OregonDucks

Thanks for the classy post, SoGaDawg. I don’t feel too bad for Georgia and I’m sure that your defense will be just fine. You have to leave some of these top defensive players for the Ducks…

Wow! What a HUGE pickup for Dan Lanning, Tosh and staff!!! It’s not often that teams beat Georgia head-to-head for a defensive player. Lannig realizes that you win big games in the trenches at the line of scrimmage, and he and the staff have the ability to go out and get these players. Congratulations to the staff and welcome to Oregon Breland!

That’s pretty freakin’ cool. I’m fired up and I’m not even playing tomorrow…

I love the matchups that you pointed out. My keys to victory: 1) Win the turnover battle. Oregon has been great at protecting the ball this season and this needs to continue. Against evenly matched teams this is especially important as we don’t want to give Penix and company any extra opportunities. 2) Minimize penalties, especially those that put the offense behind the chains (e.g., false starts, offensive holding) or extend drives (e.g., personal fouls). We have improved in this department but if we have as many penalties as we did against Texas Tech., then Oregon probably loses this game. 3) Limit explosion plays. This absolutely killed Oregon last year but, as Charles pointed out, we have an entirely new unit this season and they have been great at limiting explosion plays and yards after the catch (YAC). 4) Establish the run. Washington’s defense has not been good against the run. Oregon needs to be establish the run early, which enabling Oregon to control time of possession (keeping Penix and Co. on the sideline) and taking pressure off of Nix (who hasn’t been as efficient on the road, in hostile environments).

Evan Williams = The Human Missile!

I would also receive against Washington since they don’t have a great defense. If you can run the ball, efficiently marching down the field, taking half the first quarter (while keeping Penix and Co. on the sideline) and score a TD on the opening possession, it could be demoralizing to the Huskies and their fans. That said, I don’t think that Dan Lanning will defer from his approach regardless of opponent.

I personally hate the eggshell uniforms and wish they would be retired or relegated to PAC-12 Network games.

I sure hope they are right and Breland picks the Ducks. Along with Rushing, this would be a dream finish for this year’s recruiting class. UGA has won most of the head to head recruiting battles against OBD. We could certainly use one win. Is Breland projected as a DT in college?

I agree. Oregon stopped playing regular season games in LA every year since Utah and Colorado joined the conference and it split into North/South divisions. If I’m not mistaken, next year will be Oregon’s first regular season game in LA in 3-4 years. It hasn’t negatively impacted recruiting.

Just to clarify, I said that Oregon should try to schedule games in and around Texas with teams from the Mountain West, Sun Belt, Conference-USA or AAC conferences. I did not mention the Big 12.

Oregon has made Texas a priority going back to the Chip Kelly era (e.g., LMJ, Daron Thomas) and Dan Lanning and staff are certainly in contention for top high school players in the state. Scheduling OOC games near or in Texas is not about impressing recruits, it's about making it convenient for family and friends to attend a game and being talked about locally.

I like this approach but would add Oregon State as a permanent OOC opponent (if they ever get over Oregon leaving for the B1G) and focus on teams in key recruiting areas (e.g., Texas, Bay Area, Arizona) with lower level opponents (e.g., MWC, Sun Belt, C-USA, AAC). With the expanded playoffs and the B1G scheduling, Oregon does not need to schedule elite teams OOC. We'll play them in the post-season, if we are good enough. Hopefully, Oregon never has to travel to the Palouse again...

Oregon's defense might be better this year than the 2019 defense, even if the stats don't show it because they are playing against more elite QBs and offenses this season... I hope that your gutsy season prediction comes true THIS YEAR! [Oregon's scoring defense is currently ranked #6 at 11.8 ppg]

Oregon's defense was ranked #9 in points allowed per game (16.5 ppg). Interestingly, first year defensive coordinator, Dan Lanning's Georgia defense was ranked #1 that year (12.6 ppg). Dan Lanning knows a thing or two about great defenses... 2019 College Football Team Defense | College Football at Sports-Reference.com WWW.SPORTS-REFERENCE.COM Check out the 2019 College Football Team Defense and more about College Football at Sports-Reference.com

Although it may be down a bit this year, the SEC will remain the top conference until someone can knock them off. At the end of the day, national championships are what counts and the SEC has dominated in that department. Ohio State, Clemson and Florida State have been the only teams that have been able to go toe-to-toe with the SEC's top teams. As a Duck fan, I'm hoping that Dan Lanning can get Oregon into that group on a regular basis (perhaps as soon as this year!). If the B1G wants to compete with the SEC for championships, they should do everything they can to add Clemson and Florida State when the ACC implodes.

I've seen enough to put USC in the Pac-12 second tear with WSU and Oregon State. Washington and Oregon are clearly the best, most complete teams in the Pac-12. Saturday is going to a HUGE showdown and perhaps a preview of the Pac-12 Championship Game!

I hope that Oregon got that $8M buyout upfront...

Mario NEVER takes responsibility and that is why he will never improve. He's ALWAYS pointing the finger at someone else (e.g., assistant coaches, players), instead of looking in the mirror. As an Oregon fan, I am so glad that Miami took him off our hands! Wonder if the Miami fans will finally listen now...

Honestly, I was pretty dejected when Oregon lost to BOTH Washington and Oregon State to finish the regular season with Bo's injury, some head scratching coaching decisions and a porous defense. The team did finish on a positive note with a last minute, thrilling, come from behind victory against North Carolina in the Holiday Bowl. I give credit to Dan Lanning and his staff for attacking our team's weaknesses in the offseason and, so far, learning when to be aggressive. The team appears to be much improved from last year (especially the defense) and I'm excited to see how they manage this brutal home stretch.

Careful wearing green or yellow up in Seattle, especially alone. I have heard many horror stories... Have a fun and safe trip. GO DUCKS!!!

+1 (and the East coast). IIRC, Dan Lanning said in an interview that moving to the B1G will help with Oregon's national recruiting. Oregon has been scheduling future home-and-home series with teams in or near Texas (e.g., Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Baylor) to maintain that pipeline. Hope that continues with the move to the B1G.

Is it different from the head-scratching Pac-12 scheduling? We don't play in Los Angeles this year and the last time Oregon played in LA was October 21, 2021!!! Despite that, we have recruited Southern California pretty well over the past few years. So well, in fact, that USC was hoping to leave Oregon behind... At least with the move to the B1G, Oregon will maintain a regular presence in the Southern California market.

Oregon will be fine in the B1G. One thing that everyone needs to keep in mind, is that it's a different college football era. Teams no longer have to get through the season with one or fewer loses, with the expanded playoffs. Heck, a team with 3 losses could find themselves in the playoffs some years. I don't like that the expanded playoffs will devalue the regular season but that's the reality. Phunteratc -- Oregon lost to some of the most elite college football programs OOC (e.g., Georgia, Ohio State, LSU, Auburn x2) but, in my opinion, it was due to the talent gap on the offensive and defensive lines, and depth. Christobal and now Lanning have really improved those position groups and built depth through recruiting, as others have pointed out. And Lanning and Tosh have the defense heading in the right direction. Oregon should be one of the top teams in the B1G due to our recruiting and coaching. GatOrlando -- Love your posts. It's great to have your perspective. No, Ohio State and Michigan would do well in any conference; however, they would not have an easier time if they joined the Pac-12. Like most conferences, the middle to bottom of the B1G is not all that impressive. Those programs will also have a harder regular season schedule now that some combination of USC, Oregon, Washington and UCLA will be on the schedule annually. I'm curious to see how B1G and SEC teams will adjust their OOC schedule, given the more difficult conference schedules and expanded playoffs.

Got it. That makes sense. A few years ago, an Oregon player left early to enter the NFL draft, only to not be selected by any team. Some then mentioned that it would make sense for these borderline players with eligibility remaining, who are considering leaving early, to sit down with an advisor (perhaps someone who has played in the League to discuss what’s best for the player and his family) so that they are not just taking the word of an agent (who likely doesn’t have the best interest of the player in mind). Not sure if this has happened but I’m sure there are a number of Duck football alumni, with NFL experience, who would be willing to talk.

Like Joey Harrington said, we'll know a lot more about this team after the Washington game. This team certainly has the talent and experience to compete for a National Championship, including an experienced and Heisman candidate QB. I respectfully disagree with some of the juniors you listed with NFL potential. Tweeners have not done well in the NFL with some notable exceptions. Even LMJ or DAT, as talented as they were, didn't find much success at the next level. Hopefully some of those juniors come back, enjoy the college experience and get degrees/NIL. It'll be interesting to see what Lanning and staff decide to do with the transfer portal next year.