Charles Fischer Administrator No. 1 Share Posted November 6, 2021 My friends, I think a massive part of the drama and entertainment is watching what Coach Mario Cristobal does over these last five games. You know that he wants to pound the "A" gap and play in a phone booth. But he heard the crowd reaction at the Cal game, and began to improvise. I wrote here that he needed to primarily pass against UCLA, and I stated that he would never do it--but he did! Against Colorado, the holes were big and he could have just run the ball and won by a touchdown....but he didn't. He cranked up the passing offense and scored 52 points. And his choices were rewarded by the Playoff committee, as "Oregon turned it around in the last two weeks." Cristobal has a massive internal battle going on....will he have the offense play the way he wants, or the way he knows he should do in order to get into the Playoff? This is high-drama, the stuff an Oregon movie could be made from later. What will he do? Today, if we have the high-winds and tons of rain--won't that require an offense that fits how he wants to play? Wouldn't the weather create an offensive "Christmas-for-Cristobal?" This is going to be very interesting to watch! Mr. FishDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
30Duck Moderator No. 2 Share Posted November 6, 2021 That is indeed the biggest Ponder Point as the Ducks head into the most important games since Cristobal took charge, Can Mario continue to expand his "Vision" and see that winning by more than the minimum is actually a good thing? My thought is that Mario doesn't spend time worrying about "Style Points". But Saban understands, so does Day & Smart & Tucker. Kelly's Ducks had Style & the Blur. Mario can certainly incorporate the former, Getting past in the next 4 games isn't going to do it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duck1984 No. 3 Share Posted November 6, 2021 (edited) No question that Coach C wants to win the battle in the trenches in every game. That said, doesn’t it seem that there is a different game plan for every game based on strengths and weaknesses of both teams? He has said his only objective is to go 1 - 0 every game, day, practice, rep, action. Don’t we believe him? Edited November 6, 2021 by Duck1984 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fischer Author Administrator No. 4 Share Posted November 6, 2021 On 11/6/2021 at 11:50 AM, 30Duck said: Mario doesn't spend time worrying about "Style Points". When asked about bringing Brown back into the game...he mumbled stuff about "being three scores up." This means he understands the importance of a big margin of victory, and then the committee rewarded his decision to do that? He knows of it and it's implications, IMHO. 1 Mr. FishDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
30Duck Moderator No. 5 Share Posted November 6, 2021 On 11/6/2021 at 12:05 PM, Charles Fischer said: He knows of it and it's implications, IMHO. That is a good point about points. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
latracey No. 6 Share Posted November 6, 2021 I don't see the recent recruits that flipped, or hit the portal, to have as much to do with what is happening on the field with Oregon as much as it's about players wanting to play close to their families for the programs that have been near and dear to them because of their proximity to said programs. For what ever reason, Mario is definitely evolving his game plans to fit the the strengths and the weaknesses of opponents in the last several games more than I've seen during his career as head coach. Maybe it was the booing, maybe it's the fact that JoMo being sick was a chance to stand back a bit and evaluate what was needed. Good things might definitely be coming up if the coaches can keep the players' eyes on the prize by focusing on one game at a time. The Utah game, and the possible rematch in the Pac 12 Championship look to be monsters on the horizon. As we all know, anything can happen and everything can change. As Chip Kelly said, the games in November are the ones we remember. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duck1984 No. 7 Share Posted November 6, 2021 On 11/6/2021 at 12:05 PM, Charles Fischer said: When asked about bringing Brown back into the game...he mumbled stuff about "being three scores up." This means he understands the importance of a big margin of victory, and then the committee rewarded his decision to do that? He knows of it and it's implications, IMHO. Three scores up is also considered a safe margin for winning within four minutes. I don’t recall Coach C saying anything about being 1 - 0 with style. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duck 1972 No. 8 Share Posted November 6, 2021 I believe running the ball, controlling the time, taking shots downfield to keep opposition from stacking the box and keeping your defense fresh can be a winning combination. Since I started playing, winning the trenches was what every team wanted to do. That's been Cristobal. He is a lineman. And for the most part he has accomplished this. I don't see what the problem is? He's recruiting and he's winning. There is no sense in expecting a blowout every game. It's unreasonable for any team to go undefeated nearly any season. Any top team loses to a lesser team most seasons. Why? If I could figure that out I would be a well paid college coach or gambler. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
