watch Pancho every time he gets in. What a talent. Subs well for JPJ at center when needed and is a beast at the RG slot. If Oregon can hold on to JPJ, Harper, Conerly and maybe Cornelius next year, with all the talent behind them, it will be a superb O-line.

Very true. But you can flush it so it ends up somewhere else. All sales are final!

Love it where one of the coaches says, about the pass to TFerg that resulted in Oregon's third TD, to "run it by Bo" and he says "yeah, that's not a bad call"

OBD general priorities: #1: Oregon wins out and gets to the CFP #2: Fusky loses #3: Beavus loses Priorities #2 and #3 can't both happen Saturday. In order to maximize #1, it's better if we accept #3. Penix and Fusky O lighting up Beavus D has the added benefit of exposing what Oregon can do the following week in the CW.

Van Buren (4☆) and Moga (3☆) are quality QB but not 5 stars. So this is a legit concern that all OBD fans share and there is consternation about what comes next. We all hope TT will be ready but past observation has been less than reassuring. But remember that when Nix was brought in via the portal the decision was not universally applauded. The same could be said for UW bringing in Penix. What made the difference, at least in Bo's case, was consistency in scheme, coaching and protection from the O-line. And the fact that he has developed into a defacto on field OC (I love the fact that DL and Stein asked Bo about the throw to TFerg that resulted in Oregon's 3rd TD against U$C. Bo said "That's not a bad play call"). The Nix standard will be tough to match. Until proven otherwise, I say trust in DL and WS to utilize the talent currently here or arriving in the spring to make it work, or find another gem in the portal.

Jimbo takes the aTm job, lands the 1st ranked recruiting class and then coaches them to 5-7 and (so far) 6-4 records. Small wonder they would want to land a HC that could develop talent instead of squandering it. I just don't see DL wanting to leave what he is building at Oregon for a couple extra mill a year and the headaches that taking that program on would entail. Sure, when Saban (sooner) or Smart (later) step away, expect those programs to come after Lanning full throttle. We can all worry then. The concerns about losing Stein seem legit, but propably not just a lateral move to another OC job. The day will come where he gets a HC gig. The Ducks will be OK. There was some consternation about losing Dilly to the ASU job and look how that is turning out. As I mentioned on another thread, my vote is for Lame Kitten. Although I find it funny that his own son Knox, a 2028 QB prospect (so that makes him like, thirteen?), was in Eugene for the U$C game. The Dad joked that he was worried Oregon was recruiting his own kid. Let aTm throw $100M at replacing their coach. I don't think DL will nibble, much less bite.

Sheesh. Young kids. Great supportive spouse (I'm assuming) that apparently loves Eugene. Humble but driven HC building a culture in the great northwest with a possible CFP berth this year and a move to the B1G next year. Currently getting paid a boatload of dinero with more likely to come. Appears to be a man of his word when he says Oregon is a destination. Best choice: Lame Kitten Already in SEC Always been a coaching golddigger. Divorced with attractive young (like 25, you dogs) GF that went to Ole Miss and now works at SMU Two older HS aged kids that probably can't wait to bail on Oxford. How much does he love living in M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I ? No knock on that state, but he had the run of LA when he coached the Trojenz.

It'll be a win but so much to fix, particularly on the O-line. It's not on Bo, he's had a Heisman level game. Oregon gave up at least one TD to penalties. One a gift to U$C from the zebras. This won't cut it against the Beavs. And it will be an issue against Sparky down in the desert.

Ugly. The penalties and lack of a reliable kicker is going to bite this team. Defense needs to keep up the pressure and win this game.

And Bucky has a Benjamin!

Oregon 36 USC 14 Pac-12 refs. 7