AnotherOD

Truer words have rarely been spoken!! I suppose the bright side of the thing is one of them indeed will lose!!

"With Oklahoma's loss at Kansas yesterday, a 1-loss Pac-12 champion is a playoff lock. A 1-loss Pac champ will have a very good strength of schedule. But could be a 4-seed if UGA, Michigan/Ohio State, and FSU win out.". Likely a few too many games left to be played to be looking far ahead; but, it's pretty hard as a fan of a team (potentially in the mix) not to. Obviously Florida State losing would be great but they look to be in a pretty good spot (with maybe Louisville looking like their CG opponent)? So, I think it is Texas that Oregon fans really need to be worried about; and, tOSU beating Michigan would help too. Georgia beats Alabama, FSU runs the table, tOSU wins the B10, leaves one spot. If Texas wins the B12 and perhaps beats OU in a rematch, with their win over Alabama, I think a one loss Pac-12 champion might be left out. I think a one loss Michigan, with a loss to tOSU would be out, with a pretty soft schedule, not winning their conference -- against two one loss conference champions (plus I would imagine some backlash fair or not from the selection committee due to the sign stealing thing). If it is a one loss tOSU, I think the outcome is similar (but not as assured). While a one loss P12 champ may have a strength of schedule argument, a one loss conference champ Texas team beating Alabama and avenging their one loss to OU in their championship game I think would be hard for the committee to pass over a one loss Pac12 champion (especially if Oregon and Washington end up splitting two games -- don't have to even argue between the two if you just take Texas). If the committee is going to have to leave out one -- one-loss conference champion, most likely it is going to be the conference that is vanishing. Plus Texas is still "blue blood" (still a thing in college football today). All this said, with the number of games remaining, if Oregon keeps winning, I think they are in a good spot.

I would say odds are 98% there will be a transfer QB next year. That doesn't mean TT won't get every opportunity to win the job; but, I can't imagine really any scenario where it is TT, Novosad, and two true freshman. After what Bo has accomplished as a transfer at Oregon and the last two seasons of Oregon's offense putting up numbers, I would be mildly surprised if it wasn't either a big name (from prior recruiting cycles) or an already accomplished QB looking for a new start.

I always thought it was "Dull-wig"? In Oregon lore, I believe Ludwig is most remembered as the guy who drove Mike Bellotti to hire Gary Crowton and bring in a version of the spread offense, which eventually led to Chip Kelly after Crowton left after two years for LSU (where he was OC for the 2007 NC team that many thought Oregon was headed to face prior to Dixon's injury). I don't recall Ludwig being completely terrible as OC at Oregon, just a bit young then (came to Oregon at age 38 with five years of experience as OC at Cal Poly and Fresno State), with offenses that didn't match the previous generally very successful Tedford years. Bellotti and Tedford had led Oregon under a more traditional "pro style" offense to national average in points scored: 1998: 7th (8-4) 1999: 11th (9-3) 2000: 47th (10-2) 2001: 20th (11-1) After Tedford (and Harrington) left Oregon, Ludwig came in continuing the "pro style" approach (inheriting Jason Fife and a young Kellen Clemens) and went (points scored): 2002: 76th (7-6) 2003: 70th (8-5) 2004: 63rd (5-6) That 5-6 in 2004 proves especially poor as Oregon starts the season losing at home to an Indiana team that finishes 3-8; and, doesn't end up beating a team with a winning record and misses a bowl -- and ends up being Bellotti's only losing season at Oregon. But Crowton comes in, Oregon goes 10-2 (losing in the regular season only to then #1 USC), Clemens looks great as a senior before being lost for the season after 8 games, and Oregon finishes AP #12 finishing #12 in the nation in scoring.

Interesting in the bottom photo you can count all 22 players on what is essentially half the field. Maybe a good first or second down call; but, in a key late down situation, I would understand thoughts that the play doesn't seem to offer many options? You can count 8 Ducks around the pocket so 3 receiving options and you can count as many as 7 UW in pass defense. So 3 versus 7 with only about half the field to defend? And while Franklin is probably more open than the other two WRs, that looks like a pretty tough throw. It would have to go over the LB and fit between two nearby DBs, with Nix facing a soon to be oncoming rusher (so it might be hard for him to have time to step into a throw).

At the time of the kick, I believe Maldonado was 6-10 on FG in his career with a long of 37. If memory serves me, the Ducks got down to the USC 18 yard line with about 0:20 seconds left. Maybe a bit like today, they threw a safe short sideline incomplete pass then followed it up with a safe horizontal line-of-scrimmage pass that lost about 3 yards. The Ducks tried to center the kick for the 37 yard kick, but got a false start penalty pushing it back to 42 yards, then USC jumped offside and it went back to 37 yards for the final kick. Of course the Maldonado kick wasn't close that day; but, the mention of 2011 sort of started me thinking (again) about playing at the end of the game for a (long) kick that is right at the very, very, very edge of the kicker's reliable range. Both games, if you have the ability to run two more plays, don't stop playing (aggressively) if your kicker isn't in his reliable range -- not Maldonado -- but probably not really CL either (I went ahead and looked and ESPN has CL 12-18 on 40+ yard FG in his career, so 67% without the pressure of a game tying kick in a huge pressure spot).

I don't mind moving the pocket around occasionally but I think WS is relying on too much on that "sprint out" with Nix at key moments. Not to say this is accurate; but, it sort of seems something like, "I'm not sure what I want to do here, so I'll put it in Nix's hands and hope he makes a play." Would like to see the ball go to Franklin more. If the UW is going to go down, it probably will be throwing to their best guy(s). The 25 yard pass to Franklin with 3:33 almost was enough to put the game away. Third and two with 2:22 we run a very predictably in between the tackles and James slips then the "sprint out" on 4th where the throw to Johnson isn't close. Would like to see Ferguson get more routes other than that two yard throw from the LOS the team seem to give him a couple times a game. Toss to the TE on 4th and 2? TE doesn't even leave the LOS on that play.

I would have liked getting another 8-10 yards. That FG probably sneaks in from 33 instead of 42. Over the years Cam has been pretty solid -- inside of 40. With 17 seconds left, the last two plays (passes) weren't close. With a timeout, why not run the ball and get 4 to 5 yards?

If you are planning to go on 4th, with a timeout, a run on 3rd to me seems like a strong play.

Ugh. With a timeout left, I would have loved to see at least one rush. James has been really good in that spot this year.

Keep running the ball.

Road games in the PAC usually make me a bit nervous (and this is a big spot for the UW). It likely won't be easy on the road (though I've been unusually confident all week). Let's do this Ducks.

Whoa. Potentially huge.

What a great drive with about a minute ten left in the game by Oklahoma. I'd guess OU jumps to about 5, Texas maybe about 9-10 (depending on the outcome of other games today of course). I would imagine Oregon and UW both land ahead of a one loss Texas, further upping the stakes for the game next weekend? Texas probably settled into that "highest rated one loss" team?

Masoli+Boise+State+hit - Google Search WWW.GOOGLE.COM Did anyone else think back to this play (replay at 0:48 second mark)?

The OL has been fortunate over the last several season it has had groups that have largely came in together (or within a season), and had a year to work together as a second unit, then largely played together for several seasons. The Throckmorton/Lemieux/Hansen/Aiello group came in and redshirted together before becoming a core group of OL that played together (along with some other guys: Sewell, Crosby, Womack, etc.) for four seasons. Their final season (2019), Oregon had Alex Forsyth, Ryan Walk, Aumavae-Laulu, George Moore, and Steven Jones all together as a second unit. They added JC Bass for 2020, then essentially formed another unit that played together in 2020, 2021, and 2022. I don't know how one pencils such a thing too much better. This season, we have a kid who was playing for Rhode Island last year, a kid who was a true freshman last year and mostly played in goal line packages, Steven Jones, who missed most of the year with injury, Jackson-Powers, who has played well when not banged up his first two years as a rotational guy (about 600 snaps and three OL starts); and, Marcus Harper, who started 10 games and played solidly last year largely filling in for Jones. I agree with the posts suggesting it may take several games for this unit to gel (I don't think it even was completely together for spring with injuries and late transfers). (As noted in other posts, it hasn't helped that Angilau appears to not yet be recovered from the injury that kept him out at Texas last year; and, Strother, who had been largely healthy at ECU, hasn't been available for his first two games as a Duck as well).

I'm the tiniest bit surprised there have been no comments on Tosh earning exactly 1 million more than Oregon State's Trent Bray. 1.7 million versus 0.7 million.

There appears to be some evidence the AD had interest in JW as Duck head coach and he decided to stay at Cal -- soon after signing an (at least) $28.5 million dollar six year extension there. I would suggest that is pretty strong evidence he isn't about to do a complete 180 -- and become a DC here. Understand the thought though. Oregon's AD wasn't afraid to come up with a pretty sizeable DC salary for Lanning's new staff According to Football Scoup, 2023's highest paid DC: 1. Jim Knowles (tOSU): $ 1.9 million 2. Glenn Schuman (Georgia): $ 1.9 million 3. Kevin Steele (Alabama): $ 1.9 million 4. Matt House (LSU): $ 1.9 million 5. Pete Kwaitkowski (Texas): $ 1.7 million 6. Tosh Lupoi (Oregon): $ 1.7 million 7. Tim Banks (Tennessee): $ 1.5 million 8. DJ Durkin (Texas A&M): $ 1.5 million 9. Brad White (Kentucky): $ 1.5 million 10. Morgan Scalley (Utah): $ 1.4 million 11. Phil Parker (Iowa): $ 1.3 million 12. Tony Gipson (NC State): $ 1.25 million 13. Blake Baker (Missouri): $ 1.1 million 14. Scottie Hazelton (Michigan State): $ 1.1 million 15. Adam Fuller (Florida State): $ 1.1 million 23. Brian Ward (ASU): $ 950,000 24. Peter Sirmon (Cal): $ 910,000 30. Trent Bray (OSU): $ 700,000 34. Johnny Nasen (Arizona): $ 650,000 36. William Igne/Chuck Morrell (UW): $ 625,000

Funny things have happened to the Ducks in the desert. 27-48 at ASU in 1996 31-52 at ASU in 1997 3-38 at Arizona in 1998 14-59 at ASU in 2003 24-34 at Arizona in 2007 16-42 at Arizona in 2013 35-37 at ASU in 2017 15-44 at Arizona in 2018 28-31 at ASU in 2019 Since 1996, Oregon has gone 15-9 at UA and ASU. Over that period Oregon has gone 242-97 (0.714) and UA and ASU have gone a combined 330-320 (0.508). That 0.714 win percentage (according to Stassen) is good for 8th place in the FBS. The combined percentage for UA/ASU (0.508) would put them 65th in the FBS (out of the 127 teams Stassen lists as qualifying from 1996-2022). Tough place to play against a good opponent. Thumbs up.

Interesting discussion. My first thought is maybe there are some misconceptions about the "mint defense"? Maybe? (At least from my - limited - understanding). It isn't really considered to be a pressure heavy sack and TFL defense. Now, elite talent will produce good numbers over a season in those stats; but, the "mint" defense (I've read) is designed to first and foremost shut down the short to intermediate pass. These short/intermediate passes that have replaced what once were runs in college football. The "mint" is on those schematic decisions. It also puts an extra body when needed to keep a medium play -- from becoming more. In the "Aliotti Tradition", no big plays. It's not necessary a pressure and sack or TFL offense. Most of the "plays" at the LOS are depended upon elite talent doing their thing. My only worry (I typed a whole post about it on Sunday and decided to delete it) is whether the LB Corps is there yet. I think the talent up front and the back end is absolutely good enough to make the thing run. If the LBing is there, I think it can be top 40-50 good (there are some tough teams offensively on the Duck schedule this year). Really looking forward to Jestin Jacobs taking the field and being healthy. I saw Devon Jackson play a lot early against PSU (and look a bit like a guy seeing the field for essentially the first time). Seems like a "mint" LB if he (soon) puts it together.

I think Texas Tech at Wyoming will be on CBS at 4:30. Might be worth a watch.

Nebraska and Matt Rhule got to be a bit worried about 0-2. Colorado home crowd gonna be amped next week.

Whenever the preseason "depth charts" are released, I tend to pull them up and take a look. One of the lists which seems to be fairly on the ball from what I can tell (OurLads.com) is listing 5 new starters at DB. Now, the STAR has graduated but there are 4 other guys returning who are currently listed as back-ups, including two sixth year seniors, a fourth year guy, and a third year guy (3 out of the 4 nationally rated #40, #106, and #231). Now, who knows how accurate it will prove to be; and, even if so I'm sure those guys will play and will be a massive wealth of depth at those spots. But, if indeed the new guys have displaced the veteran core? That's interesting. I'm not sure how you read it other than a sizeable influx of talent.

Ok. It came to me. It was 540 pounds and Brandon Tett in 2010 and Arizona Western CC. Spent two years in the arena league and two in Canada. Gresham Oregon kid. Number 95.

Casey Rodgers benched 505? Holy cow. That is Haloti Ngata and Igor Olshansky territory (and I believe would be top 5 all time in Duck strength and conditioning bench lore). A guy (who I thought) really came on a bit towards the close of the season. There have been a number of years (reported) that the whole Duck squad only had about a handful of 400 pound bench pressers. Of course, the Duck football all-time leader in the bench press was a guy (whose name escapes me) benched something crazy like 585 in a tested powerlifting event prior to enrolling at Oregon ... only played something like 10 snaps in his one year in a Duck uniform.