Ktmguy2018 No. 1 Share Posted December 8, 2023 (edited) I have mixed feelings about this time of year in college football. The Transfer Portal opening brings a sense of excitement, waiting to hear who may elect to join OBD. But, this time of year also brings a lot of false or erroneous reports (Cam Ward has transferred to the Ducks). It seems like folks in the media are trying to be the one to break the big news and jump the gun. Already a few days in and I am experiencing TPF: Transfer Portal Fatigue. Unfortunately, this is a lifelong affliction with no known cure for those of us who are college football fans. Treatment involves cessation of perusing college football news, immersing oneself in other activities, and watching water polo. I can't bring myself to have the fortitude to adhere to such a stringent regiment so I am a chronic case. If there is anyone out there who would like to support my battle, I can send you the link to my GoFundMe page. I know that there are others on this forum who are silently fighting this same battle. (P.S. I don't ACTUALLY have a GoFundMe so please, NOBODY try to send anything) Edited December 8, 2023 by Ktmguy2018 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drake Moderator No. 2 Share Posted December 8, 2023 For me, Ignorance is bliss. For starters,I don’t know most of these players anyways. While it is nice to hear the Ducks are in the mix for top talent at a position, many players will want to name top programs of interest to try to create a bidding war. Therefore, the stated interest in a program could be just an illusion. I don’t get too excited until they actually accept an offer. 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GODUCKS15 No. 3 Share Posted December 8, 2023 30 years in construction taught me one thing. Until my company had a job box on the job we didn't have it. Lots of got this job got that job, blah blah blah. I feel the same about portal player rumors. Until they sign then it's just click bait. Fun the read about though as it shows how far the Ducks have come. But most of the time it's 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fischer Administrator No. 4 Share Posted December 8, 2023 The good news about the Portal Transfer nonsense? Oregon is going to come out way ahead and win the majority of those battles! It part of recruiting…enjoy it! 1 1 1 3 Mr. FishDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haywarduck No. 5 Share Posted December 8, 2023 I love it, going after the known quantities is a wonderful venture. Much like the dating game in my younger days as compared to later years. When I was younger it was quite interesting being part of the dating game, and one never new what the next day would bring. This epitomizes the high school recruiting business. We think we have a 5*, then get two 5* and think our LB world is changed forever. Much like the much sought after multiple relationship situation, but it turns out it isn't all that great after all. The transfer game is much like dating later once you have a real job, and know what is important. You meet people you actually have things in common and enjoy a fuller life. In the transfer portal we know their work record, what they actually do with a real schedule. You can go after exactly what you need and know what you are getting. Much like the qb from Oklahoma as compared to a qb from back east who drops us. It might even be the same as going after a DT from A&M as compared to many of the ups and downs of recruiting the big guys. Although I will take a Ngata any day of the week over any transfer! We are part of the college recruiting process and that will mean taking chances on the stars. It also includes what is becoming a more measured exercise which I am happy to have found works for me too. I love knowing exactly what we need and finding someone who is ready to fit that need right away. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cartm25 No. 6 Share Posted December 8, 2023 On 12/8/2023 at 8:31 AM, Ktmguy2018 said: I have mixed feelings about this time of year in college football. The Transfer Portal opening brings a sense of excitement, waiting to hear who may elect to join OBD. But, this time of year also brings a lot of false or erroneous reports (Cam Ward has transferred to the Ducks). It seems like folks in the media are trying to be the one to break the big news and jump the gun. Already a few days in and I am experiencing TPF: Transfer Portal Fatigue. Unfortunately, this is a lifelong affliction with no known cure for those of us who are college football fans. Treatment involves cessation of perusing college football news, immersing oneself in other activities, and watching water polo. I can't bring myself to have the fortitude to adhere to such a stringent regiment so I am a chronic case. If there is anyone out there who would like to support my battle, I can send you the link to my GoFundMe page. I know that there are others on this forum who are silently fighting this same battle. (P.S. I don't ACTUALLY have a GoFundMe so please, NOBODY try to send anything) I have a love/hate relationship with the transfer portal. I love it because Dan Lanning has been great at finding value-added, experienced pieces to the Oregon team puzzle, so far. BUT, much like recruiting, I grow tired of the RUMORS that can betray our emotional highs in an instant (i.e., Seaton to Colorado). My love is only given to the transfer portal AFTER the dust has settled. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Joseph Moderator No. 7 Share Posted December 8, 2023 I'm all in on the portal news and activity. As important today in many respects as is recruiting. USC signs QB Howard, and UW signs QB Rogers, Ohio State signs Cam Ward, you know that I want OREGON to sign Gabriel and have him blow his horn in Eugene next season. 3 QBs contending for the Heisman tomorrow night. None of the 3 would have been in contention if they had not transferred and Oregon and UW would not be playing in NY 6 bowls (and making $ for the Pac-2?) 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cartm25 No. 8 Share Posted December 8, 2023 On 12/8/2023 at 10:56 AM, Jon Joseph said: USC signs QB Howard, and UW signs QB Rogers, Ohio State signs Cam Ward Sorry if I'm behind the times, but have these happened, or are they rumors? Cam Ward at tOSU will make them the instant favorite in B1G . . . IMO. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Joseph Moderator No. 9 Share Posted December 8, 2023 On 12/8/2023 at 1:03 PM, cartm25 said: Sorry if I'm behind the times, but have these happened, or are they rumors? Cam Ward at tOSU will make them the instant favorite in B1G . . . IMO. To date, all rumors. Lincoln Riley did pay a visit to Howard in Kansas. We know Gabriel is visiting Eugene but USC is also on his tail. Cam Ward to tOSU rumors are rampant; likely one of the reasons that McCord is in the portal. UW has been linked repeatedly to Rogers. OREGON, SC, and tOSU have the NIL money to pull the rumored moves off. Washington? Chip's buyout drops significantly in mid-December. If he is retained, who will UCLA bring in? Can UCLA afford top QB NIL money? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cartm25 No. 10 Share Posted December 8, 2023 On 12/8/2023 at 11:09 AM, Jon Joseph said: To date, all rumors. Lincoln Riley did pay a visit to Howard in Kansas. We know Gabriel is visiting Eugene but USC is also on his tail. Cam Ward to tOSU rumors are rampant; likely one of the reasons that McCord is in the portal. UW has been linked repeatedly to Rogers. OREGON, SC, and tOSU have the NIL money to pull the rumored moves off. Washington? Chip's buyout drops significantly in mid-December. If he is retained, who will UCLA bring in? Can UCLA afford top QB NIL money? Would be a bit demoralizing if Cam Ward ends up at tOSU; no team I dislike more than them. I think Ward and tOSU would flourish with Ward at the helm. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
2002duck No. 11 Share Posted December 8, 2023 (edited) On 12/8/2023 at 10:03 AM, cartm25 said: Cam Ward at tOSU will make them the instant favorite in B1G . . . IMO. Personally, if Gabriel wasn't in play for Oregon, I'd be a bit upset if the best we could get was Ward. Edited December 8, 2023 by 2002duck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mic No. 12 Share Posted December 8, 2023 I'm trying to ignore them as much as possible. The TP is one of the MAJOR things wrong with the direction the NCAA collegiate sport is headed. It's not going to get any better going forward. Collegiate amateurism is dying on the vine and almost no one seems to care. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDuck No. 13 Share Posted December 8, 2023 Well, as an Oregon fan, I would rather be part of the rumor mill for transfers, or "6 teams I'm considering" for recruits, than the alternative. That being said, other programs are not just going to genuflect when Oregon, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, etc. are mentioned. They are going to keep recruiting right up to signing day with their own energy and showcasing their own staffs and assets. Aside, from perhaps Alabama, no program can tap a kid on the shoulder and be guaranteed getting him. Even Alabama has a kid flip from time to time. So, as fans, we need to recognize our favorite program is not going to get all the high profile guys mentioned. There IS competition out there. As a result, I try not to get either super high or low when results come in. Kids are kids. Different things motivate them in making final decisions from geography to coaches to uniforms to.... and even they follow the rumors of whom they might have to compete with for a starting role. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solar No. 14 Share Posted December 9, 2023 Here is my annual joke regarding the transfer portal: OMG! EVERYONE IS LEAVING AND NOBODY IS SIGNING UP! Is it time to panic? - Signed every college teams' fan Just gotta trust the process to play out in our favor like it has in the past with DL. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Joseph Moderator No. 15 Share Posted December 9, 2023 The past, present, and future walk into a bar. It was tense. Man, things have changed and changed in a hurry. Give Reggie his Heisman back. And give Lincoln more bad pennies. You too Carol! 2 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
idontrollonshobbas No. 16 Share Posted December 9, 2023 I feel similarly about recruiting and the portal......I get excited about a player when he laces up cleats and steps on the field as a Duck. I have had my fill of 5 star recruits who never play a down and never grow tired of the 3 star kid that develops into a regular contributor. Sure I follow the drama of the offseason because I love OBD, but I don't lose sleep over the roster churn and trust the staff. The older I get the more I just enjoy the journey, the ups and the downs, and realize how precious each season is. Besides, what else a I going to obsess about? Politics, pop culture, AI.....no thanks. 1 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nevada Dawg No. 17 Share Posted December 9, 2023 The portal is a strange beast. Thus far, Georgia has always lost more guys than they add. The players they lose are mostly (but not always) guys that have been around for at least two years and don't see themselves as starters in the year to come. As they are typically talented football players, they understandably wish to see the field before their careers expire, and the Georgia coaching staff often assists them in finding placements suitable for their talents. The fewer guys who are taken in the portal are known commodities that fill gaps in the Dawgs roster for the year to come, and sometimes for longer. Most Georgia fans approve this limited use of the portal. Some call Georgia's approach a strategy for culling the roster to make scholarship room for all the incoming recruits from high school or elsewhere. Recognizing that everyone "culls" to some extent, this is the new normal in college football. At Georgia, scholarships are not dropped just because a player has not made much of a contribution so far. And, in fact, non scholarship players still get combine NIL stipends that pretty much pay all their expenses. But the bottom line is that most players opt to transfer if they feel their talents are not able to show through where they are enrolled. I may be rambling too much here, and if so, I apologize. But I see the post-season portal activities as a process that I am very much interested in, even though we occasionally lose a guy (e.g., receiver A D Mitchell to Texas last year) who made two of the most critical post season receptions in Georgia history that propelled the Dawgs to the 21 and 22 Nattys, and who played a major role in getting the Horns into the playoffs. I understand this transfer as A D is a Texas boy who had family considerations in Texas and so, Dawgs fans were OK with this BIG portal loss. 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyToBeADuck No. 18 Share Posted December 10, 2023 Really am enjoying the breadth of comments on this topic. This fabulous forum has such depth within the community. For this old Duck, well I really appreciate and enjoy the Transfer Portal. It offers DL and his staff the opportunity to fill immediate needs with seasoned, experienced veterans. Many will disagree with me on this thought but the the 2022 Ducks may not have gone 10-3 without Bo arriving thru the TP. Not with the 2022 version of TT! Just one player can be the difference between 10-3 and 8-5. Do any of you feel the 2023 team would be staring down a 12 win season without Bo, his brother and key O lineman via the portal? Not to mentioned the freaks and depth added on the Duck D via the TP.... I will take and enjoy every TP rumor that flows thru the OBDF. The TP opportunity offers DL and staff the opportunity 2 times a year to fill needs. WOW! Just travel back a few years ago and consider this.......2 years after the 2014 Natty loss the Ducks went 4-8. Why? MH didn't hit the recruiting trail. Talented players on the roster matter. Slick recruited on the fly and of course, MC brought the talent. The Ducks were back contending, playing on New Years but could not make the CFP. Under DL and staff the TP has elevated the Ducks to a CFP contender. The entire 2023 season the Ducks were in the CFP mix until the end of the PAC Title game. I just dont see that happening without the TP, rumors and all. 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fischer Administrator No. 19 Share Posted December 10, 2023 On 12/10/2023 at 7:47 AM, HappyToBeADuck said: I will take and enjoy every TP rumor that flows thru the OBDF. Amen Duck-Brother. To me, this is just part of the overall entertainment of watching Our Beloved Ducks, and already--we have had some thrilling news. As we know--each position is recruited four and five deep, thus for those who are not playing or have been passed on the depth chart--while it is a shame to see them leave--it is part of the new process. Dano will recruit tons at every position to find out who is best, develop the others as best as possible, and then let those transfer who wish to. Elements of it are certainly distasteful, but it is the new CFB, and I intend to extract as much joy and amusement as I can from it all. We have a very good transfer portal season coming up, and we just received the most important news at the beginning of it! 1 1 2 Mr. FishDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MicroBurst61 No. 20 Share Posted December 11, 2023 Ok...showing my age butt.....I remember the "good ole' days of transfers being a rarity (who had to sit out a year that counted towards their eligibility); and the highlight of "program building" was "faxed" letters of intents on signing day (there's the "old"). Back then, the buildup towards that day was palatable and listened to the local sports radio as they announced each commit over the course of the day was an event, I for one, looked forward to. But, just like so much in college athletics, those days are gone. In fact I don't bother getting to know our next year's roster until after the spring game when the second TP closes. Then I can start to appreciate, and mourn, the players moving in and out of OBD program. Not saying I hate it but definitely don't love it. So it is what it is and the people we have supporting and growing our athletic department have done a masterful job of positioning OREGON to succeed, now and into the future, in this new college football paradigm. It's not old school but they are succeeding with everything the new school has to offer. So I strap myself in and enjoy the level of competition, in most college athletics, that OBD provide each and every year. GO DUCKS! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...