Pac-12 Questions and a Few About OBD?

[SoGaDawg]

Hi my Duck friends!  Been awhile, I hope you all have enjoyed a wonderful off-season.  You guys are kinda my go to for all things Duck related and also the PAC in general, so I just wanted to know your thoughts before toe hits leather.  
 

I absolutely think that if the PAC champion has one loss, they will make the Playoff.  But it’s not lost on me that it might be terribly hard for that to happen.  I think this only bc the conference is very competitive.  There are several teams with very strong offenses and at least 3 maybe 4 with heisman contenders at QB.  My question here is, is there a team that can rise above and take control?  I’m still navigating what things look like out there but my hope is obviously for the Ducks to bust out big time. Most places I’ve obviously read about how USC is the team to beat, but they are coming to Autzen, could be a rude awakening for the Trojans!  Anyway, I’d appreciate hearing your pre-season thoughts on the PAC-12.  
 

I’m still struggling to learn about the 23 version of the Ducks.  I’m excited, I feel the offense has great skill players and getting Nix back is freaking awesome.  I would like to hear your (Fish Duck folks) thoughts on the O-line and also the new OC.  
 

And of course I’d like to hear your thoughts on the Ducks defense.  I’m trying to do some research here and learn what I can but I’d love to hear the thoughts of the Fish Duck forum.  This is an area that I expect the Ducks to drastically improve in under Lanning so hearing any opinions here will be appreciated.  

Lastly, I’m just a fan and no expert but I have a decent knowledge of GA football this season I think.  Any questions about GA football I’ll be glad to give my opinion on.  

 

[Log Haulin]

I am not as clued in as I usually am this time of year, mainly due to all the conference realignment and media deal snoozer all off season. 

 

Ducks have added a ton of talent through the portal and recruiting. Mostly looking forward to D line and linebacker play. D should be drastically inproved.

 

O line might or might not be elite like last year but they will be very very good. Going to be interesting to watch them gel.

 

Returns Nix, nuff said, returns Irving and Whittington, nuff said. Huge upgrades at WR. 

 

Media is sleeping on the Ducks and the Pac is going to get smacked in the mouth for it 

 

Looking forward to battling it out with your Dawgs in the NC game. GO DUCKS!

[Jon Joseph]

On 7/20/2023 at 8:13 PM, SoGaDawg said:

Hi my Duck friends!  Been awhile, I hope you all have enjoyed a wonderful off-season.  You guys are kinda my go to for all things Duck related and also the PAC in general, so I just wanted to know your thoughts before toe hits leather.  
 

I absolutely think that if the PAC champion has one loss, they will make the Playoff.  But it’s not lost on me that it might be terribly hard for that to happen.  I think this only bc the conference is very competitive.  There are several teams with very strong offenses and at least 3 maybe 4 with heisman contenders at QB.  My question here is, is there a team that can rise above and take control?  I’m still navigating what things look like out there but my hope is obviously for the Ducks to bust out big time. Most places I’ve obviously read about how USC is the team to beat, but they are coming to Autzen, could be a rude awakening for the Trojans!  Anyway, I’d appreciate hearing your pre-season thoughts on the PAC-12.  
 

I’m still struggling to learn about the 23 version of the Ducks.  I’m excited, I feel the offense has great skill players and getting Nix back is freaking awesome.  I would like to hear your (Fish Duck folks) thoughts on the O-line and also the new OC.  
 

And of course I’d like to hear your thoughts on the Ducks defense.  I’m trying to do some research here and learn what I can but I’d love to hear the thoughts of the Fish Duck forum.  This is an area that I expect the Ducks to drastically improve in under Lanning so hearing any opinions here will be appreciated.  

Lastly, I’m just a fan and no expert but I have a decent knowledge of GA football this season I think.  Any questions about GA football I’ll be glad to give my opinion on.  

 

Great to hear from you. UGA trying to win 3 titles in a row and matching the feat of Minnesota in the 1930s will be great to watch. The schedule is certainly favorable for Georgia to return to Atlanta where, I think, the Dawgs will again play LSU. I expect LSU in Kelly's 2nd season to put up a better battle but I believe the Dawgs win the game, go 13-0 and UGA will be the #1 playoff seed playing in the Sugar Bowl. This IMO the playoff rota that should be permanently in place; a semi-final game in the Rose Bowl followed by a semi-final game in the Sugar Bowl. 

 

The rich get richer. Kirby has a decent shot to sign the all-time top-rated class of recruits. BTW, I was happy to see that the muckraker at AJC was canned. If you are an investigative reporter you might want to do some solid investigation before writing an article. As my distant relative John Adams once noted: Facts are stubborn things. 

 

USC will score a whole bunch of points but will Troy be able to stop another team with a good offense? SC had a plus 22 turnover margin last season and this is not likely to be repeated. SC prior to the days of Pete Carroll and post-Pete Carroll has been continually overrated. With Utah, UW, and UCLA playing at SC I do think SC makes the playoff where Oregon will like Utah last season, defeat SC for the 2nd time in the 2023 season.

 

Pundits are chortling regarding the portal guys Riley brought in on D without analyzing and giving your old friend Dan Lanning credit for plugging holes on the Oregon D out of the portal, with 2 or 3 major contributors 'portaling' to Eugene by way of the SEC.

 

Best of luck to your Dawgs in 2023.

[David Marsh]

On 7/20/2023 at 5:13 PM, SoGaDawg said:

And of course I’d like to hear your thoughts on the Ducks defense.  I’m trying to do some research here and learn what I can but I’d love to hear the thoughts of the Fish Duck forum.  This is an area that I expect the Ducks to drastically improve in under Lanning so hearing any opinions here will be appreciated.  

Has Lanning Fixed the Duck Defense's Soft Underbelly?

FISHDUCK.COM

---

The Oregon Ducks' defense has maintained one major problem for the last three years. Simply put, it has a...

 

I feel that the defense will take a major leep. It already looks like some of the major improvements already took hold during the spring game. 

 

[SoGaDawg]

On 7/20/2023 at 8:51 PM, Jon Joseph said:

Great to hear from you. UGA trying to win 3 titles in a row and matching the feat of Minnesota in the 1930s will be great to watch. The schedule is certainly favorable for Georgia to return to Atlanta where, I think, the Dawgs will again play LSU. I expect LSU in Kelly's 2nd season to put up a better battle but I believe the Dawgs win the game, go 13-0 and UGA will be the #1 playoff seed playing in the Sugar Bowl. This IMO the playoff rota that should be permanently in place; a semi-final game in the Rose Bowl followed by a semi-final game in the Sugar Bowl. 

 

The rich get richer. Kirby has a decent shot to sign the all-time top-rated class of recruits. BTW, I was happy to see that the muckraker at AJC was canned. If you are an investigative reporter you might want to do some solid investigation before writing an article. As my distant relative John Adams once noted: Facts are stubborn things. 

 

USC will score a whole bunch of points but will Troy be able to stop another team with a good offense? SC had a plus 22 turnover margin last season and this is not likely to be repeated. SC prior to the days of Pete Carroll and post-Pete Carroll has been continually overrated. With Utah, UW, and UCLA playing at SC I do think SC makes the playoff where Oregon will like Utah last season, defeat SC for the 2nd time in the 2023 season.

 

Pundits are chortling regarding the portal guys Riley brought in on D without analyzing and giving your old friend Dan Lanning credit for plugging holes on the Oregon D out of the portal, with 2 or 3 major contributors 'portaling' to Eugene by way of the SEC.

 

Best of luck to your Dawgs in 2023.

Thanks, I really enjoy this forum and the Ducks are my #2 or my West Coast team.  
 

I know my Dawgs certainly have a good shot at a 3-peat but I’m not counting on it.  We have had arguably the best team the last 2 seasons winning back to back, but we absolutely had the ball bounce our way a few times both seasons like most NC teams do.  GA will be very good and the schedule is dare I say favorable, but we will know more of the chances come November.  
 

Yeah, I wasn’t heartbroken to see Alan Judd fired.  I don’t know the truth of the facts but UGA responded very strongly and a few days later he was fired.  His wording seemed at best inflammatory and apparently he embellished the facts in a negative way towards UGA and players and recruits.  Oh well, you make your bed and such.  He isn’t a learning young journalist so I have little sympathy for him.  
 

You and @Log Haulinmake me feel better about the Ducks.  Thanks for the response from both of you.  I was very confident in Nix and the rest of the skill players, but hearing good things about the defense is awesome.  It’s not surprising in the least.  Lanning is a great defensive coach.  If that offense performs like I think and also has a good defense that might be the difference.  
 

I would be ecstatic if the Ducks and Dawgs played for the NC.  Of course I want the 3-peat, but history tells me that is unlikely but possible.  But if we lost to the Ducks it would at least be bitter sweet for me.  I don’t want to lose to tOSU, LSU, Mich, or Bama.  Good Gosh forbid losing to TN or USC.  

[Charles Fischer]

Another source is below, which is a strategy that Lanning brought from Georgia.

 

Has the Portal Solved Oregon's FREAK Problems?

FISHDUCK.COM

---

Oregon does have a freak problem with their football team. It is not a bizarre problem, but one that is unusual because of what Dan Lanning is trying to achieve…

 

[Charles Fischer]

Bottom line?  We believe Oregon will score BOATLOADS of points, as we will have four savvy, experienced players starting on the offensive line along with the No. 1 rated OT in the portal that came to the Ducks.  I could gush on about the WR room, the TEs and the deep RB room.  Oh yeah.  We do have a pretty experienced QB returning who could be in the Heisman race if things go as hoped.

 

The real story is on defense; Oregon returns a ton of experienced players who are more familiar with the Lanning 4-2-5 MINT defense, but the real impact will be felt from the portal transfers.  Lanning went out and plugged the holes and more; we saw the tightest coverage in the Spring Game than we've seen in years, as the QBs had very small windows to throw to.

 

Without breaking them all down here....we got an elite pass rusher to complement some seniors, another pass rusher who showed us in the Spring Game why he is a 5-Star, and a perfect fit at the MAC linebacker who transferred in from Iowa.  Because of superb portal recruiting at defensive back--it allowed a bulky safety (Jamal Hill) to move to MONEY linebacker, as between his stout run support and his coverage skills--I believe that he and Jeffrey Bassa have that spot covered well.

 

We needed a stud DB, a freak at STAR, and got one from Mississippi.  We got other portal transfers at Safety and Corner (2) and thus between them and the very experienced players returning--we are now beyond loaded in the secondary.

 

You don't get a Bo Nix and all the seniors in a year as we do in 2023, thus why I think Oregon will have a very good year.

 

[lownslowav8r]

On 7/20/2023 at 6:54 PM, SoGaDawg said:

I would be ecstatic if the Ducks and Dawgs played for the NC.

That would be fun. Not likely but definitely fun.

[SoGaDawg]

On 7/20/2023 at 10:07 PM, Charles Fischer said:

Bottom line?  We believe Oregon will score BOATLOADS of points, as we will have four savvy, experienced players starting on the offensive line along with the No. 1 rated OT in the portal that came to the Ducks.  I could gush on about the WR room, the TEs and the deep RB room.  Oh yeah.  We do have a pretty experienced QB returning who could be in the Heisman race if things go as hoped.

 

The real story is on defense; Oregon returns a ton of experienced players who are more familiar with the Lanning 4-2-5 MINT defense, but the real impact will be felt from the portal transfers.  Lanning went out and plugged the holes and more; we saw the tightest coverage in the Spring Game than we've seen in years, as the QBs had very small windows to throw to.

 

Without breaking them all down here....we got an elite pass rusher to complement some seniors, another pass rusher who showed us in the Spring Game why he is a 5-Star, and a perfect fit at the MAC linebacker who transferred in from Iowa.  Because of superb portal recruiting at defensive back--it allowed a bulky safety (Jamal Hill) to move to MONEY linebacker, as between his stout run support and his coverage skills--I believe that he and Jeffrey Bassa have that spot covered well.

 

We needed a stud DB, a freak at STAR, and got one from Mississippi.  We got other portal transfers at Safety and Corner (2) and thus between them and the very experienced players returning--we are now beyond loaded in the secondary.

 

You don't get a Bo Nix and all the seniors in a year as we do in 2023, thus why I think Oregon will have a very good year.

 

Awesome, thanks for the knowledge and the article.  I’m starting to feel pretty good about the Ducks!!!   I also agree with your assessment of the 4-2-5 mint.  I probably don’t have the same grasp you do at least on paper, but it’s the defense that Kirby has run since he was at Bama.  It’s changed over the years by using faster more athletic LBs to account for spread offenses, but the concept is still similar.  It’s a really good defensive scheme if you have the jimmies and joes.  I’m excited to see the Ducks!

 

GO DUCKS!!!

[SoGaDawg]

On 7/20/2023 at 9:22 PM, David Marsh said:

Has Lanning Fixed the Duck Defense's Soft Underbelly?

FISHDUCK.COM

---

The Oregon Ducks' defense has maintained one major problem for the last three years. Simply put, it has a...

 

I feel that the defense will take a major leep. It already looks like some of the major improvements already took hold during the spring game. 

 

Thanks for the article, very informative and I agree.  If Lanning does indeed have the right players to fit, the Ducks defense will be dramatically better.  Sounds like he might indeed.  I’m very excited to see!

[SoGaDawg]

On 7/20/2023 at 11:38 PM, lownslowav8r said:

That would be fun. Not likely but definitely fun.

Well maybe not likely, but who knows?  It’s CFB, unexpected things happen all the time.  I think the Ducks have a tougher road to get there honestly.  GA seemingly has a very favorable schedule.  Who knows though, no telling what we will be thinking around Thanksgiving time. 

[Nevada Dawg]

Welcome back SoGaDawg. I am  also a Dawg partisan  who has the Ducks as my #2. My history with the Ducks goes  way back as I grew up on the West Coast and  rooted passionately for PAC teams against anyone else. I became a  Dawg fan as a young adult and 42 years living in the Athens area will almost ensure that you remain one.

 

This is a great site. I contribute whenever I have  something  I think will interest  Duck fans and have been very warmly received here. t here are a  number of very  knowledgeable contributors on this  site whom I learn a great deal from. It is a fun place to hang out. 

 

So stick around. The Ducks fans appreciate good  football, seem to want to know  how Kirby and the Dawgs operate, and  would probably appreciate a wider variety of opinions from that fan base other than my own. 

[OregonDucks]

I’m hopeful that the defense will take a giant stride forward this year with another year of experience in the scheme and the transfer portal additions. It appeared that Lanning took more control of the D late last season and I hope that continues into this season. 
 

Oregon’s success this year will depend on keeping Bo Nix healthy. I’m not confident in the backup QBs. 

Edited July 21, 2023 by OregonDucks

[DUCati855]

On 7/20/2023 at 10:32 PM, Nevada Dawg said:

So stick around. The Ducks fans appreciate good  football, seem to want to know  how Kirby and the Dawgs operate, and  would probably appreciate a wider variety of opinions from that fan base other than my own. 

Yes. We appreciate both Nevada dawg and SoGaDawg on this site. Please come often, talk football, and share your knowledge. We love hearing from respectful/passionate fans from all teams..... Except the little dogs from up north.

[Wrathis]

On 7/20/2023 at 8:54 PM, SoGaDawg said:

Thanks, I really enjoy this forum and the Ducks are my #2 or my West Coast team.  
 

I know my Dawgs certainly have a good shot at a 3-peat but I’m not counting on it.  We have had arguably the best team the last 2 seasons winning back to back, but we absolutely had the ball bounce our way a few times both seasons like most NC teams do.  GA will be very good and the schedule is dare I say favorable, but we will know more of the chances come November.  
 

Yeah, I wasn’t heartbroken to see Alan Judd fired.  I don’t know the truth of the facts but UGA responded very strongly and a few days later he was fired.  His wording seemed at best inflammatory and apparently he embellished the facts in a negative way towards UGA and players and recruits.  Oh well, you make your bed and such.  He isn’t a learning young journalist so I have little sympathy for him.  
 

You and @Log Haulinmake me feel better about the Ducks.  Thanks for the response from both of you.  I was very confident in Nix and the rest of the skill players, but hearing good things about the defense is awesome.  It’s not surprising in the least.  Lanning is a great defensive coach.  If that offense performs like I think and also has a good defense that might be the difference.  
 

I would be ecstatic if the Ducks and Dawgs played for the NC.  Of course I want the 3-peat, but history tells me that is unlikely but possible.  But if we lost to the Ducks it would at least be bitter sweet for me.  I don’t want to lose to tOSU, LSU, Mich, or Bama.  Good Gosh forbid losing to TN or USC.  

SoGaDawg, good to see you again! I'll toss my opinion out here, but please understand I'm a DUCKS fan through and through. What I'm about to say may get me axed from not only the forum, but from college football fandom in general. That being said, here we go...

 

Simply stated, the PAC will score TONS of points this year. The 2 teams best equipped to do so are Troy and that team up north (and we're right there in the thick of it). Williams and Penix Jr. both are proven commodities and have an elite group of receivers to throw to. I'm of the opinion that the PAC will be the most entertaining conference to watch this season!!! Both QB's are highly accurate with rocket arms who will throw for 350+ yards per game. You can bet that the ball will be flying out West this year!

 

The real story though will be defense, and more importantly, who can consistently get after the QB. There aren't many DB's who can cover Rice, Singer, M. Williams (USC) or Odunze, Polk or McMillan (Fuskies) for long...which makes the EDGE pivotal this season. That being said, Bralen Trice (Fuskies) is going to wreck games and his play may be enough to get Washington in the playoff...and there's almost no way USC can repeat their turnover margin from last season.

 

Both teams will be good on the offensive line and Washington will be very good on defense, while USC will have to answer some questions in that area. However, they'll probably score enough points that it won't matter too much.  All of that being said, those are probably the two playing for the PAC Championship...However, Utah is always a tough out and Oregon State will shock some people this season.  The PAC probably has more parity this season than any other conference in football and no one is getting out of this thing alive. There are 5 legitimate teams who can walk away a winner in Vegas, and UCLA and Arizona are coming up extremely quickly! 

 

So the moral of the story is this: I think the Fuskies are the most complete team this season (but they lack depth) and USC is the most offensively talented. Our Ducks are extremely talented on both sides and will be in every game this year, but our outcome will depend on how well we gel together. Oregon State is dangerous but their ceiling is limited by the play of DJ Uiagalelei. If he's good, they'll be very good. Utah isn't near as talented, but they're always well coached and play well as a unit.  We've recruited very well the last several years, so I think moving forward that the PAC will still run through Eugene, but there's no telling who's winning the conference this season...however it's gonna be a hell of a lot of fun to watch!!! 

[Charles Fischer]

On 7/21/2023 at 1:01 PM, Wrathis said:

What I'm about to say may get me axed from not only the forum, but from college football fandom in general.

Nah.  A different opinion is always fine, it is just how it is delivered.  Your delivery was great, and thanks for posting.

[Mike West]

On 7/20/2023 at 5:13 PM, SoGaDawg said:

Hi my Duck friends!  Been awhile, I hope you all have enjoyed a wonderful off-season.  You guys are kinda my go to for all things Duck related and also the PAC in general, so I just wanted to know your thoughts before toe hits leather.  
 

I absolutely think that if the PAC champion has one loss, they will make the Playoff.  But it’s not lost on me that it might be terribly hard for that to happen.  I think this only bc the conference is very competitive.  There are several teams with very strong offenses and at least 3 maybe 4 with heisman contenders at QB.  My question here is, is there a team that can rise above and take control?  I’m still navigating what things look like out there but my hope is obviously for the Ducks to bust out big time. Most places I’ve obviously read about how USC is the team to beat, but they are coming to Autzen, could be a rude awakening for the Trojans!  Anyway, I’d appreciate hearing your pre-season thoughts on the PAC-12.  
 

I’m still struggling to learn about the 23 version of the Ducks.  I’m excited, I feel the offense has great skill players and getting Nix back is freaking awesome.  I would like to hear your (Fish Duck folks) thoughts on the O-line and also the new OC.  
 

And of course I’d like to hear your thoughts on the Ducks defense.  I’m trying to do some research here and learn what I can but I’d love to hear the thoughts of the Fish Duck forum.  This is an area that I expect the Ducks to drastically improve in under Lanning so hearing any opinions here will be appreciated.  

Lastly, I’m just a fan and no expert but I have a decent knowledge of GA football this season I think.  Any questions about GA football I’ll be glad to give my opinion on.  

 

Phil Steele expects OBD to have the third stingiest defense, and the second highest scoring offense.  I actually agree with that eval, and if OBD wins on the road, something they are matched up well to do against both the Fuskies and Utah, they have a very good shot at going undefeated.

 

We won't be as good as your corn fed hombres, but we'll be pretty good. 

[SoGaDawg]

On 7/21/2023 at 4:01 PM, Wrathis said:

SoGaDawg, good to see you again! I'll toss my opinion out here, but please understand I'm a DUCKS fan through and through. What I'm about to say may get me axed from not only the forum, but from college football fandom in general. That being said, here we go...

 

Simply stated, the PAC will score TONS of points this year. The 2 teams best equipped to do so are Troy and that team up north (and we're right there in the thick of it). Williams and Penix Jr. both are proven commodities and have an elite group of receivers to throw to. I'm of the opinion that the PAC will be the most entertaining conference to watch this season!!! Both QB's are highly accurate with rocket arms who will throw for 350+ yards per game. You can bet that the ball will be flying out West this year!

 

The real story though will be defense, and more importantly, who can consistently get after the QB. There aren't many DB's who can cover Rice, Singer, M. Williams (USC) or Odunze, Polk or McMillan (Fuskies) for long...which makes the EDGE pivotal this season. That being said, Bralen Trice (Fuskies) is going to wreck games and his play may be enough to get Washington in the playoff...and there's almost no way USC can repeat their turnover margin from last season.

 

Both teams will be good on the offensive line and Washington will be very good on defense, while USC will have to answer some questions in that area. However, they'll probably score enough points that it won't matter too much.  All of that being said, those are probably the two playing for the PAC Championship...However, Utah is always a tough out and Oregon State will shock some people this season.  The PAC probably has more parity this season than any other conference in football and no one is getting out of this thing alive. There are 5 legitimate teams who can walk away a winner in Vegas, and UCLA and Arizona are coming up extremely quickly! 

 

So the moral of the story is this: I think the Fuskies are the most complete team this season (but they lack depth) and USC is the most offensively talented. Our Ducks are extremely talented on both sides and will be in every game this year, but our outcome will depend on how well we gel together. Oregon State is dangerous but their ceiling is limited by the play of DJ Uiagalelei. If he's good, they'll be very good. Utah isn't near as talented, but they're always well coached and play well as a unit.  We've recruited very well the last several years, so I think moving forward that the PAC will still run through Eugene, but there's no telling who's winning the conference this season...however it's gonna be a hell of a lot of fun to watch!!! 

Thanks, it’s good to be back.  Thanks also for your opinions here.  I’m still catching up with all of the roster changes for the Ducks and honestly can’t be very confident in my assessment of other PAC teams yet.  Members such as yourself are one of the many reasons I love this site.  
 

I agree about parity in the conference and also that it could be defense that decides which is the most successful team.  There are possibly 5 maybe even 6 teams that could win the PAC.  That is ridiculous parity.  Of course that’s the pre season outlook, come mid season we will know much more.

 

I agree with you about the defense.  My hope is that the Ducks are that team that surprises everyone on the defensive side of the ball.  Lanning is the real deal, the Ducks defense will dramatically improve sooner rather than later.  My hope is that this is the year for a big uptick on Defense.  
 

Don’t get me wrong, today that explosive offense is winning tons of games.  A great offense is needed, but a team that can play great defense is tough to beat.  What I would like to see from the Ducks is a team that can dominate the LOS on both sides.  IMO that is one of the main reasons for GA’s recent success.  Usually, if a QB is uncomfortable at the snap it’s hard for him to make the right decision quick enough.  Obviously there are exceptions, but I’ve not seen any Michael Vicks lately.  

[SoGaDawg]

On 7/21/2023 at 4:16 PM, Mike West said:

Phil Steele expects OBD to have the third stingiest defense, and the second highest scoring offense.  I actually agree with that eval, and if OBD wins on the road, something they are matched up well to do against both the Fuskies and Utah, they have a very good shot at going undefeated.

 

We won't be as good as your corn fed hombres, but we'll be pretty good. 

I would love to see that!

[Nevada Dawg]

SoGaDawg is quite correct  IMO that big  games among elite  teams are usually won in the  trenches. These guys largely go unnoticed by the  average fan unless they are racking up sacks or throwing devastating blocks, but Georgia's domination of both LOS the last couple  of years is a major reason they have gone back to back.

 

Hopefully the Ducks have several of these trench monsters ready to emerge. If so, winning this conference is hardly out of the question.

 

Yet, Wrathis's analyses of the Trojans and the  Huskies aptly illustrates just how tough a slough this is likely to be for anyone to win the PAC  this year. I just hope that the winner is able to take home the trophy without having suffered two  losses.