DazeNconfused

Last year after UCLA went up 14-0 DeRut stopped looking so base defense pre-snap and playing base. DeRut started mixing his looks with 6 or 5 guys on the line but only bringing four, he also started to stunt and blitz more. Chips play calls were going early when DTR had that base type of easy pre-snap read. But when the reads got harder pre-snap and DTR had to guess he was way less effective. I would stack 5 or 6 guys on the line and show Cover-1 with one deep safety pre-snap more than we have so far this. After UCLA shits or starts motion, I would drop my other safety back into Cover-2 and my LB's quite a bit. I would stick to the 4-2-5 Cover-2 we mostly play but try to hide that more pre-snap. But I would also show 5 or 6 on the line for passing downs and bring them a couple times early. I would also set my two LBs normal depth but bring one early for a 5-man blitz. I would also use my Base Cover-2 look and use simulated pressures to bring four. In short, I would bring some blitzes early on passing downs and show all-out blitz more than we usually do. Just enough to break the tendency of how much we show the safeties sitting back Cover-2 look pre-snap that we aren't hiding what we are doing. I might even sit Cover-2 and bring the star or a CB on a blitz and rotate the safety over to cover for him early in the game. We have been really bold showing we will sit Cover-2 and you can have the underneath stuff this year- I'd break that trend a bit to throw off DTR on what he has game planned for the two weeks and is suspecting to read pre-snap. The goal is to get DTR thinking that the Ducks are doing things more aggressive early than he has seen from us on film, and we are hiding our coverages more pre-snap. Get that into his head early so he doesn't get into rhythm -- but still play lots of our Cover-2 that we drop into late and not let them get big plays over the top. If we can confuse DTR pre-snap to make the wrong RPO reads a few times and then change the coverage we can rattle him. Our D Line and LBs have been good in run defense with the safeties deep and part of that is the play of Bennett Williams and Jamal Hill at the Star in run support. So, I wouldn't change my approach in that regard. If we can change just enough with our pre-snap looks and a few blitzes to get some early stops then we might be able to get out to a lead. Then I might play more of a 4-1-5 Dime with Bassa or Flowe as the LB on the passing downs.

East coast Bias is hard to overcome. Does anyone doubt the expanded 12 team playoff will have six of the teams be from the SEC and B1G every year? Of the 6 at large spots odds are four are SEC and B1G.

The issue isn't the Ducks defense, question is on the UCLA defense. UCLA had played some weak teams in Bowling Green, Alabama St, South Alabama and Colorado. The last two games at home they gave up an average of 445 yards to UW and Utah - Oregon has the # 1 offense in the Pac and this is a road game for UCLA. The Ducks have the #13 rush defense and UCLA is #16 but UCLA has played soft teams. Utah is the #34 rush offense and UCLA gave up 192 yards at home to Utah. The Ducks have the #10 rush offense with great OL - and it's a road game for UCLA. Georgia has the #5 rush defense giving up 3.3 yards a carry and Oregon put up 4.5 yards per carry on the road. The UCLA run defense isn't the caliber of the UGA run defense and this is a road game. The Oregon OL and run game is the best UCLA will be facing all year. UCLA has to stop the Ducks run game and if they stuff the box then the Ducks have shown they can pass over the top of you like Bo did against WAZZU. UCLA only has one 4-star DL, Edge and LB who start on the front seven and have to face that Ducks OL. UCLA has lots of older players on its roster, but they have 24 blue-chips to Oregon's 52. (Fun fact, UCLA has four QBs who are 4-stars of those 24 blue-chips) The Ducks out talent UCLA by a wide margin and the Ducks play almost the entire two deep on defense all game long. So, the Ducks are the fresher and more talented team in the second half. The flip side applies to the UCLA offense and defense matchup. UCLA has one 4-star OL guy, they have a bunch of older 3-star OL dudes on the OL two deep. The Ducks have much higher ranked talent on defense than UCLA has on offense. Sure, Chip has a Vet QB with lots of Vet players and is known for making that work. But remember UCLA went out to a 14-0 lead after the first two possessions of the game last year in LA. Then the Ducks took the gave over the next two quarters and dominated outscoring them 27-3. The Ducks did have KT to take over the game last year, but they are home this year. The Ducks with the big talent advantage and better coaching under Lanning at home win this game hands down.

With the voters this is a popularity and hype contest, with an east coast slant. This is already down to a 7-man race. But it's more like a 4-man race for the 4th and last spot in NY. Being Elite in the SEC or B1G gives, Stroud, Young and Hooker a leg up with the voters as always. Locks CJ Stroud- he can lose a game and still get to NY Bryce Young- he can take a 2nd loss in the SEC Championship Game and still end up in NY. It's going to be hard to keep him out of NY since he was last year's winner. Most Likely Hendon Hooker - he has two more weeks as a QB of a Top-4 team before he plays Georgia. If he plays decent in a loss and it's his only loss he will be in NY. If he beats Georgia, then he becomes a Lock Contenders Caleb Williams - he has lots of pre-season and in-season hype, if USC wins the Pac-12 with one loss he will be in NY DTR- he was known as a quality QB coming into the season. If UCLA wins the Pac-12 unbeaten or with one loss he is in NY. Bo Nix - he had baggage coming into the season. Nix has to continue to play well, and the Ducks win the Pac-12 as a one loss team for him to have a shot at NY. Max Duggan QB TCU - he started far back, but his stats have been good. He would have to go undefeated winning the Big-12 to sneak in as the 4th man over Caleb Williams if USC wins the Pac-12. Darkhorses Blake Corum RB Michigan - If U-M beats Ohio St and goes unbeaten and Corum has some huge games he can be the 4th man in NY. Bijan Robinson RB Texas - he would need to make a run at 2000 yards and Texas win the Big-12 Title to sneak in as the 4th man. Spencer Sanders QB Oakie St. - he would have to win out with big games including the Big-12 Title to sneak as the 4th man.

That surprises me. This will be two weeks in a row ESPN game day is at a site that CBS and now Fox has the game.

They are claiming there was a timeout called during the play

Pac-12 refs.. "there was a timeout during the play, we are resetting the game clock to 13 seconds" These Refs just invented the mid play timeout call that freezes the play clock during the play while the play carries on.. LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't totally agree with you. If the Ducks win out, they will be on a 12-game winning streak. The only teams with a longer winning streak than 12 games are going to be unbeaten. Sure, the Ducks 49-3 loss to Georgia looks bad, but if they rebound to win 12 in a row you can only put so many one loss teams ahead of them. A 12-game win streak is going to cancel out the bad Georgia loss. I'll give a one loss Bama, Georgia and Ohio St or Michigan the nod over a one loss Oregon and it's 12 game win streak. Thats 2 SEC and 1 B1G teams with 1 loss who are in over a 1 loss Oregon. But Clemson not so much or Okie St or TCU. If the Ducks play an unbeaten USC in the Pac-12 title game that will be a heavily weighted win against a Top 5 team. Even if the Ducks don't beat an unbeaten USC in the Pac-12 Champ odds are they will play a 1 loss USC or UCLA in a Top 10 matchup at the worst. Clemson will be facing a weak opponent in the in the ACC Championship such as UNC, Duke or Pitt. Clemson would have to be unbeaten to get in over a 1 loss Oregon. I don't see them losing the ACC title game to a scrub or being on a 3-5 game win streak and getting in over an Oregon team on a 12-game win streak. The same goes for Oakie St and TCU who play this weekend. They will need to win out and go unbeaten. I don't see either as a 1 loss team on a 4-game winning streak jumping a 1 loss Oregon on a 12-game streak. There is a ton of football left to play. The odds are we get 2 SEC teams and 1 B1G team as always - Clemson if they win out will be the 4th team.

Yes. Two-fold confusion. Not giving away a pre-snap blitz read that the QB and WR can go hot route. Then confusing the OL with who is coming and from where. There is a lot more going to our scheme then meets the eye. As fans we at times want that bring six-men and get after the QB but have to understand there is a scheme going on. I also think Lanning/Lupoi have set up being more aggressive with how often they blitz with as much Cover-2 as we have played. Teams will think we have shown a tendency to play way more Cover-2 and rush-four than blitz.

I'll add last week late in the first half Zona put a linebacker on the line showing us a five-man blitz pre-snap, and they brought it. Cota ran a cross over the middle at around 10-yards where the linebacker wasn't for an easy play. I'm sure that was a pre-snap read for Bo and Cota. Cota, I suspect changed his route at the line to run to the vacated spot where the linebacker wasn't, and Bo hit him in stride before the blitz got to him.

Thanks Charles! Based off your articles this year, our discussions and from what I've seen -- I've gotten around to drawing some conclusions. It appears Lanning/Lupoi are playing mostly Cover-2 and rushing four men using the simulated pressures you explained two weeks ago. But when they do bring a 5- or 6-man blitz, they are overloading one side of the line with rushers. So, the final conclusion appears to be creating confusion is key. When we rush four-men they are guessing what four pre-snap and have to read and react to the four that rush after the snap. When we rush five-or-six-men we are disguising that also pre-snap to an extent, then causing the offensive line to block an overloaded side. If we show five-men on the line pre-snap we are probably dropping one out into coverage and bringing a linebacker. We are more sophisticated than the old school put six men on the line pre-snap and bring them all blitz. As the passing game has evolved QBs and WR easily read that pre-snap and just run a hot route to beat the blitz. Lanning/Lupoi are making the offensive line read and react after the snap. They are making the pre-snap read and the pre-snap commination by the offensive line less effective. This causes more stress, confusion and increases the odds of a blown blocking assignment by the offensive line.

Coach, bring us Fano! Fano is the #2 player in Utah. I hope Lanning got over to Lehi and visited edge Tausili Akana the #1 player in Utah. He is a Top 100 player on the 247 composite who has crystal balls to Chokelahoma. I've been hoping all year we would go after this kid hard and try to keep him out West Akana just visited OU after Texas thrashed them 49-0. He's been to LSU, Texas and has a visit to Texas ATM the start of November. Someone is going to get his 5th and final visit. It would be nice get him into Autzen Nov 19th for the Utah game.

Since we don't play USC then we want them to win. If we win out it will be a big-time Pac-12 Championship matchup with national media hype. Lincoln Riley trying to get back to the playoff in his first year at USC. Lanning in his first year at Oregon trying to make the playoffs in his first season as a head coach. That story will sell.

I'm surprised no one has brought up how Chase Cota has become Bo's #2 WR behind Franklin. I didn't expect Cota to be the #2 guy. Thornton is about as missing in action as Seven is and that's puzzling.

Here is part of the Lanning quote. "I know he would love to have some moments back, but I think he's done some good things too. He made some really good run checks this past game. He was able to assess what the defensive lineup was in. He looked really good in practice today and did some good things, so continue to be excited about his development." This is the second time Lanning has broken out the "run checks" mantra for Ty this year. If that's what we are praising Ty for then I'm not impressed, and I think Lanning is treading around the real issues with Ty with the press.

I wrote the Beware Bandwagon Buy-In about Nix. Don't I look the fool? lol Nix has made a HUGE jump. Like most improved player award type jump. His passer rating is up 26 points and completion percentage 9.4% and passing is up 1.1 yards per from last year. Along with his passing stats being up, he is having his best year rushing. Plus, his mental game is up, he throws balls away now. Dilly gets a ton of credit as well for Bo's big jump in his level of play. I'm riding with Bo now - even if he has a bad game. All QBs have a bad game - Bo has consistently shown he is now more good player than bad player this year. Read this article and you see how Bo has proven me wrong. Regarding Bo Nix: Beware 'Bandwagon Buy-In' FISHDUCK.COM Bo Nix was a highly touted five-star recruit, a player that draws mixed emotions from fans. Will Oregon offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham help launch Nix...

You're to kind, but thanks. Charles and I talk lots, and we feed each other's ideas. Sometimes he says something that was the missing part to me connection the dots. That's already happened on this thread with a few of the posts for me. There are a few posts that actually a story could be written about the topic. Lots of people haven't even posted yet. I'm sure Wrathis, Marsh, Charles, ect will have some thoughts will click the light bulb on for me. That's why this forum is awesome - people can talk football and not have the distraction of trolls or beefs distract.

We are getting kickoffs into the endzone - it just seems like we give a up a kickoff return out to the 40 each week? Maybe I'm wrong? Maybe others will chime in on what they think. It's hard to absorb everything, and others on this board help form perspective. Duck Fan 76 already helped my perception in the third post on this thread. lol

Lanning is probably the best new first-time head coach in FBS. Marcus Freeman at Notre Dame, the ex-Clemson OC and DC's Tony Elliot at Virgina, Brent Venables at Oklahoma all have struggled.

I'm surprised that Seven McGee hasn't been mentioned. He hasn't had the impact many of us thought he would.

USC two weeks in a row were in close game at halftime. Then they came out and won the second half - I saw good coaching adjustments by the DC Grinch.

Hutson after yet again getting personal foul flag for taunting got up after his big catch early and had no reaction as all.. hahaha Seems like he got the message from Lanning after the Sanford game.

Great article Marsh. I wrote in the post-game article Saturday how Dilly ran James 4 straight times out of the Josh-14 from the 19-yard line to score a TD right before halftime. Just physical like you're saying in the article - you know it's coming can you stop it?

This is another area I've been overlooking. teams are getting to many big kickoff returns and the punting is suspect.

The linebacker play has me puzzled me. Is it the scheme? Keith Brown has shown improvement and promise in pass defense, he looks coached up? Bassa looks good. Sewell's stats are way down, are other teams scheming away from him? Flowe has been hurt some. This is another good point. Maybe I started this thread to steal ideas for articles from you all? haha just kidding.