Apologies if this is covered in another thread.

Is there a systemic issue here with the Oregon D-Line? We've lost the vast majority of all backups, I realize the portal affects all teams and these guys want playing time, but I find it hard to believe Oregon isn't willing to try to retain them with NIL/etc, and is there a systemic issue here where they are all fed up with the starters coming back and then all collectively walked? isn't it 7 maybe 8 who have left? Seems extreme especially for those that are freshmen, showing promise and are still learning.

Thoughts?

Tosh Lupoi leaving is a contributor as is a bunch of "were expected to go to the NFL but didn't" guys. The 2nd stringers don't want to wait another year to be 1st string that they weren't planning on.

Here's the thing about NIL. It's just like the job market. That one company out there that really needs to hire someone is always willing to pay more than the current employer. These 2nd stringers leaving the Oregon and Ohio States of the world will be much better compensated as the main person of need on a team in the top 10-20.

We are witnessing in real time the dilution of talent from the top couple of teams redistributing to the remainder of playoff contenders. The greater the playoff field size the more spread out the talent will be as more NIL Boosters see they ROI of being able to make the playoff field with a chance to win it all.

No more NFL caliber talent sitting 3rd string on the bench at Bama. Those days are over and it's for the better of the sport.

Edited 1 hour ago1 hr by Solar

4 minutes ago, Solar said:

We are witnessing in real time the dilution of talent from the top couple of teams redistributing to remainder of playoff contenders. The greater the playoff field size the more spread out the talent will be. No more NFL caliber talent sitting 3rd string on the bench at Bama. Those days are over.

This is very true and also puts even more focus on x's and o's from the coaches than ever before.

1 minute ago, kirklandduck said:

This is very true and also puts even more focus on x's and o's from the coaches than ever before.

It also means injuries are going to be more impactful, conditioning is going to matter more and wearing down the defense running the ball in the 4th quarter is going to be a thing again.

I would imagine before the season starts the staff will find at least 4 capable backups.

19 minutes ago, kirklandduck said:

This is very true and also puts even more focus on x's and o's from the coaches than ever before.

And learning to approach practice in dramatically different ways as per this review on Coach Cignetti's style:

"Coach Curt Cignetti emphasizes "work smarter, not harder," running shorter, high-intensity practices focused on quality reps and detailed preparation (like running specific plays 15-20 times) rather than long, grueling sessions, aiming to keep players fresh and healthy while maximizing learning through repetition and film study."

26 minutes ago, Solar said:

Tosh Lupoi leaving is a contributor as is a bunch of "were expected to go to the NFL but didn't" guys. The 2nd stringers don't want to wait another year to be 1st string that they weren't planning on.

Here's the thing about NIL. It's just like the job market. That one company out there that really needs to hire someone is always willing to pay more than the current employer. These 2nd stringers leaving the Oregon and Ohio States of the world will be much better compensated as the main person of need on a team in the top 10-20.

We are witnessing in real time the dilution of talent from the top couple of teams redistributing to the remainder of playoff contenders. The greater the playoff field size the more spread out the talent will be as more NIL Boosters see they ROI of being able to make the playoff field with a chance to win it all.

No more NFL caliber talent sitting 3rd string on the bench at Bama. Those days are over and it's for the better of the sport.

Good point, Tosh is likely the biggest factor...

There was a sports column in the Wall St. Journal in early December that focused on Indiana's practice regimen. Cignetti apparently does not believe in a lot of hitting in practice, especially late in the season.

This season he has the luxury of a roster occupied with a lot of redshirt juniors, seniors, and redshirt seniors which may not need as much "coaching" as they avoid injury and wear and tear in practice. We'll see how that works against the "hitters" from Miami.

A younger roster of linemen likely needs the practice repetition on technique and physicality.

Indiana has been "lucky" on injury avoidance this season. Really lucky. Or, perhaps Cig created the "luck."

All that being said, I too worry about the Ducks losing so many backups on the D-line. We hear repeatedly relative to recruiting how difficult it is to find D-linemen....especially west of the Mississippi River.

3 minutes ago, Chas Man said:

work smarter, not harder

Shorter practices are fine for a veteran team where the starters are in place, and other players have been in the system for years.

When your roster turns over you need competitive practices with repetition to get players ingrained into an unfamiliar system, and still develop a two to three deep at each position.

$$$, and the playing time that leads to more $$$.

Until the CFB Billionaires learn to behave like the NFL Billionaires, this will be the CFB modus operandi.

The Insanely Wealthy, Mark Cuban, Cody Campbell, and Uncle Phil, for example, are worth multi-multi-billions. Boys and their toys ...

If you can access the interview, the Big Ten Network's and Northwestern grad, Dave Revsine's interview with Mark Cuban, offers a terrific insight into the mind of Mark.

Cuban tells Dave that when he graduated from Indiana, he was certain that he would be a millionaire, and probably, a multi-millionaire. But to be a billionaire?

"Any billionaire who says they weren't lucky to go from millionaire to billionaire is lying. No one makes this leap without good fortune and great advice."

Cuban also notes that at Indiana, basketball was ingrained in his blood and soul. In his wildest dreams, he never considered that he would be helping finance the greatest college football renaissance in the history of the game.

He also notes that, at some point, college football must reach an agreement with its players, as we see in all professional sports. Like the NFL, the best players have no reason to vote for any restraints on salary, player movement, etc. But the top drawer players are a minority, and it's one player-one vote.

Imagine with no salary cap, the money an All-Pro NFL player would make if he could transfer every season? But how many NFL teams would be competitive?

When the transfer portal opens, and before it opens and under the table, it's open season on talented players who did not grow up with the ethos I and the majority of gray beards grew up with, The Team, The Team, The Team.

I'm not trying to claim any higher moral ground than those playing the game today; it's simply different.

I expect a few capable backups still on the roster have been getting stronger and coached up and will come through next season. Then, some of them will be off to $$$ pastures.

CFB is in chaos, but we also have a championship game Monday night that will draw millions more eyeballs than watched brand names Ohio State and Notre Dame.

There's a Yang to every Yin.

D-line guys that entered the portal:

Xadavien Sims, Ashton Porter, Jericho Johnson, Tionne Gray (Notre Dame), and Terrance Green

A bunch of portal Ducks have found new homes. The D-line guys seem to be taking longer which seems counter-intuitive to conventional wisdom?

There are literally thousands of players in the portal right now. Finding reserve guys is not going to be a huge issue.

A few of the D players that left Oregon have a shot at being NFL guys. A little more challenging to replace that level of talent.

41 minutes ago, Drake said:

Shorter practices are fine for a veteran team where the starters are in place, and other players have been in the system for years.

When your roster turns over you need competitive practices with repetition to get players ingrained into an unfamiliar system, and still develop a two to three deep at each position.

This. Cig has the luxury of a boatload of players that have been in his system for multiple years at JMU. After this season, his roster will start to flux with new people and we'll start to see cracks in the foundation.