The Biggest Question: How Much was Lanning Treating Idaho like Camp??

[Solar]

The funniest take on Twitter was someone with sideline access during that him and his wife believed the OL was hungover because of how worn out and lethargic they looked on the sidelines.

 

But let me back up. Historically the spring game is the end of a long and grueling spring camp. Everyone is worn out and everyone is getting good reps.

 

Fast forward to fall camp and many transfers noted how it was the hardest fall camp they'd ever been through.

 

Recovery takes time, and if Lanning wasn't willing to back off much during Idaho prep, then it was intentional not to get a full recovery prior to Idaho, as it was more important to keep grinding. Especially with an OL that was having to adapt to the loss of Bedford.

 

Then you look at who started and played a lot of snaps. It tended to be the lessor talented but presumably more deserving folks that earned playing time.

 

Then you get into the restricted playbooks, holding out starters with minor injuries, and a pattern emerges the Lanning was very willing to treat this game against Idaho like a scrimmage, being more focused on maximizing team development for the longer term that killing Idaho.

 

I'm sure that with the score difference of 3 points in the 4th quarter that Lanning was having some serious questions about that strategy.

 

But for us fans, it's a valid question, just how pervasive was Lanning's decision making compromising the teams ability to perform vs. Idaho? How much did Lanning intentionally lower our performance ceiling in that game by prioritizing development later in the season?

 

I'm not trying to cope or make excuses here, but it's definitely within the realm of possibility that Lanning saw how much improvement was still need with all the new faces, and the Bedford injury, that he decided to turn the Idaho prep and game into Fall Camp scrimmage #3, and gambled down to his last few dollars.

 

I previously commented how we would have fared no better that 45-3 vs Georgia again last week, but we also know how well we performed the following week in 2022. I hope for the same here in 2024.

Edited September 3 by Solar

[Charles Fischer]

Great post, and unfortunately....he is still learning-on-the-job.  Saban and Smart had a learning curve, and so does Dano, and apparently in an area we did not anticipate.

 

It is unfortunate, that like Mario...he does not learn quickly.  How many times does he have to fail on 4th down on his side of the 50 yard line, and help the opponent?

 

This might be the same.  Dano might be pretty smart, but stubborn to a fault.  As an old Greybeard-age fan, it is frustrating to watch coaches have to learn stuff that we as fans have witnessed and learned over the years.

 

[Steven A]

On 9/3/2024 at 12:38 PM, Charles Fischer said:

How many times does he have to fail on 4th down on his side of the 50 yard line

Good question.

 

However, I was ok with the call considering the opponent and situation in the game.

 

The fact that it backfired might be a good lesson in the long run vs a successful attempt.

[30Duck]

Great post, Solar. Hindsight is a truly wonderful thing, and I'm seeing the game against Idaho more clearly every day. Somewhere, Lanning has said something like, "Only Oregon beats Oregon". It happened twice last season, and while it didn't happen last week it was too close.

 

The defense was very good. Forever Third and long has been exactly where Oregon's opponents want to be, but Idaho was 2-12 in third down conversions. Gabriel's stat sheet looked like it would have produced more points in most games, but that's why stats don't tell you everything.

[Mike West]

On 9/3/2024 at 12:38 PM, Charles Fischer said:

How many times does he have to fail on 4th down on his side of the 50 yard line, and help the opponent?

The lineman that would have led an explosive play down-field fell down.  What coach can game plan that?  

 

If you want to keep the ball, and you have a MASSIVE physical advantage, take the shot.  That's entirely on the players.  They weren't playing so bad, that you lose total confidence in them. 

 

I'm about putting an inferior opponent down.  Especially when I have a huge physical advantage.  I'm not going to back down because an inferior team might score a TD off the poor execution.

 

My team is good enough (and they proved it) to overcome an execution problem like that.  

 

Again, I will never fault Lanning for making a decision like that.  Especially since he calls plays the team can and should execute.  

 

The decision is to put an end to the nonsense, instead of playing the percentages-which can be construed as playing not to lose.  Like playing prevent defense. I want to win. There is no reason to believe Idaho would not have scored anyway after the punt.  They scored TDs on back to back drives. 

 

And the first one was ANOTHER example of poor execution as the CB was caught looking at the QB instead of covering the guy right in front of him-who scored the TD.  You know  my pet peeve about that mistake - which happened exactly the same way in Seattle.

 

Chy, these players must take control of the game themselves.  They have been given more than the tools.  You wrote an article about it this morning.  They need to execute.  Coaching is bit the problem right now.  Not one but. The players were given plays to dominate, and they didn't.  It's plain and simple.  And you proved it this morning.

[OregonDucks]

On 9/3/2024 at 2:38 PM, Charles Fischer said:

It is unfortunate, that like Mario...he does not learn quickly.  How many times does he have to fail on 4th down on his side of the 50 yard line, and help the opponent?

 

I have no faith the Coach Lanning will make the right call on 4th and short. 
 

As I mentioned in another post, I didn’t mind when Chip went for it because he was successful most of the time (the option was nearly impossible to stop with a mobile QB running it). However, our success rate under Lanning/Stein on 4th and short has to be closer to 50%.

 

Coach Lanning’s decisions might have cost Oregon the first Husky game last year and will bite us in the butt eventually. I was hoping that he learned his lesson last year but apparently not.  

Edited September 4 by OregonDucks

[Mike West]

On 9/4/2024 at 5:52 AM, OregonDucks said:

Coach Lanning’s decisions might have cost Oregon the first Husky game last year and will bite us in the butt eventually. I was hoping that he learned his lesson last year but apparently not.  

Edited 7 hours ago by OregonDucks

I guess I have to nitpick.

 

Three of the four 4th down calls  in Seattle were poor execution.  All three of those plays a receiver was open.  All that was necessary was simply completing a pass.

 

 

Chip's 2010 team was the only Oregon team that executed well enough to play any championship team from any modern era and play to the wire.

 

Lanning's teams have not played to that level.  That is the only reason those fourth down calls have been unsuccessful. 

 

If OBD are going to win a Natty, they need to not only execute on fourth down, they need to execute in most clutch situations. 

 

That is the flaw in Lanning's teams: clutch performance.  So perhaps you're correct.  Until this team demonstrates it is a high performing team, he should not go for it on fourth down. 

 

That is the lesson to take, because frankly- the play calls have been on point. 

[Solar]

On 9/4/2024 at 1:27 PM, Mike West said:

I guess I have to nitpick.

 

Three of the four 4th down calls  in Seattle were poor execution.  All three of those plays a receiver was open.  All that was necessary was simply completing a pass.

 

 

Chip's 2010 team was the only Oregon team that executed well enough to play any championship team from any modern era and play to the wire.

 

Lanning's teams have not played to that level.  That is the only reason those fourth down calls have been unsuccessful. 

 

If OBD are going to win a Natty, they need to not only execute on fourth down, they need to execute in most clutch situations. 

 

That is the flaw in Lanning's teams: clutch performance.  So perhaps you're correct.  Until this team demonstrates it is a high performing team, he should not go for it on fourth down. 

 

That is the lesson to take, because frankly- the play calls have been on point. 

I agree Lanning has been placing reasonable bets with nearly all of these calls. And it's certainly to the benefit of the players psychology that the coach believes in them to get the job done.

[30Duck]

On 9/4/2024 at 1:27 PM, Mike West said:

 

Chip's 2010 team was the only Oregon team that executed well enough to play any championship team from any modern era and play to the wire.

 

Lanning's teams have not played to that level.  That is the only reason those fourth down calls have been unsuccessful. 

I can't agree more.  Darron Thomas is underrated, that entire team is underrated. in the Chip Kelly era. But it was the closest to get a championship. The championship game against Ohio State's third string QB was bad, and the incomplete passes to Nelson and Stanford will haunt me forever. It's still early for Lanning and his teams to create a championship identity.