spartan2785

USC is the team you want to play right now to make yourself feel good about your offense, I think we got a bit lucky in that we got Utah maybe at a good time, they're a bit puffed up from beating the Trojans, they just lost their best LB. We also got a good bit of film on Vaki so that wasn't a surprise at all. In hindsight it feels like Utah expended the last of their bullets against USC, and didn't have much left against us. Credit to us for preparing to expose the holes that were there though!

First off, I was very skeptical about our defense going into the year, in years past I would get excited about the preseason talk about improvement/new players/new scheme, and then eventually see that we were either slightly above average to below average. We might do some good things here and there, but overall it wasn't like people ever talked about the defense other than maybe talking about how it was a bit improved or about a special player here or there (Thibodeaux for example). This year I will hold my hands up and say I was wrong about the defense, it's a very good unit, it has the most depth this program has ever had, the players are simply different on a man to man scale compared to previous years, Lanning knew what he was looking for and he went out and got it. D-line is simply incredible when it comes the depth and the versatility that it has. To have the horses to go from a stout run stopping front with a Taimani, Popo, or Rodgers on the inside with Dorlus or Burch setting the edge. To edge rushers with the young bucks (Matayo U, Tuioti, and Purchase) or older vets (Fune) with with the inside rushing or Dorlus, Ware-Hudson, and Popo, is just scary. Nobody looks tired, nobody seems to be selfish, just a unit that seems relentless right now. LBs are probably a little behind what Lanning ideally wants, but man these guys can run, and the tackling is so much better overall. Secondary is again scary when it come to the depth. When Bridges is your backup you have some good backs, Bridges isn't amazing, but a ton of teams around the nation would love to have a guy like that as a starter. I have to highlight the tackling, which is just such an improvement over the last ten years or so. These guys just don't seem to let guys get more then what they should on any catch. One question I have for those who might chart the games or just simply have more knowledge than me: Are we blitzing our secondary more than we have in the past, I can't seem to remember a time when we've had as many sacks or pressures coming from our CBs as we have had this season. Are we just being more effective with the blitzes and I'm just noticing it more since it's been more impactful?

To be fair to Utah, they're missing a lot more than just Rising, they're missing their TEs who are crucial to their style of offense, their best RB, best LB, a few others as well, probably the most injury bit team in the Pac-12 this year. I think Oregon still wins by 2 scores with all of them present since Oregon is just super impressive right now.

I would say it's the biggest game we've had in a while in terms of must win, we really need to win this in order to take the next step in Lanning's progression, we've had some good wins, we now need a great win which this will be. I have greater faith than the last time we went to Utah, better QB, better coach, better defense than back then, have to believe that our lines will be up for this.

Quit worrying about the computers. I really wouldn't worry about it, if we're 11-1 about to play UW for the Pac-12 title, and the computers say we still only have a 50% shot at getting in with a win, then I might start to sweat a little, but really these things usually work themselves out.

Sooooooooo a normal USC crowd then I guess.

Brats, brats all day long, love a good sausage with mustard. Morning tailgates I'll go with biscuits and gravy, but it's pretty hard to get a great biscuits and gravy from my experience. Side dish I would say cornbread, which should NOT be sweet. Then again I pretty much only like my mom's family recipe for that so if I'm at a friends tailgate I'll probably be disappointed.

I think one thing that really helps us now as opposed to previous years in the Pac-12 is that we are still in the driver's seat to get to the Pac-12 championship game, and now we have the motivation of getting revenge. I think we'll see a very focused team on Saturday and I wouldn't be surprised if we bulldoze through the rest of the league.

It's honestly very very encouraging that Oregon only slipped one spot, yes we're behind Texas who also has one loss, but Texas has a better win than us, so that's fine, if we win out I'm still fairly confident we'll get into the playoff. If we win out we'll have some good wins, could have used WSU not cougin it last night, but Utah, OSU, and UW will probably be enough.

I feel better than I usually do after a loss, I think we confirmed we're a top-10 team, whether we're a playoff team we'll find out over rest of the year. Proud of the way they got their nose back in front, just feels like Lanning let his boys down with his over-confidence in them, if that makes sense. Sometimes you have to be the adult and say when to just simply take the points. I'm sure the players will feel like Lanning believes in them, that they had it in their hands, and then let it go. Just sucks to lose that way. Probably most disappointed that we seem to only be trying to kick a field goal at the end instead of being aggressive and going for the win. I don't think you can be confident in Lewis from anything longer than 35 yards, even from there I'm expecting a coin toss.

Honestly while Cam has gotten better over the years, he's not a very mentally strong kicker, can't really think of a big kick from anything longer than a chip shot with the game on the line where he made it. Heck he did his best last year to blow the bowl game on a PAT.

You know you're right, it makes it even more baffling.

You would think learning under Smart, Lanning would know when to kick a damn field goal. It's like every coach at Oregon thinks they have to be like Chip back in the hey day, it's okay to kick a field goal, it's okay to punt, you don't have to go for it every dang time. So disappointing after we came back, it's such a shame.

This one is on Lanning, has to friggin learn, has to.

Late hit not called

Wow Lanning, just wow, that was Cristobal levels of idiocy.

Give Lanning a ton of credit there, clutch time out

Yeah, that was not a PI there, I don't think the refs have been that bad (by Pac12 standard), but that was a bad call there. I think they've gotten away with some holding by their O-line as well.

One hundred percent, I don't have any doubts about Lanning as our coach overall, just needs to learn when the aggressiveness is warranted, he'll be fine in the long run. When I say that I have concerns about his in-game decisions I think he is going to learn when to go and when to hold off.

It's such an interesting game with the way that you have one team who is so pass reliant versus such a balanced offense. One thing to consider is that we've had quite a few plays more than Washington, might be seeing attrition in the trenches. Think Stein has two very good drives in a row now with the play calling.

Wonder is Bridges is just a better matchup, bigger, able to matchup the size of Odunze.

I'm trying not to get too upset, but man Lanning has to improve as an in-game coach.

Lanning making another huge mistake, this potential loss is on him for that call, we still be down a score if he just kicks the damn FG

That's the same sort of decision that cost them last year, just a horrible call. Not even a good play call.

Hated that call, hated hated hated that call. Kick the damn FG!