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Contender or Pretender: Are the Oregon Ducks as Good as we Think?

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Back in February, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning hinted at what’s to come.

 

“We gotta go play games and see how we play as a team, but we have a lot of talent on this roster,” Lanning said on the Ducks’ National Signing Day show.  “It is the most talented roster I’ve had since we’ve been here.”

 

Lanning talks about the splash plays often.  Takeaways and chuck plays win ball games.  Oregon can hit home runs all day long with its offense.  Can it do the same with its defense?  Does it have enough beyond the initial stating 11 to impact the game by generating havoc plays?

 

Verdict: Contender

 

WWW.SATURDAYDOWNSOUTH.COM

Can Oregon contend for a national championship in Year 3 under Dan Lanning?

 

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Yes.

 

giphy.gif

 

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Mr. FishDuck

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I think so, but can I let you know for sure in December?

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From the article....

 

"Oregon was excellent last season. It was a couple of corners short of being a College Football Playoff team."

 

Finally, somebody gets it.

 

UW scores early_Tom Corno.jpg

 

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Mr. FishDuck

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The 2024 Ducks are definitely contenders for the BIG title and a CFP spot. As long as thry are no worse than 10-2 or 11-2.

 

This team is loaded with experienced talent and depth. It all boils down to execution, coupled with some luck.

 

Go Ducks....

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On 6/18/2024 at 8:46 PM, Charles Fischer said:

It was a couple of corners short of being a College Football Playoff team."

Or a Penix away.  He saved his best for us.

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A couple of corners and a kicker.

 

I think Lanning was making decisions based off Lewis' ability.

 

In 2022 it was clear that Lanning didn't want Lewis kicking anything too long which is why in the longer end of field goal range the Ducks were going for it on 4th as it was also punting no-man's land.

 

In 2023 Lewis' kicking was awful. 2022 was actually pretty good for Lewis but not so in 2023.

 

Lanning may have solved the kicking problem bringing Sappington in from Oregon State.

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I'd certainly hope that this roster will seriously contend this year and see no obvious shortcomings to prevent it. Let's hope that Lanning can impress the need to keep laser focused on weekly goals and prevent the players from dreaming too much on what could happen weeks down the road. It is not always easy to do, but I hope the players can resist the bait that Nick Saban calls "rat poison"--that is, swallowing the stories that tell them how damn good they are in favor of going out and demonstrating that fact each and every week.

 

Just my $.02 worth on this topic.

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On 6/19/2024 at 1:21 AM, Nevada Dawg said:

I'd certainly hope that this roster will seriously contend this year and see no obvious shortcomings to prevent it. Let's hope that Lanning can impress the need to keep laser focused on weekly goals and prevent the players from dreaming too much on what could happen weeks down the road. It is not always easy to do, but I hope the players can resist the bait that Nick Saban calls "rat poison"--that is, swallowing the stories that tell them how damn good they are in favor of going out and demonstrating that fact each and every week.

 

Just my $.02 worth on this topic.

Yeah, Oregon is definitely not a pretender.  Having a strong football program isn’t new for the Ducks, but I do think they are taking the next step under Lanning.  The exposure they will gain from joining the B1G will likely help on most fronts as well.  
 

One thing I find impressive is that they are beginning to recruit very well from high school and from the portal.  I don’t mean this in a condescending way at all, Oregon has recruited well in the past, but doing it at the level they are currently is very impressive in the state of Oregon.  For example, the Ducks don’t have the ridiculous amount of talent so close to them like southern schools do.  
 

But I do agree, with this success so comes the so called “rat poison”.  It can certainly be a real thing that can have negative effects.  Hopefully the Ducks don’t experience any negative issues with this.  I’ve faith that this is not something that Lanning will overlook.

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Avoiding the "rat poison" is part of Lanning & co. job in selecting quality of character, not just great athletes. 

 

So far they seem to be doing excellent in this area.

 

I see the potential for earning $$ as potentially taking the "hunger" edge from players, especially if they are believing all their news clippings. 

 

But having such a deep roster leads to that competition for playing time and helps keep the edge.

 

67% blue-chip roster.

We're gaining on those blue-blood programs every year.

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On the Saturday Down South site, a Florida fan whose team was not bowl-eligible in 2023, commented on the Oregon Contender article, that there is always a touted West Coast team that flames out. 

 

I guess he believes the Washington campus is in the District of Columbia. 😁

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Will Champion Cowboys visit Autzen in 2025?

 

SATURDAYBLITZ.COM

Oklahoma State, Arizona, and Iowa are three teams that could find their way into the expanded College Football Playoff field.

 

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Josh Pate On Oregon Entering Big Ten (Late Kick Cut)

 

Oregon and Dan Lanning are entering a whole new world as the Ducks prepare for life in the Big Ten, and on Late Kick Live Ep 523 Josh Pate responded to a viewer question about how equipped they may or may not be for the style of play they'll experience in 2024 and beyond.

 

 

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Posted (edited)

Jeffrey Bassa! He's our Man!

 

WWW.CBSSPORTS.COM

These under-the-radar players have a chance to make an impact at the next level

 

BTW, CBS, the S no longer stands for SEC. A Six-Pack of SEC teams in the CBS mock Playoff - UGA, TX, Bama, Ole Miss, Mizzou, and LSU. TX, Bama, and Ole Miss host 1st round games.

 

In the Sugar Bowl, UGA plays the winner of 9 Penn State at 8 Missouri.

 

In the Rose Bowl, Ohio State plays the winner of 10 LSU at 7 Bama.

 

Fiesta Bowl - 4. Utah plays the rematch winner of 11 Michigan at 6 Texas

 

Peach Bowl -  4. Clemson vs 5 seed OBD vs 12. G5. 

 

It's a 90-minute drive from Clemson, SC to Atlanta.  Clemson ranked 14 by CBS would be the 3 seed, and have a 1st-round bye and the shortest distance to travel to the 2nd-round game. 

 

Hell of a format.

 

 

Edited by Jon Joseph
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