NJDuck Moderator No. 1 Share Posted December 8, 2023 From now on, except for a very few circumstances, our threads will be just one page. Advertising only appears on the first page and we want to make as much money as possible for the site. The bonus in doing this is that it will be easier for everyone to move around the thread. This thread will be continuous so older posts will be deleted as we reach the page limit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDuck Author Moderator No. 2 Share Posted January 9 How the 2024 College Football Playoffs would look like based on preseason polls A look at how the college football playoffs would look based on the Way Too Early Top 25 polls. How the 2024 College Football Playoffs would look like based on preseason polls 247SPORTS.COM A look at how the college football playoffs would look based on the Way Too Early Top 25 polls. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDuck Author Moderator No. 3 Share Posted January 10 So many way too early predictions are slightly different where Oregon would wind up at. But one thing is common, Oregon is predicted to make the playoffs Predicting which 12 teams will make the 2025 College Football Playoff Predicting which 12 teams will make the 2025 College Football Playoff DUCKSWIRE.USATODAY.COM An early look at which 12 teams will likely be included in the first 12-team College Football Playoff ahead of the 2024 season. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDuck Author Moderator No. 4 Share Posted January 10 5 Oregon football defense players to have the biggest impact for the Ducks in 2024 season 5 Oregon football defense players to have the biggest impact for the Ducks in 2024 season WWW.REGISTERGUARD.COM With the transfer portal season winding down and Oregon's recruiting class nearly finalized, here are the top defenders for the Ducks in 2024. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pennsylvania Duck Moderator No. 5 Share Posted January 10 Which former Pac-12 team has the highest ceiling in year 1 of the expanded Big Ten? Next season of college football is going to be very different and strange. Oregon, Washington, and the Los Angeles schools will compete in the Big Ten and the College Football Playoff is expanding by six more teams. USC began this process with the other schools following and going their own way. The end result was the death of the Pac-12. Although the Ducks will be playing in a new conference, according to TrojansWire, Oregon will be the prohibitive favorite thanks to one player. Which former Pac-12 team has the highest ceiling in the Big Ten? DUCKSWIRE.USATODAY.COM A look at which former Pac-12 team has the highest ceiling year year 1 of the expanded Big Ten conference in 2024. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Joseph No. 6 Share Posted January 10 Reverse! UNLV QB flips his transfer from UGA to USC. Jayden Maiava now heading to USC, not Georgia, father says - ESPN WWW.ESPN.COM After a final pitch from USC coach Lincoln Riley, Jayden Maiava now will have the opportunity to compete for the starting job with Miller Moss and will provide some stability at the QB position as... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDuck Author Moderator No. 7 Share Posted January 11 Way-too-early power rankings for new expanded Big Ten Conference in 2024 The 2023 college football season has officially come to an end, which means that the past several days have been spent prematurely looking ahead to the 2024 season and what it might bring. What it will bring is a completely new era of college football, where conference realignment will see the death of the Power 5 conferences, and an expanded College Football Playoff will allow teams to compete for a championship when all is said and done. As the week has gone on, we’ve looked at ESPN’s way-too-early Top 25 rankings, and we also made some predictions of our own, projecting which 12 teams will ultimately make it into the first expanded playoff. Now we want to look at the predictions, conference-specific. The Oregon Ducks, along with USC, UCLA, and Washington, will be joining the Big Ten Conference, where they will now compete with the likes of Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State for a conference title. With the transfer portal still churning, and recruiting classes yet to be completely finalized, it’s a bit too early to get a perfect look at roster construction for each school, but at this moment in time, here are our power rankings for the 2024 season in the Big Ten: Way-too-early power rankings for expanded Big Ten Conference in 2024 DUCKSWIRE.USATODAY.COM An early look at what the power rankings should be for the new expanded Big Ten Conference at the start of the 2024 offseason. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDuck Author Moderator No. 8 Share Posted January 11 5 key players returning for the Oregon football offense in 2024 Oregon’s first season under offensive coordinator Will Stein was a rousing statistical success for the Ducks. Those 12 wins looked pretty good as well. With NFL-bound upperclassmen like quarterback Bo Nix, running back Bucky Irving and wide receiver Troy Franklin pacing the attack, Oregon led the nation in touchdowns (83), passing touchdowns (49), passing yards per game (346.9) and completion percentage (77.2%). The Ducks were also second nationally in points per game (44.2), total offense per game (531.4 yards) and passing yards, both per game (343.5) and overall (4,857). Despite that, the Oregon offense wasn’t perfect according to Stein, who said part of his offseason will be spent taking a hard look at how the team performed in 2023. “We’ll obviously look at deficiencies in the offense and where that was," he said. "We’ll have wrinkles next year. What those are, I don’t know yet. I have to decompress from the season and then dive into the tape and our self-scout and really look and what we were good at.” Stein will have a new quarterback in 2024, as Oklahoma transfer Dillon Gabriel is the projected replacement for Nix, and will need to find a new starter at wide receiver and running back, as well as depth at each position. “It's a players' game, and we have exceptional players that prepare like pros and who practice their tails off,” Stein said. "They're a joy to coach. They're a joy to be around.” Here are five key players who are returning on offense for the Ducks in 2024. 5 key players returning for the Oregon football offense in 2024 WWW.REGISTERGUARD.COM Oregon football had one of the best offenses in the nation in 2023. Despite several departures, the Ducks will return many key players next season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDuck Author Moderator No. 9 Share Posted January 11 Oregon Football: Keeping the Talent in Eugene Building a winning program means gathering all the talent you can.... and keeping it. Dan Lanning has built something in Eugene. As many message boards today are swirling with rumors about the Alabama head coach slot being open, lets take a moment to talk about the culture at Oregon and how it has effected the roster. Everyone has seen that Lanning and the staff he has built can go out and get top talent. But in the modern era of college athletics, being an elite recruiter is about more than just gathering great players. You have to continuously recruit your own players to stay in the program. While Oregon certainly had its share of players enter the transfer portal in December, part of that was to make room for the top 5 class coming in. More impressive perhaps, than what is coming in, is how much Dan Lanning has convinced to stay. There are 16 draft-eligible players from the 2023 roster currently expected back in college uniforms for 2024. That kind of commitment to the team is rare. But as we saw Bucky Irving and Bo Nix suit up for the Fiesta Bowl despite both heading for the draft this year, Dan Lanning has built a culture where people put the team ahead of themselves. Here is some of the talent Oregon looks to have back: Oregon Football: Keeping the Talent in Eugene WWW.ADDICTEDTOQUACK.COM Building a winning program means gathering all the talent you can.... and keeping it. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDuck Author Moderator No. 10 Share Posted January 11 Dan Lanning talks about Dillon Gabriel, Dante Moore in Ducks' 2024 QB room Dan Lanning talks about Dillon Gabriel, Dante Moore in Ducks’ QB room DUCKSWIRE.USATODAY.COM Dan Lanning went on the Pat McAfee Show and discussed Oregon’s unique QB situation for 2024. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pennsylvania Duck Moderator No. 11 Share Posted January 13 Bill Oram: Oregon Ducks poised for Big Ten success while Washington’s future turns murky after Kalen DeBoer bolts Oregon has lost its last three games against Washington and the Huskies are just days removed from playing for the college football national championship. But at the moment the Ducks are pretty clearly dominating the rivalry. The swinging pendulum of coaching drama will do that. Dan Lanning is puffing on a stogie in Eugene. Kalen DeBoer is scouting real estate in Tuscaloosa and preparing to take a stroll in Nick Saban’s leviathan loafers. Lanning’s decision to rebuff Alabama, leading the Crimson Tide to hire DeBoer, is certainly an entertaining twist in the history of this Northwest rivalry. It’s good fodder for barbs on social media. But there is also a bigger point here. And it’s that Oregon finds itself poised for a much more graceful transition to the Big Ten than its rival. They’re going in together, but not as equals... Bill Oram: Oregon Ducks poised for Big Ten success while Washington’s future turns murky after Kalen DeBoer bolts WWW.OREGONLIVE.COM At the moment the Ducks are pretty clearly dominating the rivalry. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDuck Author Moderator No. 12 Share Posted January 15 Where does Oregon stand when it comes to transfer portal needs? The Oregon Ducks have not utilized the transfer portal as abundantly this year as we’ve seen in prior years, but they’ve arguably been more prolific and proficient with their additions, getting commitments from some of the best available players in the portal. With just 9 incoming transfers so far, Oregon has the No. 4-ranked class in the nation after adding the No. 3, No. 6, No. 18, and No. 53 players in the class with commitments from Evan Stewart, Dante Moore, Ja’Maree Caldwell, and Dillon Gabriel at the top of the list. Going into the offseason, they had a roster that was stacked with blue-chip players, but there were a handful of needs and potential needs, depending on who decided to return to Eugene for 2024 or head into the NFL Draft. Fortunately for Oregon fans, many of those players have decided to come back for one last ride. So with the roster in its current construction, are there any other needs that the Ducks need to fill in the transfer portal this year? Let’s take a look back at our needs coming into the offseason and assess: Oregon Football: Where Ducks stand as far as remaining transfer needs DUCKSWIRE.USATODAY.COM A look at where the Oregon Ducks stand in terms of remaining needs in the transfer portal after adding some top-level talent. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pennsylvania Duck Moderator No. 13 Share Posted January 16 Ducks ranked as third-best Big Ten team in PFF 2024 top-25 The Oregon Ducks are projected to be among the best teams in the nation at the start of the 2024 season, largely thanks to the litany of starters returning from last year, and the influx of top-rated talent coming from the transfer portal. While they are almost unanimously being ranked as a top-10 team going into the offseason, where they rank in the top 10 is up for debate. Last week, we saw that ESPN had the Ducks ranked as the No. 3 team in the nation in their way-too-early top 25. Now we see that Pro Football Focus has Oregon ranked a little bit lower, down at No. 7... Ducks ranked as third-best Big Ten team in PFF 2024 top-25 DUCKSWIRE.USATODAY.COM The Oregon Ducks are among the top-ranked teams in the nation according to Pro Football Focus going into the 2024 season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDuck Author Moderator No. 14 Share Posted January 22 The state of Oregon's QB room right now as the 2024 roster remains in flux Here's a rundown of Oregon's current quarterback situation as the 2024 roster continues to take shape this offseason The state of Oregon's QB room right now as the 2024 roster remains in flux 247SPORTS.COM Here's a rundown of Oregon's current quarterback situation as the 2024 roster continues to take shape this offseason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pennsylvania Duck Moderator No. 15 Share Posted January 22 Ranking the Ducks' 2024 football schedule from toughest game to biggest cakewalk Earlier this weekend, we went through the Ducks’ schedule and offered an early preview of what to expect in each game. Now we want to rank the games from what we think will be the easiest wins, to what might be the most difficult in the end. Here are our rankings... Oregon Football: Ranking the toughest Duck games on 2024 schedule DUCKSWIRE.USATODAY.COM A ranking of the Oregon Ducks’ 2024 football schedule from hardest game to easiest cakewalk. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pennsylvania Duck Moderator No. 16 Share Posted January 23 Two Oregon games among ESPN's most impactful 2024 matchups for 12-team playoff Find out which games ESPN thinks will shape the 12-team playoff... Two Oregon games among ESPN's most impactful 2024 matchups for 12-team playoff 247SPORTS.COM Find out which games ESPN thinks will shape the 12-team playoff. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pennsylvania Duck Moderator No. 17 Share Posted January 23 The state of Oregon's RB room right now as the 2024 roster remains in flux Here's a rundown of Oregon's current running back situation as the 2024 roster continues to take shape this offseason... The state of Oregon's RB room right now as the 2024 roster remains in flux 247SPORTS.COM Here's a rundown of Oregon's current running back situation as the 2024 roster continues to take shape this offseason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDuck Author Moderator No. 18 Share Posted January 24 ESPN places two Oregon offensive players on its way-too-early 2024 All-American teamsOregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel and offensive tackle Ajani Cornelius were each placed on ESPN's All-American team predictions for 2024 ESPN places two Oregon offensive players on its way-too-early 2024 All-American teams 247SPORTS.COM Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel and offensive tackle Ajani Cornelius were each placed on ESPN's All-American team predictions for 2024. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDuck Author Moderator No. 19 Share Posted January 24 The Best Returning QB in Every College Football Conference for 2024 Gabriel is best returning BIG QB The Best Returning QB in Every College Football Conference for 2024 BLEACHERREPORT.COM College football is losing a ton of firepower at the quarterback position with stars like LSU's Jayden Daniels, Washington's Michael Penix Jr., Oregon's Bo… Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDuck Author Moderator No. 20 Share Posted January 24 The state of Oregon's WR room right now as the 2024 roster remains in flux Here's a rundown of Oregon's current wide receiver situation as the 2024 roster continues to take shape this offseason The state of Oregon's WR room right now as the 2024 roster remains in flux T.CO Here's a rundown of Oregon's current wide receiver situation as the 2024 roster continues to take shape this offseason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDuck Author Moderator No. 21 Share Posted January 25 Dan Lanning’s meteoric rise to the top of the coaching food chain Dan Lanning’s meteoric rise to the top of the coaching food chain AUTZENZOO.COM Now one of the most sought-after head coaches in NCAA football, Dan Lanning wasn’t always performing on the biggest stages in the nation. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Joseph No. 22 Share Posted January 25 Michigan coaching candidates: Sherrone Moore, Brian Kelly among top options with Jim Harbaugh leaving for NFL - CBSSports.com WWW.CBSSPORTS.COM With Harbaugh on his way to coach the NFL's Chargers, Michigan may not have to look too far for his replacement Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDuck Author Moderator No. 23 Share Posted January 25 Three biggest gets for Oregon in the transfer portal Three biggest gets for Oregon in the transfer portal AUTZENZOO.COM With the No. 5 transfer portal class of 2024, according to 247Sports, head coach Dan Lanning has rebuilt his slightly depleted roster in the blink of an eye. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDuck Author Moderator No. 24 Share Posted January 25 Way-too-early record predictions for every Big Ten team in 2024 Based on the continued fluidity of rosters in the world of college football thanks to the churn of the transfer portal and the coaching carousel, it is still far too early to get a perfect read on who will be contending for a national championship at the end of the first inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff in 2024. It’s not too early to speculate, though. Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve offered our top-25 rankings predictions for 2024, as well as forecasting which 12 teams will make it into the CFP, and what the first expanded rankings of the Big Ten will look like for the Oregon Ducks. We wanted to take a second to expand a little bit on that last one. In 2024, the Big Ten is expected to be a premier conference, with several national title contenders at the top like Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan, and Penn State. While we’ve predicted what the power rankings should look like in the conference going into the season, we wanted to now take it a step further and flesh out the final records for each and every team. What are the toughest games, and which ones should be the easiest wins? Who will ultimately be bowl-eligible when all is said and done? Those are questions that we want to answer. Here is our record prediction for every team in the conference for the 2024 season, ordered by our preseason power rankings: Way-too-early record predictions for every Big Ten team in 2024 DUCKSWIRE.USATODAY.COM A way-too-early prediction of every Big Ten team’s record for the 2024 college football season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Joseph No. 25 Share Posted January 25 Will these Wolverines be poachable? https://athlonsports.com/college-football/michigan-football-nine-players-the-wolverines-must-keep-out-of-transfer-portal-jim-harbaugh-chargers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pennsylvania Duck Moderator No. 26 Share Posted January 25 The state of Oregon's TE room right now as the 2024 roster remains in flux It can be hard to keep up with everything given all the roster turnover that now takes place in December and January. Because of that, it feels like an opportune time to provide some insight into how each position group stacks up at the current moment. Over the next week and a half, I'll be providing a recap of what's taken place at each position and where things seem to be headed when spring football kicks off in a few short months. In order to do so, I'll be breaking down all the departures and additions that have taken place, and how the subsequent position battles might wind up when the dust settles this spring and fall. We continue this series today with at tight end. Like the upcoming stories, I've broken this story into four sections... The state of Oregon's TE room right now as the 2024 roster remains in flux 247SPORTS.COM Here's a rundown of Oregon's current tight end situation as the 2024 roster continues to take shape this offseason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDuck Author Moderator No. 27 Share Posted January 26 Oregon Ducks picked in several of ESPN's most impactful 2024 games Oregon Football: Ducks picked in several of ESPN’s top games of 2024 DUCKSWIRE.USATODAY.COM Heather Dinich of ESPN picked the 12 most impactful games of 2024, two of which will feature the Oregon Ducks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDuck Author Moderator No. 28 Share Posted January 26 The state of Oregon's OL room right now as the 2024 roster remains in flux Here's a rundown of Oregon's current tight end situation as the 2024 roster continues to take shape this offseason The state of Oregon's OL room right now as the 2024 roster remains in flux T.CO Here's a rundown of Oregon's current tight end situation as the 2024 roster continues to take shape this offseason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Joseph No. 29 Share Posted January 26 On 1/25/2024 at 1:15 PM, NJDuck said: Way-too-early record predictions for every Big Ten team in 2024 Based on the continued fluidity of rosters in the world of college football thanks to the churn of the transfer portal and the coaching carousel, it is still far too early to get a perfect read on who will be contending for a national championship at the end of the first inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff in 2024. It’s not too early to speculate, though. Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve offered our top-25 rankings predictions for 2024, as well as forecasting which 12 teams will make it into the CFP, and what the first expanded rankings of the Big Ten will look like for the Oregon Ducks. We wanted to take a second to expand a little bit on that last one. In 2024, the Big Ten is expected to be a premier conference, with several national title contenders at the top like Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan, and Penn State. While we’ve predicted what the power rankings should look like in the conference going into the season, we wanted to now take it a step further and flesh out the final records for each and every team. What are the toughest games, and which ones should be the easiest wins? Who will ultimately be bowl-eligible when all is said and done? Those are questions that we want to answer. Here is our record prediction for every team in the conference for the 2024 season, ordered by our preseason power rankings: Way-too-early record predictions for every Big Ten team in 2024 DUCKSWIRE.USATODAY.COM A way-too-early prediction of every Big Ten team’s record for the 2024 college football season. Where to begin? No. 13. Northwestern plays 12 games and will not finish 5-5. I think Zack meant 6-6. No. 12. Maryland will not finish 5-7 and will go bowling. No. 9. Michigan State makes a bowl in year one of the J Smith era? I think he has Sparty rated too high. No. 8. UW - I think UW will win at least 7 games and more likely finish 8-4. Will Rogers will not be Penix but he will be an adequate replacement and Fisch (OC at MI in Harbaugh's 1st season) can coach. Winning a game in SEA is not that easy. OK, Wisconsin, for some unknown reason, finishes 9-3/7-2 and is ticketed for a No. 7 finish behind a No. 6 Iowa and No. 8. USC, both predicted to go 8-4 but with Iowa going 5-4 in the conference and USC going 7-2 in the conference. This guy has a strange set of tie-breakers. No. 2. Oregon - Zack still has Hawaii on the schedule and the Ducks going 12-1. He has Ohio State going 12-0. With no Hawaii on the schedule and with the Buckeyes traveling to Autzen, this cannot happen. I think his conference predictions are as credible as Zack having both Arizona and Utah in the 12-team PO field. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDuck Author Moderator No. 30 Share Posted January 28 Breaking down Oregon's new-look secondary ahead of the 2024 season Breaking down Oregon’s new-look secondary ahead of the 2024 season DUCKSWIRE.USATODAY.COM A deep dive into the Oregon Ducks secondary entering the 2024 season, which features several new faces ready to have an instant-impact. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDuck Author Moderator No. 31 Share Posted January 29 The state of Oregon's DL room right now as the 2024 roster remains in flux Here's a rundown of Oregon's current defensive line situation as the 2024 roster continues to take shape this offseason The state of Oregon's DL room right now as the 2024 roster remains in flux 247SPORTS.COM Here's a rundown of Oregon's current defensive line situation as the 2024 roster continues to take shape this offseason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pennsylvania Duck Moderator No. 32 Share Posted January 30 Dan Lanning breaks down recruiting philosophy, how to find difference-makers So what separates the really great players from simply the good players? That’s where an eye for character makeup comes into play, rather than just an eye for talent. “Every guy who steps into our program is really talented,” Lanning said. “They were all the best player on their high school team. Every one of them was really good, and the separating factor is the things I talked about with Bo Nix. It’s the heart, it’s the chip on their shoulder. It’s what’s going to make them work a little bit harder than the guys that are around them. And that’s the part that I think you have to identify in recruiting to say ‘Okay, this guy’s got a chance.” So far, it appears that Lanning has been very successful when identifying the players who have that extra chip on their shoulders. We will watch to see how that continues going into the future while the Ducks continue to pull in highly talented players from both the high school ranks and the transfer portal... Oregon Recruiting: Dan Lanning breaks down recruiting philosophy DUCKSWIRE.USATODAY.COM Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning breaks down his recruiting philosophy, and how he tries to separate the good from the great. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDuck Author Moderator No. 33 Share Posted January 30 Dan Lanning: 'I think we can make Oregon the best job in college football' Dan Lanning: ‘We can make Oregon the best job in college football’ DUCKSWIRE.USATODAY.COM Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning explains why he thinks he has the best job in all of college football. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDuck Author Moderator No. 34 Share Posted January 30 Stewart Mandel’s too-early college football Top 25 revised: Upheaval creates 2024 rankings shake-up Never in all my years writing way-too-early Top 25s was there ever so much January upheaval. Three of the four College Football Playoff teams — Alabama (Nick Saban), Washington (Kalen DeBoer) and Michigan (Jim Harbaugh) — lost their coaches, the first two unleashing an onslaught of transfers that benefited fellow contenders like Ohio State and Texas. Version 2.0 consists of an obvious top four, followed by a whole bunch of teams people will invariably say are overrated. And poor Washington fell out altogether I'm only showing his top 10 in case someone can't read the article. It seems when he revised his top 25 he moved Ohio St. and Texas ahead of Oregon. 1. Georgia (Previous: 1) No notable changes to report in Athens, besides Kirby Smart plucking new co-defensive coordinator Travaris Robinson from Alabama. The Dawgs, 42-2 over the past three seasons, return a wealth of experience on defense, led by LB Smael Mondon Jr. and S Malaki Starks. Florida transfer Trevor Etienne should be the new go-to running back, and QB Carson Beck gets new targets in Miami WR Colbie Young and Vanderbilt WR London Humphreys. 2. Ohio State (Previous: 4) Since Michigan’s national title, Ohio State has been on an apparent NIL spending spree. Nearly every major Buckeyes underclass draft prospect — RB TreVeyon Henderson, WR Emeka Egbuka, CB Denzel Burke and DEs JT Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer — announced their returns. Meanwhile, Ryan Day has added Kansas State QB Will Howard, Ole Miss RB Quinshon Judkins, Alabama OL Seth McLaughlin and, most stunningly, Alabama S Caleb Downs, named first-team All-SEC as a freshman. 3. Texas (Previous: 5) After QB Quinn Ewers opted to stay, Steve Sarkisian added Oregon State WR Silas Bolden and both Alabama WR Isaiah Bond and TE Amari Niblack to fill the void left by Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell and Ja’Tavion Sanders. He’d previously landed Houston WR Matthew Golden. Texas will be experienced up front on offense and throughout its defense, which added stud UTSA pass rusher Trey Moore (14 sacks last season) and Clemson S Andrew Mukuba (31 starts). 4. Oregon (Previous: 3) Dan Lanning made several big portal adds in December, most notably Oklahoma QB Dillon Gabriel, and has since landed coveted Texas A&M WR Evan Stewart, Duke DB Brandon Johnson and Washington CB Jabbar Muhammad. Stewart joins WRs Tez Johnson and Traeshon Holden and TE Terrance Ferguson, to go with returning RB Jordan James and Division II All-America RB Jay Harris. Houston DL Jamaree Caldwell (second-team All-Big 12) joins DE Jordan Burch and LB Jeffrey Bassa. 5. Ole Miss (Previous: eighth) The Rebels were already returning QB Jaxson Dart, WRs Tre Harris and Jordan Watkins and TE Caden Prieskorn. Then Lane Kiffin spent December raking in established SEC defensive transfers like Texas A&M DE Walter Nolen. After star RB Judkins defected, he picked up LSU’s (formerly Notre Dame’s) Logan Diggs. And then he recently landed LG Nate Kalepo and RG Julius Buelow from Washington’s Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line, moving Ole Miss to No. 1 in 247Sports’ portal rankings. 6. Michigan (Previous: 6) A drop-off is likely unavoidable in Sherrone Moore’s first season with all the talent Michigan has lost, notably QB J.J. McCarthy, RB Blake Corum and nearly the entire O-line. But RB Donovan Edwards put off the NFL, TE Colston Loveland returns and young WRs Semaj Morgan and Tyler Morriswill have bigger roles. DTs Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, pass rushers Josaiah Stewart and Derrick Moore, CB Will Johnson and S Rod Moore should anchor another strong defense, but QB is a big question mark. 7. Notre Dame (Previous: 9) Marcus Freeman boosted his offense by hiring away LSU OC Mike Denbrock and landing Duke QB Riley Leonard and adding three quality receivers, including Florida International’s Kris Mitchell (1,118 yards). He also brought in Northwestern CB Rod Heard II (85 tackles last season) to team with standout CB Benjamin Morrison, All-America S Xavier Watts and Arizona State S Jordan Clark. DTs Howard Cross III and Rylie Mills return up front. 8. Alabama (Previous: 2) It’s hard to say where the first post-Saban Alabama team should be ranked, especially after losing key players like Downs, Bond, T Kadyn Proctor (Iowa) and RB Roydell Williams (Florida State). But the Tide still bring back QB Jalen Milroe, RB Justice Haynes, LBs Deontae Lawson and Jihaad Campbelland DB Malachi Moore, with a whole bunch of blue-chippers in the next wave. They can still be a CFP contender. 9. Utah (Previous: 11) Amid all the turmoil and inexperience elsewhere, the Utes stand out with their two-decade head coach (Kyle Whittingham), seventh-year QB (Cam Rising) and tight end (Brant Kuithe), plus veterans like RB Micah Bernard, LBs Levani Damuni and Karene Reid and CB Zemaiah Vaughn. Meanwhile, Utah has added former Arizona/USC WR Dorian Singer, UCLA TE Carsen Ryan and veteran Stanford S Alaka’i Gilman. 10. Oklahoma State (Previous: 12) Doak Walker Award-winning RB Ollie Gordon II will carry the load for the Cowboys once again, but Mike Gundy also added Arkansas’ AJ Green as a potential complement. QB Alan Bowman and WRs Brennan Presley and Rashod Owens all return, and Ohio transfer Tyler Foster fills a need at tight end. But bumping Oklahoma State into the top 10 comes with an acknowledgement that its defense will need to be more consistent. Upheaval in CFB creates 2024 rankings shake-up: Stewart Mandel's too-early Top 25 2.0 T.CO An onslaught of transfers benefited contenders like Ohio State and Texas. Poor Washington fell out altogether. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Joseph No. 35 Share Posted January 30 (edited) Have you seen Stewart Mandel at work? Of all of the 'experts' over the years Stewart has often been the most in error with his preseason rankings. 1. UGA - Roster-wise? Yes. But the 6th most difficult schedule in the SEC with games at Bama, Ole Miss, and TX and OOC games vs Clemson and an improved Georgia Tech. 2. Ohio State. This appears to be the consensus but is Howard a step up at QB from McCord? 2 terrific RBs but someone has to block for these guys. The center from Bama is the guy who kept rolling ground balls in the Rose Bowl. But the OPPS - Ohio State Playoff Protection Schedule does help the cause as does playing 3 lightweights OOC, Harbaugh heading to the NFL, and Michigan playing in Columbus. Based on the schedule, I think there is a good case for tOSU to be No. 1. 3. Texas - 14th easiest schedule in the SEC. No Bama, no Ole Miss, no Mizzou, UGA in Autzen, Ewers vs an RS frosh at QB in the RR Rivalry game. The trip to Ann Arbor was made easier by Michigan's wholesale losses on O and Harbaugh leaving town. 8 conference games means 3 OOC cupcakes. I think a very good argument can be made for Texas to be ranked above Georgia. I do not think the UGA roster will be all that much better than the TX roster. 4. Oregon - This is fine. The Ducks would either get the first-round bye if they came in ahead of OH ST or host the G5 team in a 1st round game in Autzen. But was OH St's portal picking better than OR's? At the most critical position, QB, the Ducks scored the better player. 5. Ole Miss - SEC SOS = 13. No Bama. No TX. UGA and OK trip to Oxford. A 4-0 OOC slate. No. 1 ranked in portal pickings. with an experienced QB back. The toughest away game is at LSU, a team Ole Miss defeated in a shootout in 2023 with the Heisman winner playing QB for Ole Miss. The schedules favor both TX and Ole Miss over UGA in 2024. 6. Michigan? Texas, USC, Oregon, and UW and tOSU away. Ranking Michigan in 2024 is a shot in the dark. 7. Notre Dame - The schedule lightens up but Marcus Freeman? 8. Bama - 4th hardest SEC SOS but all the tougher games, save OK, are at home. Saban is gone but one heck of a roster is left and a very good QB returns. 9. OK St/ 10. Utah? 2 B12 teams in the top 10? Huh? Utah trips to OK St. and will Rising stay healthy? The team I believe will win the B12, K St, is not in Stewart's top 25. And 11. Louisville over Clemson and FSU? Louis trips to Clemson and Notre Dame. Louisville does not beat Kentucky. Unlike last season when Louis had 8 home games in 2024, Louis has 6. Always fun to look at these forecasts but Stewart's reasoning behind these picks especially when looking at the schedules, is not all that logical. Edited January 30 by Jon Joseph 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDuck Author Moderator No. 36 Share Posted January 30 The state of Oregon's OLB/EDGE room right now as the 2024 roster remains in flux Here's a rundown of Oregon's current defensive line situation as the 2024 roster continues to take shape this offseason The state of Oregon's OLB/EDGE room right now as the 2024 roster remains in flux 247SPORTS.COM Here's a rundown of Oregon's current defensive line situation as the 2024 roster continues to take shape this offseason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDuck Author Moderator No. 37 Share Posted January 30 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDuck Author Moderator No. 38 Share Posted January 31 Ducks see movement in updated 2024 Top 25 rankings from The Athletic Ducks see movement in updated 2024 Top 25 rankings from The Athletic DUCKSWIRE.USATODAY.COM The Oregon Ducks saw a bit of movement in the latest updated version of the 2024 Top 25 rankings from The Athletic. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JabbaNoBargain No. 39 Share Posted January 31 On 1/30/2024 at 2:41 PM, NJDuck said: Agree that’s great for us if true, as it’s nonsense. Another DL add would be nice, but “major need”? Drama mama. What’s funny is how arbitrary the teams on this list are and who isn’t on there. ND? Michigan? Texas? No needs? Other thing that cracked me up a bit, “meet their 2024 goals”. What’s the goal of FSU, shooting for undefeated again? Oklahoma, PSU, and LSU? Are they contenders? Goals to do what, win 9 games? I mean Oregon State thinks they can go undefeated as a goal, why not put them up there? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDuck Author Moderator No. 40 Share Posted January 31 The state of Oregon's LB room right now as the 2024 roster remains in flux Here's a rundown of Oregon's current LB room as the 2024 roster continues to take shape this offseason The state of Oregon's LB room right now as the 2024 roster remains in flux 247SPORTS.COM Here's a rundown of Oregon's current LB room as the 2024 roster continues to take shape this offseason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDuck Author Moderator No. 41 Share Posted January 31 Oregon football safety Kobe Savage ‘faster than any safety I’ve seen,’ former Kansas State teammate says Oregon safety Kobe Savage ‘faster than any safety I’ve seen,’ former Kansas State teammate says WWW.OREGONLIVE.COM Kobe Savage had plenty of run-ins with Ben Sinnott while at Kansas State. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDuck Author Moderator No. 42 Share Posted February 1 Football: Offensive Developmental Player Film Review Reviewing the 2023 game film of the Ducks’ potential future playmakers Football: Offensive Developmental Player Film Review WWW.ADDICTEDTOQUACK.COM Reviewing the 2023 game film of the Ducks’ potential future playmakers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDuck Author Moderator No. 43 Share Posted February 1 Former Texas A&M teammate expects ‘one of a kind’ Evan Stewart to score a lot of touchdowns at Oregon Former Texas A&M teammate expects ‘one of a kind’ Evan Stewart to score a lot of touchdowns at Oregon WWW.OREGONLIVE.COM Evan Stewart had 38 catches for 514 yards and four touchdowns in eight games last season for Texas A&M 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDuck Author Moderator No. 44 Share Posted February 1 The state of Oregon's CB room right now as the 2024 roster remains in flux Here's a rundown of Oregon's current CB room as the 2024 roster continues to take shape this offseason The state of Oregon's CB room right now as the 2024 roster remains in flux 247SPORTS.COM Here's a rundown of Oregon's current CB room as the 2024 roster continues to take shape this offseason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDuck Author Moderator No. 45 Share Posted February 2 The state of Oregon's safety room right now as the 2024 roster remains in flux Here's a rundown of Oregon's current safety situation as the 2024 roster continues to take shape this offseason The state of Oregon's safety room right now as the 2024 roster remains in flux 247SPORTS.COM Here's a rundown of Oregon's current safety situation as the 2024 roster continues to take shape this offseason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDuck Author Moderator No. 46 Share Posted February 5 All about the Illinois Fighting Illini: An Oregon Ducks fan guide to the Big Ten Conference Twin cities tucked in the center of the state, where stories of football greats, film critics, and science fiction villains began. A football and basketball program seeking to keep up with their regional rivals. One of the largest student bodies in the U.S. flocking in from around the world. The University of Illinois is one of the original seven members of the Big Ten Conference, with an athletic history dating back to the 19th century. While many of its competitors in the conference steadily stacked up trophies over a century-plus, Illinois hasn’t won a team national championship in a major sport since 1951. As the Oregon Ducks prepare for a move to the Big Ten in 2024, The Oregonian/OregonLive is taking a look at all of their newest conference rivals. While Ducks fans might be deeply familiar with fellow Pac-12 departees Washington, USC and UCLA, they have 14 new teams to get to know this year. We begin with the Illinois Fighting Illini. All about the Illinois Fighting Illini: An Oregon Ducks fan guide to the Big Ten Conference WWW.OREGONLIVE.COM The Ducks will join the Big Ten this fall, a conference with a rich history across multiple sports. The Oregonian/OregonLive is taking a look at each of Oregon's newest rival schools, beginning with... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDuck Author Moderator No. 47 Share Posted February 5 National Signing Day 2024: Every Big Ten football team's most impactful recruit, transfer The Big Ten is full of impact recruits and transfers this cycle. National Signing Day 2024: Every Big Ten football team's most impactful recruit, transfer 247SPORTS.COM The Big Ten is full of impact recruits and transfers this cycle. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDuck Author Moderator No. 48 Share Posted February 6 Oregon's 2023 offensive starters: Who's leaving, who's returning? Oregon's 2024 football roster isn't finalized yet, but we do know already which players from last year's team won't be on the upcoming roster. Here is a rundown. Oregon's 2023 offensive starters: Who's leaving, who's returning? 247SPORTS.COM Oregon's 2024 football roster isn't finalized yet, but we do know already which players from last year's team won't be on the upcoming roster. Here is a rundown. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDuck Author Moderator No. 49 Share Posted February 6 Ducks among top-30 teams with most returning production for 2024 college football season Despite losing multiple starters on offense, the Ducks are still among the best teams in the nation for returning production. As the first transfer portal window has essentially come to a close, as players can now only commit to programs, it's now much easier to figure out what the rosters will look like going into the 2024 season. Still, the transfer portal window in the spring will have something to say in a few months, but teams are currently rooted with a majority of their roster. Because of that, Bill Connelly of ESPN released the top returning production in college football from all 134 FBS schools. On the list, teams returned as high as 86-percent (Virginia Tech) and as low as 25-percent (Air Force) of their production. Oregon found itself towards the upper half of its returning production, sitting at No. 28 overall by returning 69 percent of its output from a season ago. According to Connelly's explanation, the Ducks return 68 percent of their offensive production while returning 70 percent of their defensive production. The offensive return rate puts them at No. 45 overall, and the defensive return rate puts them at No. 27 overall. Ducks among top-30 teams with most returning production for 2024 college football season 247SPORTS.COM Despite losing multiple starters on offense, the Ducks are still among the best teams in the nation for returning production. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
