Oregon Fans Reappraise Expectations, or NOT?

[FishDuck Article]

I write this going into midnight after the game, and I am a muttering-mass-of-protoplasm. I am happy to win, I am frustrated with the mistakes, I am delighted with the progression of the team, but I am disappointed…as it dawns on all of us that this team is not as good as we hoped. Had we lost, I would have ...

 

Oregon Fans Reappraise Expectations, or NOT? | FishDuck

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I write this going into midnight after the game, and I am a muttering-mass-of-protoplasm. I am happy to win, I am frustrated with the mistakes…

 

[30Duck]

The Poll's are confusing. The Ducks started at No.3, after a  shaky performance against Idaho, dropped to No.7. Now, they beat a better than Idaho, Boise State and No. 5 Notre Dame lost to NIU, the Ducks should jump back above the Irish, shouldn't they?

 

The Game of the Century against Thee Ohio State, the return of Chip Kelly is still a ways from now, which is fortunate. At the Beavs, then a Bye, them at Chip's former team, UCLA, then home for former Beavs coach, Jonathan Smith and Michigan State, then, the Buckeyes!.

 

Hopefully, the Ducks pick up and their trajectory has them at the level to make this game epic. The match-up we all SAW a few months ago. Corso and Duck will have fun on GameDay, the crowd will be wild, Autzen at it's best, I'm still counting on that for now!

[cartm25]

My expectations have been shattered. I will no longer take any joy in all the hype and marketing Oregon has put out.

 

Show how good you are on the field, because I don’t care how good you look in a 4k cinematic masterpiece highlighting practice, team meetings, and Joel Klatt singing your praises before playing a snap of football.

 

So far, Oregon has been about “clicks and not substance”. I won’t watch another “That Team Out West” video, and I’d suggest Lanning put a stop to those videos.

 

Saban was right! All that puffery in the media and the cutesy hype videos are “RAT POISON”.

 

This conference is now down to tOSU and USC.

 

Yes, THAT USC; unbelievable. USC’s 180 improvement has been as remarkable as Oregon’s regression. USC is now scoring 40+ points and their defense is pitching shutouts.

 

I now believe Oregon has at least 4 losses on their remaining schedule. Many of the teams left to play have scored 40+ points while holdIng opponents to low scores; something Oregon has yet to do.

 

I have said previously that I’d be disappointed with anything less than an 11-1 record; I’m now prepared for disappointment.

 

Adjusted record prediction: 8-4 or 7-5

[DrJacksPlaidPants]

I thought we would come away from week 2 with more questions than answers. This team is exactly what they showed on the field. That’s why I picked BSU for the upset. There is a very good chance this team will be unbeaten when they play Ohio State. Unfortunately, that game will look an awful lot like yesterday’s Texas/Michigan game.

 

 

[Jon Joseph]

 

I have 3 thoughts and an axiom.

 

1. I'm feeling blue because the sum is not as great as the Blue Chip parts.

 

2. We have met the enemy and They are Us. 

 

3. Vince Lombardi: What in the hell is going on out there?

 

AXIOM - You never, ever, never, schedule BOISE STATE.

 

2-0: Just win Baby and Have a Really nice day.

 

 

[Mike West]

I really don't have to babble this week...

 

The Idaho game adjusted my expectations.  This game provided some insights:

 

1.  The team totally bit on the hype

2. The players aren't cohesive yet - they don't really know who they are

3.  The schedule has been a huge friend

4. This team will earn EVERY damn one of their victories.

 

How many wins? TBD

[GeotechDuck]

I am not going to panic yet.  The next three games over 4 weeks are all very winnable, even with our current OL and discipline issues.  

 

They need to run with the lineup of Poncho at center, Harper at RG and Strother on the left side.  That lineup played significantly better last night and they should have stuck with it longer.  Hopefully, they see it on film and make the permanent adjustment.  
 

The penalties can get cleaned up, those are just stupid mistakes.  I have confidence in Lanning that he will get this piece sorted out. 

 

Hopefully, the team can make some significant improvement before they play tOSU.  But can they make enough improvement not to get completely boatraced in that game?  I am skeptical right now.
 

The stretch starting with tOSU is going to be brutal.
 

If they can’t get it cleaned up, we still have access to the Las Vegas bowl as members of the BIG.

 

[Solar]

Relative to Saturday morning a week ago my expectations are clearly lowered. I don't see us winning against any top 10 teams this year. We could still win every regular season game and make the playoffs.

 

It's too early to say much more than that. Maybe BSU and Idaho are really good this year and we beat both with a foot shooting gallery. Maybe they are just okay and we won't be able to clean up our mistakes sufficiently to prevent losses to other decent teams.

[GeotechDuck]

On 9/8/2024 at 7:32 AM, Solar said:

Relative to Saturday morning a week ago my expectations are clearly lowered. I don't see us winning against any top 10 teams this year. We could still win every regular season game and make the playoffs.

 

It's too early to say much more than that. Maybe BSU and Idaho are really good this year and we beat both with a foot shooting gallery. Maybe they are just okay and we won't be able to clean up our mistakes sufficiently to prevent losses to other decent teams.

Idaho beat Wyoming yesterday, so at least we have that going for us. 

[cartm25]

On 9/8/2024 at 8:32 AM, Solar said:

Relative to Saturday morning a week ago my expectations are clearly lowered. I don't see us winning against any top 10 teams this year. We could still win every regular season game and make the playoffs.

 

It's too early to say much more than that. Maybe BSU and Idaho are really good this year and we beat both with a foot shooting gallery. Maybe they are just okay and we won't be able to clean up our mistakes sufficiently to prevent losses to other decent teams.

Totally agree about the top-10 teams. I wouldn’t bet on Oregon to win any top-25 matchups either, at this point.

Idaho beat Wyoming, 17-13. Wyoming must be really good, too? I refuse to believe that Idaho and Wyoming are juggernauts this year.

[OregonDucks]

I have reduced my expectations for this season.
 

The offensive line is terrible (note: I can’t recall watching a worse offensive line at Oregon, even with 2 and 3 star players). I believe it’s more than a few injuries causing the issues. Even our highly regarded offensive tackles have regressed, so it appears to be coaching (or lack thereof). Without an offensive line, a team will not be able to do much on offense and I don’t believe that Oregon’s defense is good enough to carry the team.
 

At this point, I see at least 2-3 losses on the schedule. If that happens, I hope that Coach Lanning shows that he is willing to make changes to right the ship. 
 

P.S. - It might be a good time for the players to organize a players only meeting. They need to regroup and hold one another accountable for their effort and play, if they want to have a chance to achieve their goals this season.   

[Krsmqn]

You’ve done a great job capturing the mixed emotions that come with watching a team that shows both potential and areas for concern. It’s understandable to feel a mix of happiness from the win and frustration from the mistakes that could have cost the game. The offense made strides but still has room to grow, especially with those fumbles cutting promising drives short. There’s clearly talent on the field, but they haven’t quite hit their full stride yet.
 

On the defensive side, it’s tough to see a group that should be more dominant give up that many points, especially to a team they were expected to handle more easily. Still, there’s time for them to gel and develop into a more cohesive unit, and you’re right that recruiting and depth in the trenches often separate the top teams from the rest.
 

As for where fans go from here, it’s easy to lower expectations or feel guarded after seeing some vulnerabilities. But this could be the time for fans to really show up and back the team, knowing that they’ll need to fight for every win. The season’s far from over, and with the talent they have, there’s still plenty of room for growth and success.

One day at a time. Let's Go Ducks!

[Jon Joseph]

 

The Mimosas and Bloody Marys taste better today in Eugene than in Tallahoser, South Bender, and Lessington. 

 

The Wreck is on a tow truck back to the ATL. The Terp lost its shell. It's Hog Hell, not heaven. War CAL! CAL?, There is no O in Ann Arbr. In Iowa City, the kids in the hospital waved to the players. Was that a Black Out in central PA.? There's an Amber Alert in Pullman for the Red Raider's horse. San Diego has plenty of vowels but can't buy a point. It's all right K State, you're not in New Orleans anymore. 

 

"So much upside yet to be realized." Brothers and Sisters, CAN I GET AN AMEN for Brother Charles? 

 

The Ducks likely set a record, as Puddles 'UNDER COVERED" by 50 points in the last 2 games. (SIGH.)

 

2-0. Next up a Texas Tech team that Wazzu manhandled comes to town. What's that? The next game is on the road against The Other Team Up North. Oh well. Can't expect much else from a guy who scheduled boise state, right? 

 

Then UCLA after an off week to help get things right with the Bruins coming off a game in Baton Rogue. Sparty who put a Terrapin on its back, and then The Ohio State University. 

 

The Ducks, like the Bucks, will be undefeated before kick-off on 10/12/24. (Is Danno pulling off a Rope-A-Buck?)

 

Seriously, 2-0 is 2-0. Along with the 2 Os, Penn State, Iowa, USC, and Michigan are in the playoff hunt. Illinois is 2-0 with a victory over 19 Kansas. Wisconsin is 2-0 with a Bama team that had a hard time getting out of its own way vs USF coming to Madison. Nebraska is 2-0 and manhandled CU yesterday and shut down the Shedeur show.

 

And UWho is 2-0.

 

No doubt Ducks fans got over the preseason skis and let HUey BRIS in, but undefeated is undefeated. Keep on improving and fix the mistakes and come December 8th these early struggles will be a blip on the Committee's radar.

 

Thanks, Charles, for suffering the slings and arrows and staying up to artfully cover the experience.  

 

[Steven A]

Expectations are inversely proportion to the pucker fact.

 

I just hope we will be one of the logs in that jam behind Ohio St. and dare I say it, "that team down south".

 

Stein and company now need to start game planning for a porous Oline.

 

One of the things that bothered me was Dan's/Will's play calling late in the 3rd when we were behind the sticks deep in our territory and they run 3 in a row Mari style.

 

Those two missed bombs are glaring.  Dillion has to have better touch and anticipate the separation.

 

[RichardDuck]

Remember UW last season? Played down to the level of opposition and barely won week after week, then rose to the occasion against good teams (including us, unfortunately). They made it to the national championship game. Hate to take inspiration from the Huskies, but all is certainly not lost for the Ducks this season.

Edited September 8 by RichardDuck

[CalBear95]

This team is clearly mediocre with lots of areas that are underperforming.  I don’t think that’s a controversial opinion nor a blinding insight. 
 

I don’t know what to think at the moment.  
 

They might be an example of a team that struggles early and gets better as the season progresses.  Happens all the time in basketball where a team in is far scarier in March they were in November.  With the playoffs this will happen with some team, I promise you (as will the reverse).  
 

Or this could just be a mediocre team that underperforms its talent all season 

 

At this point both seem to be viable outcomes 

[Steven A]

On 9/8/2024 at 8:13 AM, Jon Joseph said:

and come December 6th these early struggles will be a blip on the Committee's radar.

 

I see the Mimosas and Bloody Mary's finally got a foot hold on your cerebral cortex. 

[Krsmqn]

On 9/8/2024 at 8:14 AM, Steven A said:

Expectations are inversely proportion to the pucker fact.

 

I just hope we will be one of the logs in that jam behind Ohio St. and dare I say it, "that team down south".

 

Stein and company now need to start game planning for a porous Oline.

 

One of the things that bothered me was Dan's/Will's play calling late in the 3rd when we were behind the sticks deep in our territory and they run 3 in a row Mari style.

 

Those two missed bombs are glaring.  Dillion has to have better touch and anticipate the separation.

 

 

 

 

It’s clear that those missed opportunities stand out, and it’s true that Gabriel needs to refine his touch on deep throws. However, there’s likely more at play here. It’s possible that Gabriel was overly conscious of avoiding a sack, which affected his timing and anticipation. When a quarterback is concerned about the pressure, it can disrupt their rhythm and make it harder to deliver the ball with precision. Improving his ability to trust the protection and anticipate separation earlier will be key to hitting those deep passes more consistently. There's definitely room for growth, but his awareness in the pocket should also be factored in.

[Desert Duck]

On 9/8/2024 at 7:38 AM, GeotechDuck said:

Idaho beat Wyoming yesterday, so at least we have that going for us. 

I just luv the glass-half-full outlook 

[HappyToBeADuck]

Good morning OBDF members and thank you Charles for a great topic to ponder. (Our expectations)

 

As I watched the Longhorns completely dominate Michigan, I asked myself can OBD''s compete at that level? Can we compete with Georgia, Texas and tOSU? By 12:30 pm my football IQ, my own eye test and gut instinct said NO WAY.......

 

Fortuneately of the 3, only tOSU is in our path thru the first 12 games. I agree with Solar, we can play with and beat the teams on our schedule.

 

Of course the line must gel and play better together or we face a 9-3 or

8-4 season. This, as others have posted is the WORST line play in decades. Not an easy fix....

 

Also....

 

Only, If and when we clean up the mistakes and penalties that have kept points off the board.

 

And when DG, if he is capable, starts calling audibles. BN had the team at the line with 25 seconds on the play clock. Limiting defensive substitutions, then he would step back and view the defense. Come back to the line and even with less than 10 seconds call his audibles. I have not seen much of that with DG.

 

Stein benefitted with BN on the field. Bo helped Steins play calls not to be predictable. Havent seen DG take charge and show on field leadership yet. DG is very accurate but he can help his cause with sudibles....

 

Without these changes and improvements the Rodents could be favored over the Ducks. Hows that for lowering expectations?

 

When the rankings come out, I expect Missouri, USC and maybe Miami to rank higher than the Ducks. Without a doubt the play of the Ducks has lowered national expectations.

 

In reality the 2-0 Oregon Ducks are 0-2 against the Oregon Ducks. This homer Duck fan has no confidence in the Duck offense against the Rodents. Tbere won't be 58k fsns cheering you on. This will be an ill advised road game against a team and fan base with nothing to lose.

 

Last week i felt confident that DL, the staff and players would pull together and show great improvement against BSU. In a few areas they did.

 

Is it enough to go on the roaf and beat the Rodents? Yes they can....

 

I am just not as confident......

 

GO Ducks........

[Desert Duck]

On 9/8/2024 at 7:47 AM, cartm25 said:

Totally agree about the top-10 teams. I wouldn’t bet on Oregon to win any top-25 matchups either, at this point.

 

Hmmm... Personally, I think that if our special teams could produce two more game time TDs, I think we'd have a shot against Notre Dame. 

 

So, we've got that going for us. 

[Jon Joseph]

On 9/8/2024 at 11:19 AM, CalBear95 said:

This team is clearly mediocre with lots of areas that are underperforming.  I don’t think that’s a controversial opinion nor a blinding insight. 
 

I don’t know what to think at the moment.  
 

They might be an example of a team that struggles early and gets better as the season progresses.  Happens all the time in basketball where a team in is far scarier in March they were in November.  With the playoffs this will happen with some team, I promise you (as will the reverse).  
 

Or this could just be a mediocre team that underperforms its talent all season 

 

At this point both seem to be viable outcomes 

 

Good points. Hard to rebut. However, this Boise team could be like the Cincinnati team that went to the Final 4. This is a team that can go 12-1, represent the G5 in the Playoff, and possibly win a 1st round game over a higher-seeded opponent overlooking a G5 'cupcake.'

 

On the positive side. In its next 10 games Oregon can go 8 and 2 and so long as one of the 2 losses is not a blowout, make the Playoff field and be a tough out on the road in the 1st round. 

 

Look at the slate other than the game vs Ohio State. Will Michigan find an offense? Wisconsin is 2-0 but like Oregon, the Badgers 2 wins were close calls against lesser opponents. These are the 2 most difficult games other than tOSU that Oregon has left to play.

 

It has been UGLY, but ugly wins are wins.

 

 

[Jon Joseph]

 

Without these changes and improvements the Rodents could be favored over the Ducks. Hows that for lowering expectations?

 

The Ducks are -20.5 vs the Beavers. However, in the last 2 games the Ducks have 'Under Covered' by 50 points!

[MrBrooks]

My expectations have been revised to the point of re-introducing "bowl eligibility" to my vocabulary.  They are a third of the way there.  Anything more is gravy.  BTW this game seemed like a compilation of "you just can't make this stuff up!".     James fumbling out of bounds,  Whittington dropping the ball before the end zone, Sappington hitting the goal post on a PAT, and so on.  Animal House and John Belushi "live";  Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?   GO DUCKS!

[Krsmqn]

On 9/8/2024 at 8:49 AM, MrBrooks said:

My expectations have been revised to the point of re-introducing "bowl eligibility" to my vocabulary.  They are a third of the way there.  Anything more is gravy.  BTW this game seemed like a compilation of "you just can't make this stuff up!".     James fumbling out of bounds,  Whittington dropping the ball before the end zone, Sappington hitting the goal post on a PAT, and so on.  Animal House and John Belushi "live";  Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?   GO DUCKS!

Lol, The war with the Germans was in the 60's in NE Russia, silly. Great reference!

Edited September 8 by Krsmqn

[Mike West]

On 9/8/2024 at 8:21 AM, Krsmqn said:

It’s clear that those missed opportunities stand out, and it’s true that Gabriel needs to refine his touch on deep throws. However, there’s likely more at play here. It’s possible that Gabriel was overly conscious of avoiding a sack, which affected his timing and anticipation. When a quarterback is concerned about the pressure, it can disrupt their rhythm and make it harder to deliver the ball with precision. Improving his ability to trust the protection and anticipate separation earlier will be key to hitting those deep passes more consistently. There's definitely room for growth, but his awareness in the pocket should also be factored in.

Requires he work on his footwork moving forward.

 

If you anticipate constant pressure, you have to set your feet as you plant your last step moving backwards.

 

In other words, as he takes his last step, he'll have to firmly plant his back foot and throw immediately - in one motion.

 

That requires muscle memory, so he's going to have to practice that relentlessly.

 

It's a one motion move...plant and throw.

 

Literally the whole process is one continuous motion 

 

So THEN, he has to create that rhythm for every type of throw: the fade; the post; the seam; the out route; the dig route; the checdowm.

 

THEN, He has to create that motion for every one of his receivers, from TB to TE to WR.

 

He's got his work cut out for him, but he must be prepared to make those kind of throws.

 

Or/And  as I suggested after week one, Max Protect formations, Bootlegs and Rollout plays must be designed.

 

Why waste time doing the same thing when you're getting the same results? 

[VegasDuck]

Would it make you feel better if Boise had a little number next to their name? This team is obviously not what the hype said they would be, but they are 2-0 and improving. I thought they would be 5-0 going into the Ohio State game. Its probably better to struggle early than to put 40 on every team with out much adversity. Go Ducks!

[bbmichaels]

On 9/8/2024 at 7:05 AM, cartm25 said:

Show how good you are on the field, because I don’t care how good you look in a 4k cinematic masterpiece

I had this same thought.

 

That team out west doesn't seem to be very good... It feels like all of the preseason hype really snowballed and we all bought into it to some extent. Meanwhile down on earth they're a team with good talent on paper but replacing a Heisman caliber QB and relying on many incoming transfers in key positions. Of course it wasn't going to be easy. The national pundits somehow had us looking past that.

 

Please give us better blocking on offense and penatration on defense. I don't need to see end zone dances and the ball being dropped on the 1 yard line. When they're playing at this level such things really do make them look like they're all flash and no substance. 

Edited September 8 by bbmichaels

[Pocketchange]

This might be a little harsh but my expectations went from questions about

how are we going to beat Ohio state?

Is Dillon Gabriel going to win the Heisman?

What second stringers are we going to see play on cupcakes? 

to

How does Oregon plan to beat the beavers when our offense play calling and online is awful 

Is it the Oregon standard to fail to be ready to play day 1?

At what game is Gabriel going to have a career ending injury because of Stein’s play calling  and Terry’s Oline?

How on earth did Lanning fail to realize that the offense is playing atrociously and not correct it before the game?

with the talent and resources put into the football team there is no excuse for the offense to play flat against Idaho and Boise at home. 
 

With these players, this schedule, and our opponents, we should be excited about playing in the national title game not worried about why the coach’s can’t move the ball on average teams.

[Desert Duck]

On 9/8/2024 at 8:49 AM, MrBrooks said:

My expectations have been revised to the point of re-introducing "bowl eligibility" to my vocabulary.  They are a third of the way there.  Anything more is gravy.  BTW this game seemed like a compilation of "you just can't make this stuff up!".     James fumbling out of bounds,  Whittington dropping the ball before the end zone, Sappington hitting the goal post on a PAT, and so on.  Animal House and John Belushi "live";  Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?   GO DUCKS!

I've been sitting here this morning trying to put this game together in my mind. But, as you point out, it was such a bizarre game on so many levels that I'm having a tough time knowing where to even start. And when combined with last week, I just can't ever remember seeing two games in a row like this.

 

At this moment, however, I think I have resigned myself to just choosing to go to my happy place and telling myself that both BSU and Idaho are top 15 teams, even though I'm the only one who realizes it.

 

Right now, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but I fear the River Rats. 

[Santa Rosa Duck]

My expectations are lowered now. I was believing our own hype. It does seem to me that there is potential improvement as this team has clearly not gelled together yet IMHO. For example: It seems that many potential offensive drives were marred by many penalties. I can not find the number of penalties our DUCKS committed yesterday but it seemed significant. Does anyone know the number?

 

GO DUCKS!

[1Ducker1]

The Ducks have the talent that we all hoped for, now its just a matter of gelling and some work on the O line. We will get better in every game.

 

I think we still make the playoffs.

[candyduck]

I've looked at USC teams the last several years as the glamorous, flashy team that had preseason hype, rankings and 4 and 5* players all over.  They could just show up and win without preparation and discipline.

 

I saw that starting to happen with Slick Willie and Mario.  I was excited to think DL was going to change that.  The first two games look like this that needs to be figured out and really fast!

 

The kid the Ducks were in the hunt for but eventually went to tOSU...JT Tuimalaou (sorry if I butchered his name), he's a beast and will dominate against the current o-line in autzen.  Maybe get 4 sacks himself!

 

On the positive side the DBS are playing better than anything I've seen in recent years!

Edited September 8 by candyduck

[David Marsh]

Let me put things this way. 

 

Oregon beat Boise State in one of the worst Duck games I've ever seen. It was horrendous. The Ducks did everything they could to lose the game it felt like. 

 

But they won. 

 

Despite the score the defrnse played well. They were just stuck in the field for an insane amount of time because the offense doing something dumb and coming off the field prematurely. 

 

As for the offense... We saw flashes of what this offense could be and what it could be is incredible. Those deep balls were something to behold. 

 

Overall when things clicked they looked good. I mean special teams scored twice this game! That has happened in forever. 

 

But with all that said... They need to really start putting it together. Or else this is just a 6-6 team if they're lucky. 

[GODUCKS15]

To quote Jim Morra

 

"Don't talk about – playoffs?! You kiddin' me? Playoffs?! I just hope we can win a game!”

 

Thats how I feel.

[Jon Joseph]

On 9/8/2024 at 12:08 PM, Desert Duck said:

I've been sitting here this morning trying to put this game together in my mind. But, as you point out, it was such a bizarre game on so many levels that I'm having a tough time knowing where to even start. And when combined with last week, I just can't ever remember seeing two games in a row like this.

 

At this moment, however, I think I have resigned myself to just choosing to go to my happy place and telling myself that both BSU and Idaho are top 15 teams, even though I'm the only one who realizes it.

 

Right now, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but I fear the River Rats. 

 

Idaho is a top 10 FCS team. Boise is as good of a G5 team as I have seen since Cincinnati made the 4-team PO. Beat the Beavs, which will happen, defeat UCLA after the off week, and handle a decent Sparty team and the undefeated Ducks will play the undefeated Bucks on 10/12. 

 

However, I do question the -20.5 spread vs the Corvallis Crooks.

[Charles Fischer]

On 9/8/2024 at 9:36 AM, candyduck said:

I've looked at USC teams the last several years as the glamorous, flashy team that had preseason hype, rankings and 4 and 5* players all over.  They could just show up and win without preparation and discipline.  The first two games look like this to me. 

Amen, Duck-Brother. When I see the former 5-Star defensive ends get hooked inside, and lose edge defense...

 

 

[JabbaNoBargain]

Yada yada not much to add to the overwhelming concern over the O-line. I think the D will be very good if it gets some support from the O. We had that game seemingly in hand until the offense fumbled twice in a row.

 

Where do I find hope?

• Zero sacks in second half - did we improve? Shuffle the right guys to work well with a lefty?
• Opponents Good? - Those might be two really good playoff caliber teams (I fully understand Idaho is FCS) we opened with while we gel. BSU has a Heisman candidate at HB, had zero turnovers, and does not fear us at all. Both teams were incredibly sound and played nearly mistake free football. Maybe we just survived a baptism by fire?
• Special Teams - More action than last few seasons in one game. Won with a FG kicker!

Gloom?

• O-line - sacks out of control for first 1.5 games
• Linebacker - seem to be lacking
• NIL Darkside - Did we bring in a collection of mercenaries that won’t gel or care if they gel?

We do feel a lot like UW last year. I keep saying “we’ll know after this week” and I’m saying it again. I don’t think Beavis is as good as either team we just played, but it’s on the road, they’ll be fired up beyond belief, and they have no reason to not be confident. If we win that game I’ll continue to reassess. 

•  
•  

Edited September 8 by JabbaNoBargain

[HDuck]

Remember the pre-game chatter..."a team always makes its biggest improvement between game 1 and game 2."  Boy, I hope that is really between 2 and 3....

 

Teams that

- out-rush their opponents win 75 percent of the time (Broncos 221-110)

- pass for more yds win 80% (Ducks 243-148)

- win the turnover battle win the game just under 75 percent. (Boise State 2-0)

- lead at halftime win the game just shy of 80 percent (BSU led 20-14)

- score first win 82% (BSU 3-0, 42-yard field goal in their first possession of the first quarter.)

 

Teams that win all five factors went 146-1 in 2021-22, according to Zach Barnett of Football Scoop.

In this game Oregon "lost" in four of the five critical factors and fumbled the ball away twice in the fourth quarter. They gave up 192 yards rushing to the Broncos superb running back Ashton Jeanty. Yet they won the game. What compensated for these deficits were explosive plays and two touchdowns in special teams, something that can't be counted on every game.

 

One analyst said the Ducks had 11 different personnel combos on the O-line in 57 plays.  This week's practice needs to settle that.

[Jon Joseph]

 

Let's Look at the B1G Picture.

 

With the Notre Dame loss to No ILL , 7 PO at large spots appear to be up for grabs. The B1G and the SEC are odds on to take most of the at large spots.

 

WEEK 2 - B1G 14-4. No B1G team is 0-2. 13 B1G teams are undefeated. 5 B1G teams have 1 loss. 

 

SEC - 12-4. No SEC team is 0-2. 9 SEC teams are undefeated. 7 SEC teams have 1 loss. 

 

2 ranked B1G teams, Iowa and Michigan, have a loss. 2 ranked SEC teams, LSU and A+M, have a loss. 

 

We'll know very soon, 2 PM Eastern, but Nebraska is likely to be in the Week 3 Top 25.

[HappyToBeADuck]

So many great comments on this thread. So many view points supporting the deep feelings we have about OBD's

 

More questions than answers? Concerns......

 

IMHO, DL and his staff cannot fix this O line group until they can put the 5 best lineman on the field at the same time.

 

It is unclear if and when this can happen this season........

 

OBDF members this is not an easy or overnight fix. Building trust with each other takes time. From the weight room, to film sessions and practice,  then on the field in a game. 

 

There was some improvement at times, thus succesful explosion plays. Without 2 special teams plays the game may have been lost.

 

All we can do as fans is be patient and supportive. For me, it would be unrealistic to think DL and staff can get this fixed by the next game.

 

We were spoiled the last 2 seasons with 5th and 6th year players on the line being lead by a first round NFL starter.

 

I will check myself and recognize we do not have that this year.....

[GeotechDuck]

On 9/8/2024 at 10:36 AM, JabbaNoBargain said:

 

Gloom?

• Linebacker - seem to be lacking
•  
•  

Jackson certainly looked the part at times last night.  He is young, so will make some mistakes, but love his effort and motor.  He is going to be very good. 

[HDuck]

One note on BSU... I don't know how they play vs other opponents, but in the three prior games and the one yesterday...with different coaching staffs over those years...they just seem to always play the Ducks with great discipline without making mistakes.   In the 3 REGULAR season games they've had 1 fumble and 1 interception.   Average 7 penalties for 63 yds per game.

[Desert Duck]

On 9/8/2024 at 10:09 AM, Jon Joseph said:

 

Idaho is a top 10 FCS team. Boise is as good of a G5 team as I have seen since Cincinnati made the 4-team PO. Beat the Beavs, which will happen, defeat UCLA after the off week, and handle a decent Sparty team and the undefeated Ducks will play the undefeated Bucks on 10/12. 

 

However, I do question the -20.5 spread vs the Corvallis Crooks.

Okay... I like this, and I'm going with it!

 

Good teams, that potentially could be great teams, somehow just find a way to win games they often have no business winning. I'm not saying that we had no business winning against 'the Idaho's,' but IMHO, we tried about as hard as possible to hand those games to them... and yet, we still won.

 

OBD have a gift of 3+ more weeks of 'on-the-job-training' to try and right the ship and get their cheet together. Right now, that's my sliver of silver lining.

 

And during this time, we're going to learn what kind of coaching staff we actually have. 

Edited September 8 by Desert Duck

[David Marsh]

On 9/8/2024 at 10:36 AM, JabbaNoBargain said:

Linebacker - seem to be lacking

I disagree here. 

 

Linebackers in Lanning's defense aren't simply run pluggers but they need to cover in space as well. 

 

And in terms of coverage they did a fantastic job. Bassa had two deflections right over the middle that were also nearly interceptions. 

 

The linebackers also did a pretty good job running the Boise running back down when he was bouncing to the edges. Minus a couple of plays but he's a legit good running back. 

 

Devon Jackson also had an incredible play covering Boise State runningback Jeanty as he slipped out of the backfield as a receiver on a critical third down. He forced an incompletion. 

 

I think the linebackers did a great job showing off their required versatility. Even in the run game for much of the third and fourth quarters Jeanty was picking up barely any yards or was picking up some negative yardage. Just couldn't keep him contained forever. 

 

Especially when the offense didn't spend much time on the field. 

[Triphibius]

I believe I heard that Boettcher led the team in tackles. 

I thought he played well. He was consistently around the football, and tackled well. 

Then again, I am not a coach and am biased in favor of a fellow SEHS Axeman. 

[Haywarduck]

One play spoke volumes for me and it will define how I look at this team.

 

A d-lineman six and a half feet tall almost 300lbs. hit the opposing RB extremely hard and the RB kept going.

 

This lineman could have wrapped the RB up and probably hurt the guy if he had an ounce of killer instinct. This team seems defined by this type of play. 

 

When I see opposing players lose their fire because they are blown away by the latent talent coming alive, I will come alive as well.

 

Maybe coach Lanning needs to check the levels of thc and just have a heart to heart talk with the players. All I know is something is wrong with this team, group of players. 

[David Marsh]

On 9/8/2024 at 11:50 AM, Triphibius said:

I believe I heard that Boettcher led the team in tackles. 

I thought he played well. He was consistently around the football, and tackled well. 

Then again, I am not a coach and am biased in favor of a fellow SEHS Axeman. 

His tackle on Jeanty on the bubble screen was epic!!! 

 

The Ducks had issues containing Jeanty in the run at times. But credit these linebackers in making him irrelevant in the passing game for the most part. 

 

If Jeanty was a big part of their passing game that would have been game over. 

[DanLduck]

Thanks for the in-season perspective Jon J. We are 2-0 and still gelling as a team.

 

What we are seeing is our O-line and qb adapting to each other as the season begins. We didn't realize how valuable Bo was with those experienced O-line guys in his 2nd year here.

We are experiencing growing pains and frustration. 

 

I don't think they are in-sync in reading the defense yet. We need Bedford and Iuli to get healthy. 

 

I do appreciate we gave up no sacks in the 2nd half.

Also, our defense made key stops in the 2nd half none more important then when we punted back to them with 4:44 left in the 4th of a tied game. We forced a 3 and out and got the ball back with 3:44. That was big.

 

I'm not wanting to be confrontational, but I am a little disappointed in the general negative response of OBD to us starting out 2-0. I thought this was a fan site. Are we only happy if we go undefeated? Every game a blow out?

Apparently we too have been believing all the preseason hype!

 

The season is young. The O-line will improve. The team will get better chemistry. Dillion Gabriel has talent, but he is not Bo Nix. Heisman? Not hardly.

But 10 or 11 wins, maybe.

 

Hang in there fellow OBD fans. Enjoy the season. We've waited a long off-season for this. They're getting better. I promise.