Charles Fischer Administrator No. 1 Share Posted April 29 For those who watched the beginning of the Oregon Spring Game telecast, the interview with Nick Aliotti was quite interesting. Keep in mind that he was our Defensive Coordinator for 15 years, and ran things through our glory years and the 2010 Natty appearance. He recruited the Buckners and the Armsteads to Oregon, and since then as a Pac-12 Analyst--he has a close eye on the Ducks and has inside access that few do. He told us that "this is the biggest Oregon team I've ever seen." These are powerful words, as he was not just mentioning the starters, but the depth stacked up behind them in the trenches, as well as the height and length of the wide receivers and defensive backs. This took me back hearing this, as this was not an idle comment and he knew he was being listened to by thousands. What we are feeling is being confirmed; Lanning is creating something never seen at Oregon. If not a 'Natty, then we are headed to a perpetual presence in the elite of college football, although I would like to think the final prize is within Dan's reach. Did I read too much into that, or are my Green-Colored Bifocals trying to look too deep? 2 1 2 Mr. FishDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solar No. 2 Share Posted April 29 I'm pretty confident he is right. Hard to see on a TV screen when everyone is bigger. Bigger than what else, the down markers on the sidelines? Funny to read comments on YouTube saying "Oregon looks small, and will need to be a finesse team." Big 10 narrative eaters that haven't been pay attention for the last decade viewing things through a biased lense. Seems pretty prevalent. It's gonna be fun welcoming those B1G fans to Oregon when we destroy their favorite team at the LOS. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Marsh No. 3 Share Posted April 29 The depth right now and the size at Oregon is just bonkers. This is a team that is ready to take a big step this year. Last year we ran out of depth at corner and that cost us two games and those were two games we needed. Lanning is working hard to ensure that doesn't happen again. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drake Moderator No. 4 Share Posted April 29 The entire game is getting bigger. I can remember in the mid 80’s when announcers were amazed at the size of Refrigerator Perry at 325 lbs. Today, that seems normal. When I see that we have a commitment from a high school OL/DL that is under 280 lbs, I think that they probably have to hit the weight room and nutrition program for a few years before they can play. However, I agree, the Ducks currently have size and strength that seems unprecedented. . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Joseph Moderator No. 5 Share Posted April 29 On 4/29/2024 at 5:42 PM, Drake said: The entire game is getting bigger. I can remember in the mid 80’s when announcers were amazed at the size of Refrigerator Perry at 325 lbs. Today, that seems normal. When I see that we have a commitment from a high school OL/DL that is under 280 lbs, I think that they probably have to hit the weight room and nutrition program for a few years before they can play. However, I agree, the Ducks currently have size and strength that seems unprecedented. . In 1971, the year Plunkett won the Heisman, my friend, John Sande, started in the Rose Bowl for Pac-8 champion Stanford, weighing in at 215 pounds. John was named the center on the Rose Bowl 1970s all-decade team. Plunkett and WR Randy 'The Rabbit' Vataha were drafted by the Boston Patriots. John joined them in the Boston area at Harvard Law School. Stanford upset Ohio State, 27-17, and John out-played the 'behemoth' Ohio State nose tackle Jim Stillwagon who weighed in at an unheard of 240 pounds. Players today are bigger, stronger, faster, and wealthier. 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
