What Will It Take To Make The Next Big Step?

[Haywarduck]

Two ways a team can lean overconfidence or the imposters syndrome. Well the team needs to start asking themselves if they are imposters and push the effort button a little harder.

 

It seems like most think the next level recruiting and transfers will help us make the jump. I agree, but maybe Lanning needs something else?

 

There has been much talk about derecruiting players. You tear them down so they can prove themselves all over again.

 

Urban Meyer came up with the black stripe coming off for the freshman players, brilliant. Players had to earn the stripe coming off, and it is a tradition which continues today.

 

Maybe we need something like that, for after the first game. Which players earned the membership of the 2024 Oregon Football team? Testing and giving feedback is an incredible motivator. Public notification of making the grade is an even stronger incentive.

 

It might seem like gimmicks don't work, but maybe Lanning needs something new to inspire that next big step. What could it be?

[30Duck]

It's hard for me to remember a first game where everything that is said about first games came true. Oregon did seem pretty vanilla, probably didn't take Idaho seriously and really did escape a huge loss. Now all they have to do is beat a much better Boise State team, who will be full of confidence. This is a step in coaching that Lanning wasn't expecting'

 

He better not trip.

 

Lanning can't go ballistic on the team, they have to play with confidence and be in the No think, just do, mode. Big improvement is expected in week 2, the Ducks will be at home and need to take control of the game early. It was great that against Idaho, the Ducks D handled a 3rd & long, which has often been a challenge for them.

 

If the Ducks can have a productive week of practice, come together, they should beat Boise State.

[ArkieDuck]

So far, lack of running back speed.

[JabbaNoBargain]

Better O-Line recruiting. Out of HS, our 2024, #4 recruiting class had one interior line recruit and he’s a 3 star….and zero IOL from the portal. When you do this you end up with a walkon starting apparently. 

Edited September 2 by JabbaNoBargain

[David Marsh]

I was looking over the game and something stood out to me. 

 

There were a TON of names I didnt recognize in the game. It looks like a lot of freshman got to rotate in and out of the game.

 

Which is good in a blow out ... But we never reached a blowout. 

 

I think it was a big part of the game plan to rotate 2nd and 3rd stringers in early and often. It failed. 

 

Idaho is a better team than Portland State. Last year Oregon scored so much against Portland State because Oregon ran a vanilla offense and there was nothing that PSU could do to stop it. 

 

Idaho was well coached and a better team and their plan out coached Oregon. Top down Oregon didn't respect Idaho. 

 

I am looking for the starters to be solidified this week.

[David Marsh]

On 9/1/2024 at 6:26 PM, JabbaNoBargain said:

Better O-Line recruiting. Out of HS, our 2024, #4 recruiting class had one interior line recruit and he’s a 3 star….and zero IOL from the portal. When you do this you end up with a walkon starting apparently. 

Dave Ilui is our number 2 guard and is out with injury. (Prep recruit)

 

Bedford is out number 1 and is out with injury. (Portal)

 

We went through all our depth right there. Additionally they did move players in and around that rotation which probably just made things worse. 

[DrJacksPlaidPants]

On 9/1/2024 at 9:20 PM, ArkieDuck said:

So far, lack of running back speed.

Fast RB”s are nice, but the NFL’s all time leading rusher ran a 4.6 40 yard dash. 

[JabbaNoBargain]

On 9/1/2024 at 6:40 PM, David Marsh said:

Dave Ilui is our number 2 guard and is out with injury. (Prep recruit)

 

Bedford is out number 1 and is out with injury. (Portal)

 

We went through all our depth right there. Additionally they did move players in and around that rotation which probably just made things worse. 

Which to me makes our lack of recruiting inside even more of a whiff for 2024. We’re that thin with depth and only added one 3 star IOL in the cycle. How do you not add another portal guy or 2?

Edited September 2 by JabbaNoBargain

[David Marsh]

On 9/1/2024 at 7:06 PM, JabbaNoBargain said:

Which to me makes our lack of recruiting inside even more of a whiff for 2024. We’re that thin with depth and only added one 3 star IOL in the cycle. How do you not add another portal guy or 2?

We did add a portal guy in Bedford. 

 

As for adding a second... There is very very very few quality linemen on either side of the ball in the portal. Oregon does a good job cherry picking what we can and is one of the best programs in doing so. 

 

It would have been nice to add more but linemen usually take a year or two to develop as it is. 

 

Outside of the Conerlys and the Sewells of the world. 

[1Ducker1]

Without linemen you have NO game.

[Mike West]

On 9/1/2024 at 6:38 PM, David Marsh said:

I was looking over the game and something stood out to me. 

 

There were a TON of names I didnt recognize in the game. It looks like a lot of freshman got to rotate in and out of the game.

 

Which is good in a blow out ... But we never reached a blowout. 

 

I think it was a big part of the game plan to rotate 2nd and 3rd stringers in early and often. It failed. 

 

Idaho is a better team than Portland State. Last year Oregon scored so much against Portland State because Oregon ran a vanilla offense and there was nothing that PSU could do to stop it. 

 

Idaho was well coached and a better team and their plan out coached Oregon. Top down Oregon didn't respect Idaho. 

 

I am looking for the starters to be solidified this week.

 I sure hope you're correct.

[David Marsh]

On 9/1/2024 at 9:15 PM, Mike West said:

 I sure hope you're correct.

So do I...

[JabbaNoBargain]

On 9/1/2024 at 7:15 PM, David Marsh said:

We did add a portal guy in Bedford. 

 

As for adding a second... There is very very very few quality linemen on either side of the ball in the portal. Oregon does a good job cherry picking what we can and is one of the best programs in doing so. 

 

It would have been nice to add more but linemen usually take a year or two to develop as it is. 

 

Outside of the Conerlys and the Sewells of the world. 

Bedford is listed as an OT on 247, I was going off of that.

 

In any event, even OSU had a better line than us last year, and so far we’re not looking too hot this year. If we want to take the next step it’s all up front.
 

I’m still hopeful we’ll get more cohesion next week and that will be taking the next step, right now.

[cartm25]

I’m at a bit of a loss.

 

I’d like to seem some excitement, passion, and enthusiasm.

 

Just watched USC vs LSU, and USC looks like a completely different team. But what stood out most was the palpable and visible enthusiasm they played with from start to finish.

 

Don’t sleep on USC.

 

To quote Jim Harbaugh, I’d like to see the Ducks play every second of every game with “an enthusiasm unknown to mankind.”

[Charles Fischer]

Damn.  USC looked really good.  They are a top-10 team…or better.

[Jon Joseph]

On 9/2/2024 at 2:39 AM, Charles Fischer said:

Damn.  USC looked really good.  They are a top-10 team…or better.

 

With the impressive win by USC, the B1G went 17-1, 2-1 vs the P4. Wins over the B12, Penn State vs W Virginia, and the SEC, LSU.

Loss - Minnesota vs UNC.

 

The SEC went 13-3 and 2-2 vs. the P4. 2-0 vs. the ACC, Clemson, and VA Tech, and losses by two ranked teams, A+M and LSU to Notre Dame and USC.  And Florida was destroyed by Miami and MariO in The Swamp. 

 

Huge game on tap when Texas -6.5 visits Michigan. 9 AM Pacific - FOX

 

Other B1G vs P4 -

 

9/6 - Northwestern vs Duke - 6 PM

 

9/7 - Iowa vs Iowa State - 12:30

 

Illinois vs Kansas - 4 PM

 

Nebraska vs. CU - 4:30 PM

 

OREGON vs G5 Frontrunner Boise State - 7 PM - On Peacock

 

An early conference game - Michigan State at Maryland - 12:30

 

BUST THE BRONCOS!

[Jon Joseph]

On 9/2/2024 at 2:14 AM, cartm25 said:

I’m at a bit of a loss.

 

I’d like to seem some excitement, passion, and enthusiasm.

 

Just watched USC vs LSU, and USC looks like a completely different team. But what stood out most was the palpable and visible enthusiasm they played with from start to finish.

 

Don’t sleep on USC.

 

To quote Jim Harbaugh, I’d like to see the Ducks play every second of every game with “an enthusiasm unknown to mankind.”

 

USC, my B1G (Traveler) Dark Horse. However, my ACC Dark Horse, VA Tech, lost to VANDERBILT! The SC O-line held its own against some very good D lineman and LBs. And how about a few of those Circus Catches? WOW!

 

It was a bit frustrating watching Dowdell score a TD for Nebraska. But the fastest RB on the planet can't run without holes being opened. It's a risk, but QBs being a legitimate run option in CFB helps open up the running game. Is Dante Moore and the other QBs so far behind DG that he is going to play like Justin Herbert before the Rose Bowl game? I was not impressed by Stein's game plan.

 

Get DG involved in the run game. He was a very good runner at UCF and Oklahoma but he looked tentative Saturday on plays where he could have run for good yardage. And it helps to run RPO plays when its Goal to Go. 

[OregonDucks]

Oregon needs to recruit and develop depth, the coaches need to prepare the players better to show up and execute every single game and our offense needs to stretch the field vertically. 

 

For all we heard about depth (including the last episode of "That Team Out West"), it sure didn't show up on the offensive line vs. Idaho. How are we not able to replace one starter on offensive line against a FCS (Division I-AA school)?  

 

Josh Pate said that Kirby Smart would never have let his team shown up unprepared, like Oregon's did this past weekend.  Perhaps the team was reading too much of their press clippings.  If you listen to Coach Smart, you'd think that the media is against the team and they are underdogs every game (even when they are the consensus and undisputed #1 team). He creates a chip on his team’s shoulder (even manufactures one).

 

Perhaps it's the weakness on the offensive line but Oregon will not be able to win the big games against the best teams without a more vertical passing attack.  Teams like Ohio State, Michigan, et al will press the line of scrimmage unless Oregon shows it can beat them vertically. Does Coach Stein have counters like we used to see from Kelly/Helfrich (fake WR screens)?

Edited September 2 by OregonDucks