SoGaDawg

I understand your point, but in football there are many instances where a head coach has to make a decision and will be thought a genius or an idiot depending on the outcome. As for me, I try to understand that that the HC has more info than I do so I hope that there is always a good reason that he makes a decision that I think was stupid after the fact. Who really knows though, it’s likely sometimes a HC just gets aggressive and it doesn’t work out. Being aggressive isn’t the worst trait for a HC IMO though.

I think 11-1 is very doable for the Ducks. There are some tough games but other than maybe the Ohio St game, Oregon is likely favored in the rest for now. Of course, every very good team usually plays 1 or 2 out of character bad games a season, so only time will tell. I do think 11-1 is a reasonable optimistic goal. 11-1 is the goal I have for my Dawgs as well. Sure it’s been awhile since we’ve lost a regular season game, but our schedule is brutal. I’ll be very happy if we get through it at 11-1 without being too beat up at the end of the regular season.

TN has a very passionate fan base, and like any, they have good folks and some not so good folks. Some of them get a bit testy quickly because they are very proud of TN football and they’ve had to deal with 20+ years of mediocrity. It does appear that CJH has been very good for their program though, and perhaps they are finally turning things around.

Who cares? He is a reporter from TN, and he is just attempting to report something that he thinks his readers will be interested in and want to hear. It’s likely that many TN fans are jealous, and tired of hearing and reading the hype and positives surrounding the Oregon program and Dan Lanning. Many TN fans are also saying that Kirby Smart should be fired bc of all of the off-field issues or because we lost to Bama and missed the Playoff. Many are topping it off by stating that TN would never employ such a terrible person!

I agree with everything that you stated above. It just makes sense, and is pretty much the way I am feeling about things. Yeah, the SEC might be very interesting this year. We, UGA, are certainly going to have to earn things this season. Our conference road schedule is seemingly going to be very tough! Should make for some very good football though! I honestly don’t expect any SEC team to go undefeated in the regular season.

I’ve just now had time to look over the article you posted regarding Rivals.com. I find it very interesting and helpful. Thanks for the guidance, it’s much appreciated. In the future I’m going to make use of Rivals.com as a go to reference for recruit rankings.

Congratulations again Ducks!!! Another big verbal commitment! So he is a 5 star on 247, but a 4 star on the others that rank recruits. Just curious Charles, what is you opinion on the knowledge and accuracy of the different services that rank these recruits? I’ve more often than not usually just referenced 247. No particular reason, it’s just where I began when I started trying to follow the process a bit more. I’m interested to hear what you guys think about the different places that rank these recruits. Is there one that is a little better with the research and getting to know these recruits. There are so many recruits that it seems like an almost impossible task.

@Duckley Palace I can’t accurately comment on Nebraska fans or their message boards, as I’ve never visited a Nebraska board. I can absolutely say that I love this FishDuck forum! I’ve very much enjoyed the time I’ve spent corresponding with Duck fans here. I became a member during the off-season before the 2022 season. Initially I just wanted to converse with some Duck fans about the Ducks football program and also about our upcoming game that started the 22 season. I found everyone here to be welcoming and very inviting to discuss our respective programs and just CFB in general. The Ducks have long been my #2 team, so becoming a member here has been great for me! I’ve since learned much about Duck football that I likely otherwise wouldn’t have been educated on. There are so many knowledgeable fans here that I’ve enjoyed learning from and enjoyed a general back and forth with about the sport that I love. I’m proud to be a member of this forum. It’s one of my favorite places to talk CFB.

I wouldn’t actually say that GA’s D-Line is a weakness, but there are reasons that it could be perceived as a weakness perhaps. In 2021 & 2022, during our championship runs, it seemed pretty obvious that the D-Line play was extremely good! Maybe more instrumental to success than any other position group both seasons. So when you compare those groups to our D-Line last season, it could certainly be seen as a down year for our defense in the trenches. Also, if you combine this with the fact that we lost to Bama in the SEC Championship largely, IMO, bc we failed to get a stop on Bama’s final drive it stresses that our line wasn’t what it had been. Bama ran the ball and ran out the clock and we couldn’t stop them! We will see about this season. Stackhouse and Brinson decided to return instead of enter the draft so that is a plus for us, especially from a depth and leadership standpoint. We also have some great talent in some of our young guys that could potentially take big leaps this season! We added Xzavier McCloud through the portal which should definitely help. I also think that our pass rush will be much improved this season. So IMO our D-line will not be a weakness, but there is also no guarantee that it will closely resemble the D-Lines we fielded in 21& 22. Although we have depth, staying healthy will also have a big impact. Like so many teams, our success will likely depend on how dominant we can be in the trenches. If we can push people around and not get pushed around, this GA team will be extremely tough to beat. I’m excited to find out. Our schedule is brutal though, so if our D-Line is a weakness, we will likely find out sooner rather than later. I have hopes that we have big time talents that are going to step up.

Very interesting rundown @Jon Joseph I’m excited to see how this will play out in CFB’s first 12 team Playoff. I’m sure we will see a few matchups that don’t measure up, but that’s likely going to be unavoidable most seasons. Yet, at the very least, these unattractive matchups do bring with them at least the potential for a huge upset! That’s usually fun so long as it isn’t your team that gets upset. I do have high hopes and believe that we will be treated to some really great CFB in our first 12 team Playoff. I’m extremely excited to watch what will happen!

I think it’s very possible for Lanning to land a #1 class in the near future. Phil and nil will help, but the main thing is that Lanning is one of the top recruiters in the nation, and he will likely only get better. Although, I don’t think it’s a must to have a number 1 class for Oregon. A top five every year is realistic and that will be awesome. It’s not fair to compare Lanning to Smart at the moment. Smart has recruited ridiculously at GA since he took over, but he has also had the benefit of running a major program inside the state of GA. If you look at the years since he has been there, you’ll likely find that per capita GA is at or near the top for major recruits every year. Also, in the heart of the South. This doesn’t mean Lanning can’t out recruit Smart, but it certainly won’t be easy.

Absolutely, the man is like Kirby Smart!!! Don’t get me wrong, Dan is leading things his own way, but there are similarities. It’s very exciting!!! Lanning inspires confidence, as @David Marsh has stated!!! I’m ridiculously excited to see what’s next!!!

Absolutely, this is exactly my reasoning regarding UNC. I’m sure both the SEC and the B1G would love to add the market UNC would bring. Also, you make a great point about the BBall aspect. I had yet to even consider that. Certainly both conferences would love to add a blue blood hoops program. Could get interesting if or when UNC is available! Who knows exactly what future expansion will look like? UVA might not be sought after quite as aggressively, but I think both conferences would likely see both them and Maryland as viable members, among others potentially.

Yeah, good question. I am wondering the same thing. If ACC schools become available to potentially join a different conference, will the SEC go after a program that doesn’t uniquely add to their market share just to keep the B1G from expanding their market? Honestly, it wouldn’t really surprise me. I’m not going to pretend to fully understand the reasoning or ramifications of such complex issues, but it seems to me that the SEC and the B1G are certainly the big boys on the block and will be only be competing with each other in such things. Who knows what might happen or to what lengths each might go to stay or be on top? I kinda think the SEC would be more interested initially in pursuing a team such as UNC. Who knows though? Both the SEC and the B1G have made moves to strengthen their revenue. I think the next moves by each will be in an attempt, either defensively or offensively aggressively, to ensure that the other conference doesn’t distance themselves from a revenue standpoint.

I wish that I could say no, that there is no one worried, but I don’t think that is true. I think the fear would mostly be surrounding recruiting and also the potential for the B1G to outpace from a revenue standpoint. If you look at the top 100 recruits each year for the past years, the SEC has gotten the lions share of these recruits and it hasn’t been particularly close. It looks as though the B1G is already maybe starting to lessen the gap since their new west coast additions. I’m not sure the numbers but I think the 2025 commitments right now are closer than years past. I would speculate that if they had teams in the south, prime SEC recruiting land, they will close the gap further. I think this might be a big concern for the SEC. As far as the revenue concerns, I can’t really make an educated prognostication in this area. Other than it kinda makes sense that the B1G expanding into new and flourishing markets would increase their revenue and revenue sharing as a conference. For example if the SEC were to add FSU, Clemson, or Georgia Tech, it wouldn’t really necessarily increase their market area. In contrast, if the B1G added one or all of these programs it could open up potentially new big markets. So yes, I think there is definitely fear of the B1G invading the Southeast. New markets and a ridiculous number of high level recruits to fight over.

Wow!!! A real nail biter! I see that Jordan James looked great in the simulation with 4 TDs. I was so looking forward to seeing him in the Red and Black, but as several of us were saying on a different thread: If GA is going to get beat out for a great recruit, I’m glad it was Oregon that got the win. James has been a very good back. I expect big things from him this season!

I couldn’t agree with you more. I’m sure if Kirby is going to lose out on a big time recruit, he would much rather lose out to Lanning and the Ducks than to an SEC team. Obviously, Kirby is a competitor and so his main feeling for any other team is to want to beat them as handily as possible. He isn’t calling off the “Dawgs” for anyone, unless there is some strategy in it that he feels benefits GA. Although, it’s my guess that Kirby does genuinely have a bit of affection for Lanning and with this a bit for the Ducks. He looked completely comfortable throwing a little jab towards Lanning and the Ducks. I think that’s pretty cool. I think another prime example of Kirby’s relationship with Lanning can be illustrated in his post game press conference after their meeting in Atlanta. This was Lannings first game and unfortunately he had to face an extremely talented GA team. If I am remembering correctly, one of Kirby’s comments on the game was simply something like “Look guys, we’ve just got better players at this point and that makes it very tough.” In the comment above, I don’t believe Kirby was making excuses for Lanning, but I do think he said it in defense of Lanning. The optics of that game were not a good look for Lanning. Kirby knew Lanning is a great coach, recruiter, and so on…. So I think in that comment he was using a factual statement to convey to all of Oregon’s supporters that they shouldn’t lose any faith in Lanning as the leader of the program. So now here we are. Lanning has the Ducks very much on the rise. He quickly turned the job offer from Bama down flat and cemented his commitment to Oregon. This also put to bed the nasty rumor that Oregon is just a high end stepping stone program. That was a huge moment. Lanning is the man! He is my second favorite coach in all of CFB!

I absolutely don’t think Kirby’s intention was to throw any shade over Oregon or CDL. It seemed more of a light hearted jab that one might throw at a friend to lighten the mood of whatever situation. I think it more of an endorsement of CDL as someone to respect and watch in the CFB world. He wouldn’t have even mentioned the Ducks or Knight or Lanning in this manner if they weren’t already considered a major player in CFB going forward and on everyone’s radar. I think Kirby absolutely respects Lanning and the Duck’s program. I think we could see some great games in the future between these two programs!

I hope it will someday come down to Oregon and GA! Well, if I’m being honest, I both hope for this and dread this potential situation. On the one hand, either way I’m very happy. On the other hand, either way I’m also very sad. I do believe that with the trajectory that our programs are currently on, it is likely we see them face one another in the Playoff in the relatively near future. Who knows maybe even a NC game. Although, playing in a NC game would likely not be good for my health. The main thing I would hope for is a clean and fair game. One where neither team or their fans feel cheated. I might be aiming too high hoping the fans don’t feel cheated. It’s easy find fault when dealing with such heartbreak, whether it’s true or not. Thanks for the comments above. I love this forum. Becoming a member has very much helped me to understand much more about the Duck’s Program. Also, many of the other members, such as yourself, have much knowledge about college football and are willing to share it. Another thing that I love about this forum is that the members here, myself included, can disagree and make their point without ruffling anyone’s feathers (pun intended) I can’t stress enough how rare this can be on a few other forums I’ve visited. People can be very childish and downright nasty about such trivial things.

To quote Kirby Smart “You’re either ELITE or you’re not!” I think it is becoming more and more evident that Dan Lanning and Co. are an elite recruiting machine. Sure, NIL has much to do with it, but that’s true for every program today. Having a top 5 class also takes a ton of hard work, know how, and a strong and organized program. I believe that Oregon pulling WR Dakorein Moore out of Texas really emphasizes the strength of Ducks recruiting. Almost every major program is after this kid and he has chosen to go to Eugene! One thing that impresses me is the fact that the Ducks already at the moment have a top 5 class for 2025 and with only 16 recruits! If you guys keep this up things will only get better! I’ve said it before, but I’m very excited to be a Ducks fan! This level of recruiting was the first step for Kirby Smart transitioning GA from a strong program into a true powerhouse. It’s no coincidence that Kirby spent years in Tuscaloosa before taking over at GA. Just like it’s absolutely no coincidence that Lanning spent time in both Tuscaloosa and Athens before settling in Eugene. Kirby saw something in Dan Lanning during his final season at Bama. I can imagine that he was all too eager to hire Lanning to his GA staff a few years later. Lanning spent one season as GA’s OLB coach before quickly being promoted to DC in 2019. He then helped build probably the best defense that I’ve ever seen play in college football on the way to helping GA win their first NC since 1980. Turned out to be a very mutually beneficial relationship. I’m also very excited to finally have a team in the B1G that I love and can pull for. B1G football has become much more interesting to me!

He does owe my Dawgs a bit of payback for that first game. That game is understandable in my opinion though. It was CDL’s very first game as a head coach and Bo’s first game as a Duck and they unfortunately had to face a GA defense that was absolutely ridiculous. I would love to see GA and Oregon go at it again, I very much hope it happens this season. It certainly will be a better game the next time it happens. No matter what happens, I’ll be both happy and sad as I was last time. Don’t worry though, it may be this season or some season in the future, CDL will get his revenge on GA at some point. And then he will get a handshake and embrace from Kirby Smart. And then an butt whippin the next season. Seriously, I’m very excited about the Ducks! If my Dawgs are gonna lose, I very much hope it’s the Ducks that win it all. I think that Oregon is going to be in the mix. Interesting season on deck though. Ducks need to get through tOSU and Dawgs need to get through Texas. I can hardly wait for those games!!!!!!!!

Mike Griffith has posted a very pro Oregon article on the Dawgnation website. Basically saying that Lanning and the Ducks are turning into a powerhouse and could be a big challenge for the Dawgs this season and so on. I’m not sure the rules about posting links but the site is free just like FishDuck.

I absolutely agree that Herbert’s career will top Cam’s. I don’t think it will be winding down in 6 years though, unless he has terrible injury luck. He will be around for 10-15 year at least I think.

I never liked Cam but he was a good QB in his prime. He was the NFL mvp in 2015, you don’t win that award by accident.

It seems to me that Division Street is at the top of the NIL game. It’s really not surprising, under the circumstances I would be surprised if Division Street wasn’t one of the top NIL entities. First and foremost you have Phil Knight. Along with a number of folks that are former successful higher ups from Nike. If there is one thing everyone can agree about when discussing the Nike organization it’s that Nike is and has always been an absolute master at utilizing marketing to maximize brand awareness and profits. What student athlete wouldn’t be drawn to that kind of leadership and guidance? I’m still trying to get used to the new changes in CFB. I’m very glad that Oregon has been on top of things and is prospering in the new landscape of college football. Oregon has been a strong football program for awhile now, but that is changing. I firmly believe that this program is transitioning into a premier and true powerhouse program in CFB. I couldn’t be happier with the state of my two favorite teams in college football. My Dawgs who were forever just another fairly strong program has transitioned into a ridiculous powerhouse in CFB since the arrival of Kirby Smart, and might be the strongest program in the country at the moment. Not to be outdone, Oregon, since the arrival of Dan Lanning, seems primed to follow suit in taking that next step to become a true national powerhouse! Had someone told me this would be the case ten years ago, I would have thought they were of their rocker. Yet here we are! There are some very intelligent people way out there in Eugene, and they are making all the right moves. I can hardly wait to see what happens next! We’ve got some great seasons ahead of us. Both the Dawgs and the Ducks!