It Won't Be Another Decade Before The Ducks Are In Position To Make Another Playoff

[Sunshine Larry]

How long does it seem like Oregon has had a squad like this? Nine years. It's been 9 years since Oregon lost to Ohio State in the first ever Playoff National Championship Game.

 

Oregon had its first ever Heisman winner, and they were touchdown favorites over Ohio State. Oregon marched down the field in their first drive. BAM 7-0!!!

 

Then it kind of just went downhill. Remember how much fans hated split champions? The BCS was created to solve that. But then 2003 happened. I still didn't understand how those computers picked the best two teams.

 

After a Decade plus of that we got excited to hear about a playoff. Surely that would solve it all right? Yeah about that, it became more of an invitational. Instead of asking how computers picked the two teams, we got a committee.

 

A committee that still hasn't given us concrete answers on what criteria is most important in picking the best teams. So now we argue about best losses? Choosing the best teams over best losses! Okay boss.

 

Point is that people are saying it took ten years for Oregon to get so close, only to lose another heartbreaker. It won't be another stretch before Oregon makes the new expanded playoff. If it were in place today, I would wager Oregon would beat whomever their first round matchup is.

 

Instead of a pointless Fiesta Bowl vs Penn State or Alabama. You would have a first round matchup vs Texas or Ohio State. Any old timer on here would have to admit that looks a lot better.

 

Instead of hearing an empty suit explain why Texas got in over Ohio State because of whatever narrative they choose matters that day, you would get to hear about first round matchups. Washington deserves the bye, but Oregon would salivate about one last chance to beat them in the second round.

 

It's coming folks, a real playoff. Mr. Lanning is gonna hit the transfer portal hard. He may even get a former Beaver to be the QB replacing Nix. Yesterday sucked, Sunday will be painful. The Bowl game will be a letdown.

 

But next year Oregon will be a playoff team. The Ducks are gonna get the benefit of the doubt now that they are in one of the big two conferences.  Let the lesser league teams cry. It's good to be in the penthouse. 

Edited December 2, 2023 by Sunshine Larry

[Log Haulin]

Wash, USC, tOSU, Mich and PSU might have something to say about that. Hopefully the Ducks can put themselves in the mix. 

[GODUCKS15]

Lots to shake out before next season even starts. Will Harbaugh still be at MI? Who's QB'ing at WA and Oregon? How will long distance travel affect the Ducks? Will the same staff be here next year? 

 

This was a magical season where all the pieces were there. Bo Nix's don't come along very often and made DL's life easier. I'm sure the Ducks will be in the thick of things next season but IMO it's going to be just as tough next year as it was this year. Will two losses get you a slot in the new 12 team CFP? I hope so. 

 

 

[DrJacksPlaidPants]

If you look at the top 11 right now it’s all SEC and B1G except for FSU. Oregon will have to beat a couple of good teams, but the future playoffs aren’t going to be almost unattainable like the past.

[Haywarduck]

Oregon makes great coaches, and qb's. We are on the road to creating another great coach, and the next great qb will be interesting to see develop, come in.

 

We must realize Nix was a wreck when he came to Oregon, wanted to revitalize his career, like Matayo's brother tried to do in Corvallis. Nix was able to do that at Oregon and the next starting qb at Oregon is set up for success too. I would think Oregon's qb job is about as attractive as any out there.

 

I personally would love to see a young guy take over, and lead for a few years. If it is another Nix type of guy so be it, but at some point Oregon has to start producing qb's not just bring in stop gaps.

 

The Oregon way is to build it, not buy it. We build coaches, players, and programs. We may spend some money on facilities, but our roots are recruiting our guys, developing our guys and that is how we got to the playoffs the first time, and I think that is the way we will next time.

 

Lanning is our guy, who is going to be our next guy at qb? I just think the heart of our program needs to be built from the ground up, not transferred in. Maybe it is just what I want, but that type of home grown team is fun to watch grow and become all-time greats.

 

A shout out to Cam Lewis last night, just wow. He nailed every kick-off on the numbers, kicked well otherwise, and my criticism was not justified. Also what a punt off the ground, that could have been an early nightmare. Special teams did their job, the other two parts came up short, but the effort was there, well done Men Of Oregon!.

[Mike West]

Great takes guys.

 

Our future is bright.  Win ten and you're always in the playoffs.  Winning a title is going to take having an NFL caliber QB.  Somebody mentioned one of the best things a Four or Five Star QB can do now is start and dominate in a lower conference.

 

That's what Cam Ward did.  I believe the ACC and Big 12 is the place potential four and five star QBs should go.  Otherwise, you better be the real deal- and I mean absolutely Tua, Justin Herbert, and Peyton Manning material.  Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud are other examples.

 

Teams will not win a title unless they have a clutch QB.  That should be obvious after last night.  Without No Nix, we get run out of the building last night.

 

I also believe too many defenses set up formations that can't beat a team like Washington this year, Alabama the year Tua played AND the year they lost to Georgia ( an injured elite WR going down changed the outcome of that game- and Georgia's vaunted defense was NOT stopping Bama before that). 

 

Explaining why is too detailed for this forum, and frankly requires writing a book about- having talked to Fishduck for years about shutting down Chip's early version- the back and forth really convinced me I could earn a doctorate if I write that book (lol). 

 

Anyways, we will consistently make the playoffs.  Winning a title requires several variables that are difficult to control.  But the days of the SEC dominating college football are over.  Which means we have a solid chance to win a title if and only if we get NFL caliber QB play.

[Charles Fischer]

Sunshine Larry, you have the right handle name, and your thoughts come to us at a time when we need it.  THANKS!

 

Despite last night--Oregon fans are going to see a ton of WINNING in the future, and it will be great fun.

 

[CalBear95]

The B1G and SEC will regularly be putting three teams each into the playoffs.  The Ducks have the talent, coaching and program to be a consistent top 3 team in the B1G.

 

I do think the Ducks get past the Huskies next year.  This was UW's year.  They had a lot of bounces go their way this year and certainly last night (half second earlier and Penix fumbles vs incomplete pass and the entire game changes). The Ducks just never got the break they needed to make the Huskies chase the game which is entirely due to their slow start.

 

The Huskies played out of their minds last night and that deserves a tip of the cap and an acknowledgement that isn't a sustainable recipe.

 

A ton of teams in the B1G will have new QBs new next year so the Ducks won't per se be starting with a big disadvantage.  Next year is year 3 under DL and the D will be even stouter (this is why we should all be bullish on the Ducks.  Thier offense will still be good which will make them a force but defense wins championships).

 

I don't think the DL and the Ducks have a UW problem.  This was just UW's year.  Everything that had to go right for them did.  Magical seasons are like that.  I earnestly believe this is the last year for the Huskies.  It isn't that DeBoer won't field really good teams down the line but rather that DL is building a sustainable monster.  It took Georgia a few years to slay the Alabama dragon.

 

I'll conclude by saying this feels different.  The Ducks' success is built on a sustainable formula the results of which are only getting better.  Last night was hard but take heart in seeing the progression of DL.  He learns, iterates and improves.  If you gave me a choice of which program I would take between UW and the Ducks (set aside the animosity of rivalry and be objective) it would be the Ducks.  And here's the thing, I would bet you deep down inside so would a lot of UW faithful.

Edited December 2, 2023 by CalBear95

[DuckFan33]

On 12/2/2023 at 7:15 AM, GODUCKS15 said:

Lots to shake out before next season even starts. Will Harbaugh still be at MI? Who's QB'ing at WA and Oregon? How will long distance travel affect the Ducks? Will the same staff be here next year? 

 

This was a magical season where all the pieces were there. Bo Nix's don't come along very often and made DL's life easier. I'm sure the Ducks will be in the thick of things next season but IMO it's going to be just as tough next year as it was this year. Will two losses get you a slot in the new 12 team CFP? I hope so. 

 

 

Yes, possibly even 3 losses depending on the number of undefeated. 

[Fathertime]

Hate to say I told you so, but the referees had a finger in it.

[Sunshine Larry]

Did it dawn on anybody else that with the exclusion of FSU , that every CFP participant is going to be an SEC/Big 10 member come July? 

[Solar]

Just by the numbers we will be 3 times more likely to make the playoffs.

 

The PAC12 with Utah was never easy and the B1G won't be any easier. We trade Utah for Penn State and add Ohio State and Michigan.

 

Gaining respect will be MUCH easier.

 

Road games will be harder due to longer travel travels, very different environments/climates, which means home field advantage will be worth more than 3 points, maybe 5 or 6 points.

 

As far as Oregon as a team goes, having a top 3 or top 5 QB every year is tough. Look at the blue bloods struggles this year. Outside of that, if we keep recruiting top 10 classes with our coaches' player evaluation ability and development we should be in the thick of conversation in November every year.

Edited December 4, 2023 by Solar