Triphibius

But not into an 8-man box, please.

The champion would be the team lucky enough to avoid injuries through a 16-game season.

After three years, guests and Fisch smell.

Given Deion Sander's problems, perhaps he ought to be hired as OC at Colorado, thereby becoming Buffalo Chip.

I cannot say for sure whether this contributed, but I noticed that Iuli and Pregnon exchanged positions, with the former on the left side and the latter on the right.

I don't always watch Oregon State football, but when I do, I drink at least a six-pack of Dos Equis first.-- The most interesting man in the world.

Two thoughts: Perhaps Stein does not trust our tackles to provide enough protection for the additional time needed to throw downfield. They struggled at times yesterday. Geoff Schwarz asserted after the Indiana game that a more effective running game would enable downfield passing by forcing the opponent's defensive linemen to concentrate on the run and possibly encouraging their safeties to move closer to the line of scrimmage to provide run support. Both of these reactions would facilitate play action downfield passing.

The performance of the offense was disappointing. The defense was not outstanding, but possibly good enough for a win against a fine Indiana team if the offense had played better. Indiana's staff and players deserve much credit for their plan and execution, but I agree with many others that Stein was not at his best. Specific problems: Oregon had some success running the ball, especially with Jordan Davison between the guards. These kinds of plays featured our best two linemen and exploited their advantage against lighter defensive linemen. Many recall that Stein did not stick with this approach, for no apparent reason. I remarked in the thread that OBD ran the ball into a seven-man box on first down early in the game, which predictably put us behind the chains. DL seemed to think this was a more frequent problem. I do not recall this being a persistent issue. Erik Skopil stated that most of the sacks happened not because of our linemen lost one on one matchups, but when OBD were beaten by schemes that were not foreseen or not countered effectively. This issue was not fixed, but grew worse in the second half. I have not coached or played one down of organized football, but I would think that the issues with the running game ought to have been apparent on the field. I would think it might be easier to see what the pass rushers are doing from the box. However, Stein may find it easier to coach Dante and Poncho on the field, and clearly some of that was needed. To their credit, DL accepted responsibility rather than blame his players (unlike some other prominent coaches we have heard from recently), and Dante accepted blame rather than cast it on his teammates. I respect them for that, and hold out some hope for improvement because of it.

The U of O ran on first down into a seven-man box on first down. Adjustment?

My non-expert opinion is that their linebackers are better than he realized.

Congratulations to the players, coaches, staff and fans. Special kudos to those whose clutch plays preserved the victory: Dante Moore, Gary Bryant, Dillon Thieneman. Tip of the hat also to the opponent, who mounted a gallant comeback, and whose QB deserves more recognition and fewer catcalls. However, I could not escape the feeling that the Ducks had the game under control and nearly let PSU steal a victory after the U of O had outplayed them for three quarters. Thieneman accepted blame for the long pass play. I could not tell on TV, but it looked from the angle provided that he was still playing closer to the line of scrimmage than was prudent at that point in the game. The penalty for unsportmanslike conduct was inexcusable. I thought at the time that it would cost us the game. DL attributed PSU's late success running the ball to Xs and Os. He knows better than I, but it looked to me as if Oregon's defenders were getting blocked because they were tired. EAse to say, that more sbustitutions ought to have been made early, because Oregon was struggling on offense, but perhaps DL ought to have substituted more in the first half. Yes, there is reason to hope, but Oregon needs to learn how to finish games.

Would Florida choose Will Stein over Jedd Fisch, who is a Florida alumnus with P4 head coaching experience? Would they hop aboard the Lane Train if Fisch is available? If Florida were to hire Fisch, would the UW be interested in Stein, and vice versa?

What network is going to cover this game? ESPN The Ocho? The Pac-12 could raise their national visibility by introducing NCAA competition in dodgeball, with William Shatner as commissioner.

The contributors have underestimated the natural beauty of the state of Nebraska. When I was across the country in my youth, I noticed a sign along the freeway in eastern Nebraska. It informed drivers that they would notice driving westward across the state that the type of grass growing alongside the road changes. No disrespect to Coach Rhule, but if they want to return to national prominence, they must implement three changes this season: Replace the entire coaching staff with artificial intelligence. Change the too familiar red jerseys (such a cliche) to Pantone 448C, a color that I guarantee will set them apart. Replace their marching band with a marching opera company.

Football's value is a result of its scarcity. Games matter. The more they proliferate, the less they matter. They less they matter, the less we will watch. That proposal, even if offered for bargaining purposes, is like saying that because we like Christmas, it ought to last for six months.