JDuck

Oregon wins, 35-24. 2, 3, 228. A crossroads game indeed, unfortunately it will be another where you don't really feel like it's in the bag until later in the 4th quarter. This should be 59-0 if the team that beat tOSU shows up. Alas, too predictable, no offensive identity, soft coverage will allow Garbers some life.

The last couple Saturdays, I realized I was having more fun watching games like Alabama-Texas A&M, Oklahoma-Texas, even watching ASU pound Stanford...and the contrast in offenses. Oregon's old school attempt at smash-mouth football under MC has failed miserable. Not quite as physical and beefy may have been the difference against Auburn in 2010, or tOSU in 2014. In 2010 though, Chip's stubbornness may have been the difference...the 1st and goal at the 1 that went backwards for 3 plays? The safety? Is MC just too stubborn? Even Alabama now uses up-tempo and spread. I enjoyed those other games because of the diversity of play calling these teams used, as another commenter just stated, "we don't have speed and it shows." And in today's games, speed is needed to win, look at Alabama today vs. 10 years ago when Saban was whining that a rule should be made slow the game down (because of OREGON!!!). Alabama, Clemson (except this year) Oklahoma, tOSU...the perennial playoff teams and national champions (look at what Ed Orgeron did when he had the talent for one season!) have creative and diverse offenses. Great article.

I think they could go 10-2 and win the north, but lose to ASU, 10-3 Holiday Bowl? Or, 9-3, don't win the north, end up in the Pfizer Stick 'Em With Your Best Shot Bowl in Gary, Indiana and lose to Ball State.

Never

Makes me think ASU has some offense, they were 13th nationally the graphic said, in total D. Makes me wonder what would happen if we do manage to get them in the Pac12 CG

A lot of chatter on social media last night about this...SEC refs definitely seemed to be trying to help Bama bit.. glad A&M won

Agree with many others here. Basically, other conferences will need to 2-loss each other, and we need to be 11-1 and beat an 11-1 ASU. GA loses only to a 11-1 Bama? They will both Trump any Pac-12 team, 13-0 Cincinnati will too I think. Oklahomie looks better each week... Yes, coaching is the key here, and impressing the committee with 59-0 wins over teams like Cal are what we need, grind it out smashmouth 35-24 wins over Cal or AZ type teams won't cut it. It's year 4...MC's team needs an offensive identity

Was hoping to reverse-psych a win...but tOSU game seems like an anomaly now. Hate to say I called ABs first pick too.

Yes the practice report always sounds good, but MC's presser yesterday, he said "Brown is still the guy, gives us the best chance to win" or something like that. Don't be surprised if it's AB against Cal, and a 52-0 win ends up being 35-24. The playoff is mathematically possible, but Stanford has to lose another Pac-12 game for us to even win the NORTH! And have a shot as ASU or whoever wins the south. Stanford plays ASU tomorrow, should be interesting. I think ASU wins. Can we even beat UCLA on the road with this offense? UW? OSU? I think so but not with a QB who consistently blows reads and can't throw. I'm thankful for beating tOSU but still wondering how??? Haywarduck, great point about next year's non-conference schedule. I agree, let Flowe and Williams, others heal up, and get the vaunted recruits some game time this year...we're not winning a natty this year

The incomplete pass on 2nd and 18 was a really sad pass. Pitch, catch, stay in bounds...he probably gains some yards, maybe not the first down but the clock keeps going/Stanford has to burn another time out. But Brown was so out of synch in that game, not sure why they attempted any passes down the stretch. The second half run game was cranking, when trying to kill the clock just don't keep running up the middle, do what go you there.

Yep, it's time. Both Thompson and Butterfield have shown they can throw a lot better. I can't imagine they'd make RPO reads any worse. They are the future and this year doesn't feel like the year we'll win it all, build for next year. Is it the 6th year senior/leadership/calm presence thing? Great, but it's not working. Too many injuries, especially on D, and the D continues to keep us in games in spite of the injuries. I think scheme and coaching are the biggest culprits, and discipline. *Scheme...this is on the coaches. Several people have pointed this out. The offense has no identity (year 4 for MC) though for the most part, MC lets his DC's do their job and with a a healthy lineup I think DeRuyter will shine. Offense is a bigger concern *Discipline...this is on the coaches. Every single incompletion, they make the incomplete symbol (emphatically) as if the crowd and the clock keeper can't see the refs do it. Every single first down...let the refs make the signal. Is this the down side of 4 and 5 star recruits? Too entitled? I get it on a fumble, everyone is signaling their direction, hopeful. I can see late in the 4th quarter, you stop them on 4th down and seal the win...nothing wrong with passion and emotion, but after a 12 yard pickup to your own 39 yard line in the 1st quarter, hey that's what a receiver is supposed to do, you haven't won anything yet. Line up again for the next play, the refs will signal for the first down, that's THEIR job. Prove me wrong, I know a lot of players do it, but I am going to watch this more. Do Saban's players do that a lot? I want to re-watch the Stanford game now and watch their players. David Shaw is a classy and elite coach. What would he do with 'Bama level recruiting? *Discipline...this time I'm talking about penalties. 'Nuff said? Coaches? Taggart's Ducks were amongst most penalized in the nation, MC emphasized cleaning that up, and we were among the best in the nation a couple years ago...what happened? 3 straight recruiting classes at the top of the Pac (never had even one prior) so we have the talent. Charles nailed it yesterday, MC can recruit, the family culture is awesome, the off-field issues (save for a poor choice with an air soft gun) have been very minimal under MC. But the X and O stuff needs work, and putting these high caliber freshmen in now, I think is the way to go. And...MC needs to let Moorhead (hope he is recovered and back soon) have the reigns. Kill the clock to 2 seconds on every play when you are trying to kill the clock, and no false starts. Rest of the time? Feels like it takes 8 years to change a play. I agree with those who want to see more of the Chip Kelly tempo. 45 points a game should be the minimum goal, especially with this talent. Sorry, pent up rant.

Spot on Charles, and Canzano was spot on today too...

I called a loss, was glad to be proven wrong, then...we managed to lose. Poor play calling, but should have won even with Moorhead out. Poor discipline, poor clock management. Not sure how we won in Columbus, we looked brilliant, but the other 4 games...not looking like a Top 10 team (if Top 25, really). Young team, maybe this will be a humbling, learning experience for the players and coaches alike. It's time to put in Ty Thompson, I all for AB to be successful but the future is now. Ain't gonna be no playoff. Rose Bowl? Possible.

This too may be reverse psychology, and maybe AZ was a wakeup call for this young team, can they play more disciplined? Stanford has smart players and coaches. Stanford 31-24. 0 take-aways, 1 sack, 88 passing yards

Actually the 8-10 season was Sabrina/Ruthie's freshman year. But I think the hype was too high, yet we're way ahead of that year with more talent coming in and the Fab Five improving. As KG said the other day, it's time to get a smaller rotation figured out. Obviously this article was written before the AZ game, but those numbers, and our play, will improve. Boley had 0 points in the desert. She has always been streaky with the 3, so is Mikesell. If Sedona stays healthy the game in the paint will thrive, Nyara is improving a lot, and someone becoming the new pick-n-roll queen...we have potential

Good news, best group of WRs and TEs maybe ever, coming in. A new innovative offense could use a power run game and speed on the edges...throw in the TEs and a bit of go-go and defenses would be taxed I think we are getting the kind of O linemen those big 4 programs have, and a lot of competition brewing in the QB room perhaps this spring and summer to orchestrate it all. We seem to have us a kicker...defense too. So yeah...great article, give JoMo the keys to the Ferrari!!!

Dorlus means a rotation guy to give KT a break, that doesn't bring a huge drop-off in quality from that position. Depth. Fresh bodies. That's how Aliotti was successful with recruits that weren't, overall, nearly as highly rated as what we are getting now. Combine the 2 for the type of thing Clemson and Bama have...