Believe it, Duck Fans: USC Is for Real

[Darren Perkins]

On 2/8/2022 at 10:54 AM, cartm25 said:

My rebuttal is I'd rather the Ducks be like Clemson dominating the ACC rather than a team like Ole Miss, a fun/entertaining/good team with a puncher's chance, constantly getting pushed back in place by powerful Alabama.

 

I guess what I'm trying to convey is a complete paradigm shift where we don't "need" USC to be strong/powerful because Oregon IS the dominate, flagship program. Let's be honest, every conference is top heavy and dominated by one, or two teams at the most: SEC = Bama (some might argue GA, but until this year Smart had never beat Saban) ; BIG10 = Ohio State ; BIG12 = Oklahoma ; ACC = Clemson ; P12 = "OREGON IS THE CLOSEST, BUT NO ONE HAS TAKEN OVER THE CONFERENCE YET SO THIS IS WHY I DON'T WANT A POWERFUL USC NOW . . . OR EVER".

 

I promise that Saban/Day/OK Coach/Sweeny are not thinking, "Man! I wish another team in our conference would get really good and make it harder for us to make it to the CFP. Would be good for us and the conference." IF Riley returns USC to dominance, he will not wish for a stronger Oregon. He will try to crush Oregon in recruiting and on the field every step of the way.

 

There is a power void in the P12 waiting to be filled. MC couldn't fill it with the Ducks, and now USC is as poised as ever to return to power. The College Football Playoff is the goal and the "lack of USC" was never preventing the Ducks from getting there, just head-scratching losses to the likes of Stanford, Cal, OSU, etc.

 

The only thing missing in the P12 is NOT a conference full of good teams that cannibalize each other. It's missing a team that stands above the rest (i.e. undefeated or no more than one-loss team). I want that to be UO, not USC. 

Which makes it all the more painful that Oregon couldn't maintain being at the top of the Pac-12 in the 2010's while USC was down. But, overall, we're stronger now, we know we can recruit at a high level and have a great staff to hopefully get most out its players, unlike what we saw with MC. 

[Darren Perkins]

On 2/8/2022 at 10:58 AM, DUCati855 said:

100% agree with this.

 

I also found it hilarious when one of the Duck coach said "We are not building a 7 on 7 team" when discussing recruiting day commits. That was a great dig on USC.

We can't count on them not ever getting that talent, maybe they'll be a little thin on the lines for a year or two. 

[Darren Perkins]

On 2/8/2022 at 11:00 AM, Krsmqn said:

Darren, you're still a Duck fan, right?

 

Kidding aside, great article. I agree . The USC program has too much pride to let other "lowly" teams (like Oregon, Utah) be the head of the Pac. It was only a matter of time, like you said. 

 

Good! 

 

Good for the Pac, and good for Oregon. I want USC to be at their best when we beat them. It's the catalyst we need to unsure we get the credit, and recognition needed to be considered a serious playoff contender, year in and year out. 

 

USC will beat Oregon some years, and Oregon will beat USC other years. But if both programs are at their best, along with 2-3 other strong Pac-12 teams, then perhaps the Pac-12 will repair it's once proud status as one of the best conferences in CFB. 

 

So much lies ahead. I cannot wait to see it all unfold. 

 

Go Ducks! 

The PAc-12 had been down for several years now, so it can really only get better, this is going to happen sooner or later, so it'll push the Ducks to up their game. 

[Darren Perkins]

On 2/8/2022 at 12:01 PM, OhioDuck said:

I think there is no doubt that USC will be better. Crowning them as the kings of the PAC12 without playing a single game yet under Riley is premature. We'll see what the product on the field is. 

 

I think that it will take more than Riley coming to SC to keep some of the recruits who have gotten away.

 

There is an accepted (which is a problem to me since I don't totally buy it) truth for many that the SEC is far and away the best football conference in the country. Then the B1G is next and that all others are way down the list.

 

It's not really power 5 in many people's view points, it's power 1 little brother and 3 little sisters. 

 

This will have to be overcome before USC, Oregon or anyone else in the PAC regularly keep the best of the best west coast recruits home. I hope it happens.

 

Now to USC becoming dominant in the PAC, there one big thing standing in the way of that. OREGON! USC has squandered most of a decade and allowed another dog to grow in power and take the Alpha dog position. They have work to do to take it back.

 

Though Oregon has faltered some with coaching changes, some wise and unwise hires, I think Lanning is going to prove to be a coach that takes Oregon beyond where we have been in the past. A healthy USC may have been able to take advantage, but USC was not healthy.

 

 

 

 

That's right! It is going to Oregon, so we gotta be prepared to beat a good USC for years to come. 

[Jon Joseph]

On 2/8/2022 at 4:12 PM, Darren Perkins said:

Which makes it all the more painful that Oregon couldn't maintain being at the top of the Pac-12 in the 2010's while USC was down. But, overall, we're stronger now, we know we can recruit at a high level and have a great staff to hopefully get most out its players, unlike what we saw with MC. 

 

The ACC in 2021 finished with 4 teams in the top 25; Pac-12, 2.

[Kurt Rambis]

On 2/8/2022 at 5:16 PM, 1Ducker1 said:

A person can sure get into "things" in a big city like LA. 

As someone who went to college in Malibu, I can attest to that.  Of course, there were plenty of "things" to get into in 1987, when I was down there.  As well as in '67, '72, '78, '04, etc. when SC was winning national titles.  So I'm not sure how that's changed...

[Darren Perkins]

On 2/8/2022 at 1:29 PM, Kurt Rambis said:

As someone who went to college in Malibu, I can attest to that.  Of course, there were plenty of "things" to get into in 1987, when I was down there.  As well as in '67, '72, '78, '04, etc. when SC was winning national titles.  So I'm not sure how that's changed...

Yeah, and it is college, if kids wanna' do a little rebellin', they will fnd a way whether in the bright lights of LA or a cornfield in Nebraska. I know at that age I never let location or environment get in the way of having a good time. ; )

[The Kamikaze Kid]

SC is heading towards “for real”. The Ducks are already there. We really need to utilize this head start.

 

Ducks going 10-2 or 11-1 compared to an 8/4 ish SC, could make all the difference in up coming recutting battles for those LA 5 and 4 1/2 stars.

 

if they appear to be even out of the gate like both going 9-3 ish, then SC could get the upper hand early and the LA well may go dry.

[Quackerbacker]

I've been reading the posts haven't chimed in previously but I would agree that having a strong or reasonably strong USC in the conference is pretty important to the  PAC 12 as a whole.  There are so many kids right now that are leaving the PAC footprint to play in the Big 10 or the SEC.   The SEC had 52 Top 100 recruits in the 2022 cycle, the Big 10, 17 and the Pac 12, 7.   

 

That's not good for our conference.  Next year, USC will get theirs and we will get ours but  need the rest of the conference to step up.  If we can slow down that migration east the conference gets better and that leads us to more eyeballs on the PAC 12 which leads us to more money for TV rights etc.  which then entices more kids to want to stay on the west coast.  Its kind of circular.   

[Darren Perkins]

On 2/8/2022 at 2:59 PM, Quackerbacker said:

I've been reading the posts haven't chimed in previously but I would agree that having a strong or reasonably strong USC in the conference is pretty important to the  PAC 12 as a whole.  There are so many kids right now that are leaving the PAC footprint to play in the Big 10 or the SEC.   The SEC had 52 Top 100 recruits in the 2022 cycle, the Big 10, 17 and the Pac 12, 7.   That's not good for our conference.  Next year, USC will get theirs and we will get ours but  need the rest of the conference to step up.  If we can slow down that migration east the conference gets better and that leads us to more eyeballs on the PAC 12 which leads us to more money for TV rights etc.  which then entices more kids to want to stay on the west coast.  Its kind of circular.   

Yeah, no doubt I think USC will keep more blue-chips in the PAc-12. I mentioned, for example, Stroud, a guy like that and others may have stayed home in socal if USC was any good. 

[Washington Waddler]

     Good take Darren. At some point, sleeping giants do  awake.  Riley, riding in like the cavalry to the rescue, undoubtedly has the full attention of those seeking to emerge from this slumber.

 

     With in those spheres he controls - recruiting, scheme, coaching - I don’t doubt his chance for success is as good as anyone out there, minus Saban.  But, it’s not what he can see, but what he can’t that could be his problem.

 

     Without any experience of west coast/California culture, It’ll be interesting to see how quickly he can recognize and respond to the the social layers that can and will affect his team.

 

     Imo, the most successful Trojan coaches over the past 60 years were either California natives, or had been immersed in west coast realities long enough to know the warning signs when someone or something was falling off the rails.

 

     Pete Carroll is a SF native, and John Robinson moved to the Bay Area at the age of nine. John McKay had 4 years as a player and 9 as an assistant coach at Oregon, and one as an assistant before taking over the reins at USC.

 

     No doubt Riley is savvy; you don’t achieve what he has without it. But Muleshoe, Lubbock,, Greenville, and Norman are not going to prepare you for what he’ll have to deal with in LA.

 

      

[30Duck]

On 2/8/2022 at 4:41 PM, Washington Waddler said:

John Robinson moved to the Bay Area at the age of nine. John McKay had 4 years as a player and 9 as an assistant coach at Oregon

It is fun when I remind a USC buddy that aside from Carroll, the best coaches at USC are Ducks. Robinson and McKay both played and coached at Oregon before going to USC. 

[Guest Axel]

As I previously noted, Lincoln Riley and his Oklahoma Sooners lost all three College Football Playoff semifinal games that they appeared in. Riley's defenses weren't exactly stellar in those games. The Sooners surrendered a combined total of 162 points in those games--that's an incredible 54 points per game. 

 

Georgia pasted the Sooners with 54 points the first time Riley showed up at the CFP, Alabama hung 45 on Boomer Sooner the following year, and LSU absolutely blasted Oklahoma with a 63-spot the third year. 

 

Be that as it may, Riley was a successful coach at Oklahoma and he'll likely experience success at USC. However, unlike Dan Lanning, Riley's resume indicates that he's not exactly a defensive genius. What's more, Riley will be under greater pressure at USC. He'll face intense scrutiny from the media and USC alumni. 

 

Riley has garnered most of the off-season headlines, which is to be expected, since USC is in the heart of Los Angeles, the second largest city in the nation. But put my money on Lanning, his defense, his coaching staff, and our beloved Ducks. I hardly consider myself a sunshine pumper--I've been highly critical of Ducks coaches and teams in the past--but I predict a great run is in the making. We'll be ready for Riley and USC. 

 

 

[Charles Fischer]

Riley has Alex Grinch as DC, and that is all he needs on the defensive side.  Grinch is GOOD, and add that to a high scoring offense?

[1Ducker1]

Time will tell.

[Guest Axel]

On 2/8/2022 at 5:44 PM, Charles Fischer said:

Grinch is GOOD, and add that to a high scoring offense?

Alex Grinch was the defensive coordinator for Lincoln Riley and Oklahoma in 2019, 2020, and 2021. NCAA defensive statistics rank the Sooners 78th, 20th, and 55th, respectively, during those three seasons. In Grinch's most important game at Oklahoma, his defense gave up 63 points to LSU.

 

Riley obviously trusts Grinch; they have an established working relationship, but I believe that competent teams will find ways to put up points on USC. 

[Charles Fischer]

On 2/8/2022 at 6:41 PM, Axel said:

Alex Grinch was the defensive coordinator for Lincoln Riley and Oklahoma in 2019, 2020, and 2021. NCAA defensive statistics rank the Sooners 78th, 20th, and 55th, respectively, during those three seasons. In Grinch's most important game at Oklahoma, his defense gave up 63 points to LSU.

 

Riley obviously trusts Grinch; they have an established working relationship, but I believe that competent teams will find ways to put up points on USC. 

I recall Grinch as the DC at WSU that beat us so many years in a row...  (Before he went to Ohio State and then to Oklahoma)  I would have thought he would do better than the stats you quote at a place that is easier to recruit to.

[DiscoDuck]

As Coach Bellotti said "how the QB Goes, the Team Goes"  and USC just picked up that Oklahoma QB dual threat sensation.   The guy is probably a better QB than Bo Nix, so USC will be a challenge.  Nix does look good however.

[Guest Axel]

On 2/8/2022 at 7:38 PM, Charles Fischer said:

I recall Grinch as the DC at WSU that beat us so many years in a row.

Alex Grinch was the defensive coordinator at Washington State from 2015 to 2017, and during those three seasons the Cougars defense was ranked 74th, 50th, and 59th, respectively. 

[Charles Fischer]

On 2/9/2022 at 8:10 AM, cartm25 said:

Oregon has a national brand. Oregon has national clout. Oregon has money. A crappy conference didn't change that for the Ducks. If the Ducks' image took any hit, it was because of MC severely underperforming the talent on the team and losing to pitiful Stanford, Cal, and OSU, etc.

Now THAT is a very, very good point.  And I would add..."taking the offense away from Oregon that it was known for."

[Guest Axel]

On 2/9/2022 at 8:10 AM, cartm25 said:

While a stronger conference and a powerful USC might be good for the conference, especially to the other lesser teams in the P12, I don't believe it's a NET BENEFIT to the Ducks, or their chances of being a regular in the CFP, because they ALREADY have the brand, reputation, and money needed.

I could not agree more. I want USC to fail just like Buckeye fans, Bama fans, and Sooner fans want their key rivals to fail. Total domination by the Ducks should be the goal, not conference parity.

 

And I don't need any Oregon one-point victories, because those games are "more exciting." I want the Ducks to boat-race everyone, especially bitter enemies like USC, Washington, and Utah. 

 

If the Ducks win 11 of 12 regular-season games and the Pac-12 championship game, they'll make the College Football Playoff, even if the Trojans program inexplicably turns into a fumbling, bumbling mess. 

 

I desire a strong USC about as much as I welcome an IRS audit.

[Charles Fischer]

On 2/9/2022 at 10:05 AM, Axel said:

I desire a strong USC about as much as I welcome an IRS audit.

A great contributing member AND has a sense of humor?  Love it, as that was FUNNY.

[Jon Joseph]

AMEN!

[Quackerbacker]

Some good points made above. I guess I'm in the minority here.  I would like USC to be good (not great) so when we beat them it counts for something and feels all that much better.  If they are overrated like most years then us beating them just adds to our resume.   The one thing that I really get tired of is all the hype for USC each year prior to the season.   I'm already seeing prognosticators listing USC as a possible final 4 contender next year.   I know they have a new godsent coach and a lot of incoming talent but let's get real here.  Just makes me want to hurl.  

[30Duck]

On 2/9/2022 at 1:46 PM, Quackerbacker said:

I would like USC to be good (not great) so when we beat them it counts for something and feels all that much better

Yes. Both sides have made good points regarding USC. I started, and still agree with the one made here. Beating good to great teams in your conference is better than beating bad teams in your conference. Now, I'm fine with Washington continuing to sink, but that's them.

 

 

[Duck1984]

I expect USC to be great going forward, and I want them to succeed except when they play the Ducks.  
 

I don’t expect OSU to be great going forward, but I want them to succeed except when they play the Ducks.

 

I don’t expect UW to be great going forward, and I want them to lose every game forever.

 

Among rivals, that makes UW the most hated, OSU the most loved, and USC the most feared.

 

I wish Utah mattered more.

Edited February 9, 2022 by Duck1984

[Duck 1972]

We are going to kick their ass from sidewalk to Sunday until we don't. I care about the Ducks the other teams don't matter to me. It's what and how WE do. If we play to the best of our capabilities we have the team to be the first PAC 12 to go nattys since 2016. We have the talent we have the coaches and mostly We Are Oregon. Bring it on!

 

[OhioDuck]

I want a good USC, and better PAC 12. It's just more satisfying to put a hurting on SC when they come into the game playing well and thinking they are going to win. Same with any other team.

 

Beating up on bad teams is well like beating up on bad teams.

 

Winning when Oregon and SC are playing for a playoff bid and we send them home AGAIN, empty handed. Now that sounds good to me.

[woundedknees]

For years, it was assumed by virtually every pundit and talking head in America, that if UW or USC were the opponent, the DUCKS could be pencilled in as the lower.

Not only that, but based on past reputation,  those two were perennially ranked, while Oregon was an afterthought.

I want the DUCKS to be the presumed, and actual,  dominant member of the PAC, for as long as possible. 

[1Ducker1]

Ill just say this, on Sept 17th Im going to be a big fan of Fresno St. On Sept 24 I will be a big fan of Beavis. If USC loses either one of these game their hopes and dreams are lost for the season.

[Mike West]

On 2/8/2022 at 5:48 AM, cartm25 said:

Offense wins championships now.

 

@Darren Perkins thank you for discussing this topic and mentioning how USC becomes a BIG hurdle for Oregon success. I’ve yet to hear an argument that convinces me that a powerful USC is good for the Ducks . . . it’s just not.

 

As long as we're MC strong, USC is a huge threat.  If DL is as good a HC as he is a DC, then USC keeps us in the top five, six or seven.

 

No need to dread an elite team.  After all, MC gave us boatloads of talent.  Now we're a serious threat to USC, unlike the Pete Carroll years when we were just a nuisancep(albeit the second best team in the conference).  

 

The conference needs four serious threats, as in Pete Carroll and Chris Peterson type teams.  Otherwise, the conference of champions will remain the same legend in their own heads forever.

 

I welcome the battle.  All winners do.  Winners play the best to show they are the best.  We've already dropped Ohio State in a "down year".  Without two of our best defensive players.  With a "marginal" QB.  What's there to fret about?  The best is yet to come.  

 

If you can't believe that, might as well stay home.  You're done before you start. 

 

Bring back those elite Trojans.  We're ready.  Georgia will tell us how far we've come.  Much like Auburn did in 2019.  I see good things coming soon.  

[Log Haulin]

On 2/10/2022 at 12:22 AM, Mike West said:

 

As long as we're MC strong, USC is a huge threat.  If DL is as good a HC as he is a DC, then USC keeps us in the top five, six or seven.

 

No need to dread an elite team.  After all, MC gave us boatloads of talent.  Now we're a serious threat to USC, unlike the Pete Carroll years when we were just a nuisancep(albeit the second best team in the conference).  

 

The conference needs four serious threats, as in Pete Carroll and Chris Peterson type teams.  Otherwise, the conference of champions will remain the same legend in their own heads forever.

 

I welcome the battle.  All winners do.  Winners play the best to show they are the best.  We've already dropped Ohio State in a "down year".  Without two of our best defensive players.  With a "marginal" QB.  What's there to fret about?  The best is yet to come.  

 

If you can't believe that, might as well stay home.  You're done before you start. 

 

Bring back those elite Trojans.  We're ready.  Georgia will tell us how far we've come.  Much like Auburn did in 2019.  I see good things coming soon.  

Exactly...

[Mike West]

On 2/10/2022 at 8:25 AM, cartm25 said:

Can you clarify what you mean by "USC keeps us in the top five, six, or seven." If you mean national ranking, the Ducks didn't need USC last year to get to #3 in the country. They also didn't need USC in 2019 when they were #6, heading straight for top-5, until their ridiculous loss to ASU.

 

I understand how a stronger USC can help the perception of the conference as a whole. However, that disproportionally benefits the lesser teams of the league, and not teams like the Ducks that already have a national brand, reputation, and money. Any perception benefit that comes to the conference from a stronger USC is marginal for the Ducks, at best. The Ducks don't have a perception problem . . . unless we count MC single handedly erasing Oregon's "exciting offense" reputation.

 

We all welcome the battle because USC is coming and there's nothing that can be done about it. I'm simply providing a counter argument to what I hear often on this forum that "A strong USC is good for Oregon." I think it's net negative for the Ducks. The improved perception for the conference is a marginal benefit, at best, for the Ducks because they don't have a perception problem nationally.

 

What WILL have a significant impact is USC taking over CA recruiting. Go look at the Ducks' recruiting classes the last few years . . . dominated by CA recruits while USC was dormant. My fear is that the "Cali-flock" turns into the "Cali-drip". That represents a challenge/threat to the Ducks far bigger than any marginal benefit from the P12 having a slightly better national reputation as a whole. Not to mention USC now has coaching that at least matches the quality at Oregon.

 

Here it is in a nutshell: we are stacked with talent NOW.  We are CFP material right now.  If USC goes undefeated until they face Utah, we are right there too. Because we can actually beat Georgia.

 

Many have doubted me before, just read the comments about Auburn and Ohio State  (people were mad we lost to the Tigers after saying we couldn't win, and nobody wanted Ohio State a year ago- I actually thought we'd win both). 

 

 

I don't say that to brag, I just believe in  my own analysis based on the talent we have. Did I mention we are stacked with talent?

 

Fishduck called it: great talent EMERGES immediately.  What did MC do with his bowl game after assuming the helm? He face planted.  So mediocrity also EMERGES early doesn't it? MC's excellence was recruiting.  Lanning's excellence is game time performance. 

 

Riley didn't win a Natty as OC.  And he duplicated his predecessor as HC.  Lanning has a Natty, and started building his team  in his spare time.  What does that tell you?  It tells me we're about to start dominating the conference with or without USC. 

 

California isn't the only state USC needs.  They have to recruit and win battles against Oregon and the blue bloods.  Nationally.  Carroll recruited nationally.  We recruit nationally.  In my eyes that's even Steven.  

 

We aren't going anywhere.  We need USC.  We need two more after that.  And we will still be fine.  Lanning hasn't proven anything yet, but I see game management like we've never seen.  In our entire history.  

 

Watch the Spring Game.  Watch USC's.  You'll know then.  Kids are going to line up to play for Oregon.  And I want USC as our nemesis. 

 

I sure wish I had time to write again.  Darren always brings reality.  I love him for it.  It "sharpens my iron" because I have to find the evidence.  Fortunately, I've done ok.  And I'm glad USC is back, because I believe we have a HC well qualified to handle USC's resurgence. 

[Quackerbacker]

IPO We need USC to be good along others in the Pac-12 as this will draw eyeballs to the conference that translates in to dollars when we renegotiate our television contracts.  Oregon can't do it by themselves. 

 

The $$ per team right now compared to the Big 10, ACC, and SEC are terrible and the only way that improves (without adding additional markets and teams) is with better performance on the field so that the PAC-12 is relevant.   Besides it's funnier (that may not be word but I'm going with it)  to watch our Ducks beat a good USC team. 

 

 Think back to the blackout in Eugene, we had DeAnthony and USC was good (not great), that was a game everyone wanted to see on a National level.  

[Guest Axel]

 

On 2/12/2022 at 3:25 PM, Quackerbacker said:

We need USC to be good

I wonder how many USC fans say that they need Oregon "to be good." USC leads the all-time series against Oregon 38-22. That's plenty of "to be good" for me. I only want the Ducks "to be good." I'm rooting for the Trojans "to be bad" on every coin toss, every kickoff, and every snap.

 

I want the USC band "to be bad" at halftime. I want Traveler, the USC horse, "to be bad" and run away from the Coliseum, never to taunt the Ducks again. I want all things "to be bad" for our enemies in the Southland.

 

If it could happen with no loss of life to humans, dogs, cats, and parakeets, I wouldn't mind if USC slid westward several miles until it settled beneath the waves of the Pacific Ocean. 

 

It's called a rivalry for a reason. They wish a pox on us, we wish a pox on them. Go Ducks. 

[DUCKED]

On 2/8/2022 at 7:09 AM, geoquack said:

Riley is the most overhyped coach in the history of college football.  He was a big fish in the small pond called the Southwest Conference.  0-3 in playoff games.  If not for the LA media market and the AD's goofball introductory press conference remarks, this would just be another hire.

I could not disagree more.

 

This hire is a homerun for USC, and exactly the type of hire their big pocket boosters wanted to see.

 

You’ve got Rick Caruso, the multi-billionaire real estate developer and newly announced candidate for LA mayor, on the podium for the announcement.

 

Money will soon be flooding in from USC’s well healed boosters, and the days of the Ducks stealing elite talent from SoCal will soon be much more difficult. 
 

Do we lose Travis Dye to USC without Riley taking the job? Probably not.

 

Would Caleb Williams be there? Would any of the elite recruits who had committed to Oklahoma, but switched to USC, be there, except for Riley? Of course not. 
 

This is a power shift in the Pac-12, no question.

 

And, seriously, would those of us on this board be taking shots at Riley if Oregon had hired him?

[Jon Joseph]

Everyone, including Lincoln Riley, agrees that SC has to vastly improve on D. Bringing in 2 LBs off the portal from the SEC is likely a step in the right direction. But SC still has a long way to go to shore up the D side of the ball.

 

But the Trojans OL in 2021 was not all that bad. The OL gave up 18 sacks in 12 games in 2021. Caleb Williams is excellent at avoiding the rush and making big plays out of broken plays. What were sacks in 2021 may not be sacks in 2022. 

 

Yards per rush at 4.4 in 2021, was the Trojans best in the last 4 seasons. 5 guys who made starts on the OL in 2021 are back including Pac-12 honorable mention center Neilon and G/T Vorhees. Picking up 2nd team All ACC tackle Bobby Haskins from UVA is a good addition.

 

Add in Dye (sigh) and Jones from Stanford at RB and 3 good WRs from the portal. The Trojans in 2021 might have a suspect D but will likely put up a lot of points on every Pac-12 opponent with the exception perhaps, coming in the game at Utah. But recall that the Utah D was lit up by Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. 

 

I see a lot of the 2021 Buckeyes in the SC team in 2022. The Trojans is likely to have the best O in the conference but will it be able to win enough shoot outs to capture the South Division? As Ducks fans are well aware, SC for the 2nd year in a row does not play the Ducks in the regular season. Couple this with Utah having to play at Autzen and I will be far from surprised if SC is not playing for a Pac-12 title in 2022.

[Viking Duck]

On 2/13/2022 at 8:11 AM, Jon Joseph said:

Couple this with Utah having to play at Autzen and I will be far from surprised if SC is not playing for a Pac-12 title in 2022.

It would certainly make for a lot of eyeballs wanting to watch the title game, unlike some seasons I suspect. Made for TV story line - the gunslinger from Oklahoma vs. the young gun from Alabama Georgia meet up to take it all in their first season in the conference. *edited for Freudian slip in getting which school won the natty *

 

Edited February 13, 2022 by Viking Duck

[Jon Joseph]

On 2/13/2022 at 11:20 AM, Viking Duck said:

It would certainly make for a lot of eyeballs wanting to watch the title game, unlike some seasons I suspect. Made for TV story line - the gunslinger from Oklahoma vs. the young gun from Alabama meet up to take it all in their first season in the conference.

Love the take, although Nix after 3 seasons in the SEC at Auburn is more of an 'old gun?'

[Quackerbacker]

Got to say Axel that was a great take!     I would love to see the Trojans in the Pac-12 title game and I think a lot of other people would love to see that game also.  Riley vs Lanning the two new heir apparents of the Conference.  Who will come out on top!   That would be the rekindling of a beautiful  rivalry......assuming the Ducks win of course!  

[Viking Duck]

On 2/13/2022 at 8:23 AM, Jon Joseph said:

Love the take, although Nix after 3 seasons in the SEC at Auburn is more of an 'old gun?'

Oh, haha, I was thinking about the coaches being the gunslinger and the young gun. I did not even think about the quarterback angle as well being there.

[Mike West]

Champions always have to go through a tough conference.  You think Ohio State had it easy?  They are in the second toughest division in CFB.  

 

Georgia boosters our status this year, after that we go back to our conference as our reference.  Now think about Norte Dame.  Undefeated and lame.  That's us without USC.  We don't have Clemson type credibility. 

 

We didn't get Flowe and Thibs because USC was down.   We got them over the super blue bloods.  So USC isn't the threat they used to be.   

 

MC was a position coach at Bama.  Lanning ran the defense.  Huge difference.  And it clearly showed ( despite MC's stint at FIU).  

 

Winning titles will never be as easy as ducking the emergence of a blue blood.   If you can't out recruit USC, you can't out recruit Bama, Ohio State, Clemson, Georgia, or the SEC.  Thus, you're done anyway.  

 

The path of a champion will always be difficult.  Embrace it.  It needs character. 

[Just Ducky]

If the Ducks don’t go undefeated let’s face it The Ducks probably won’t see a final four no matter what USC is doing. Next season 2 loses will be a great recovery from the turmoil of MC and we might have that by regular season. A rose bowl would be a big goal next season. Utah should be the team to beat next year so we shouldn’t see The Trojans. Maybe down the road we will need to beat them but probably not next year. 

[Guest Axel]

On 2/14/2022 at 12:24 AM, Mike West said:

Now think about Norte Dame.  Undefeated and lame.  That's us without USC.  We don't have Clemson type credibility. 

I respectfully disagree. The Ducks did have major credibility last season, by virtue of its win over Ohio State, even after the Ducks lost that horrible game at Stanford. USC was way down, of course, and the Ducks would have waltzed into the College Football Playoff with a 12-1 record, if they had taken care of business against Utah.

 

Undefeated Cincinnati made it into the CFP. An undefeated 13-0 Oregon would certainly be selected for the playoff, whether USC was 12-1 or 0-12. Oregon is a national brand--a brand that has been masterfully created and nurtured by the branding gurus at Nike. The Ducks don't need to bask in the pseudo-glow of other schools like the University of Spoiled Children. 

 

Mighty Oregon is more than credible and on the cusp of incredible.  

 

 

 

 

[Jon Joseph]

On 2/14/2022 at 9:34 AM, Just Ducky said:

If the Ducks don’t go undefeated let’s face it The Ducks probably won’t see a final four no matter what USC is doing. Next season 2 loses will be a great recovery from the turmoil of MC and we might have that by regular season. A rose bowl would be a big goal next season. Utah should be the team to beat next year so we shouldn’t see The Trojans. Maybe down the road we will need to beat them but probably not next year. 

The Rose Bowl is a playoff semifinal site next season. 2Ls in 2022 will likely get the Ducks to the Fiesta Bowl, but not the Rose Bowl.

[Jon Joseph]

On 2/14/2022 at 12:46 PM, cartm25 said:

Not Clemson (and not Oklahoma from a "Final 4" standpoint).

 

Clemson is being woefully misremembered. Clemson dominated a terrible conference while sweating through some close games, and losses, against Syracuse and Pitt . . . Syracuse and Pitt! "Syracuse and Pitt - the 'must-have' dominate USCs of the ACC!!"

 

Clemson established their credibility by DOMINATING a weak conference, and THEN, going toe-to-toe with the big-boys. They didn't wish upon themselves minefields, bear traps, landslides, killer bees, falling rocks, and quicksand along the regular season path to the CFP.

 

"If you can't out recruit USC . . ." - But Oregon HAS been out recruiting USC for the LAST 5 YEARS. Wishing for that to change makes no sense to me. Non-traditional powers have to rely on a bit of luck and fortune at times.

 

Given Oregon's reliance on CA as a West Coast recruiting hot-bed, they've been fortunate that USC has not been an attractive locale for some time now.

 

I agree! Winning championships will never be easy. No sense in wishing it to be harder than it already is.  

Great take.

 

At 5-2, the B12 had the best bowl record of the P5 conferences. Baylor and Oklahoma State won NY6 bowl games over respectively, Ole Miss and Notre Dame. The B12 in 2021 was a far better and deeper conference than was the Pac 12. I don't disagree with the ACC take but the ACC finished with 4 teams ranked in the top 25.; the Pac-12 finished with 2 ranked teams and went 0-5 in its bowl games.

[30Duck]

On 2/14/2022 at 10:37 AM, cartm25 said:

I'm also skeptical of bowl results now that the bowl games have little meaning and the players treat them as such

Great take. A Bowl Performance chart is an awful way now to rate a conference, other than how many of its teams are bowl eligible. 

 

A while back, at another site my mission was to downplay Clemson. I couldn't stand how 1, they were getting credit for winning a Basketball Conference, and 2, there were several of the talking Heads who actually insisted that Clemson be in the Top 4 one season if they had been in it the season before! Literally saying that the seats are already filled. 

 

 

[SLKDuckFanFrom77]

On 2/8/2022 at 10:09 AM, geoquack said:

Riley is the most overhyped coach in the history of college football.  He was a big fish in the small pond called the Southwest Conference.  0-3 in playoff games.  If not for the LA media market and the AD's goofball introductory press conference remarks, this would just be another hire.

Not that I disagree with you about the whole Lincoln Riley big fish small pond thing, but he was a fish in the BIG12. The SWC collapsed in the mid 90s and hasn’t existed since 1996. 
 

[Mike West]

On 2/14/2022 at 9:46 AM, cartm25 said:

Not Clemson (and not Oklahoma from a "Final 4" standpoint).

 

Clemson is being woefully misremembered. Clemson dominated a terrible conference while sweating through some close games, and losses, against Syracuse and Pitt . . . Syracuse and Pitt! "Syracuse and Pitt - the 'must-have' dominate USCs of the ACC!!"

 

Clemson established their credibility by DOMINATING a weak conference, and THEN, going toe-to-toe with the big-boys. They didn't wish upon themselves minefields, bear traps, landslides, killer bees, falling rocks, and quicksand along the regular season path to the CFP.

 

"If you can't out recruit USC . . ." - But Oregon HAS been out recruiting USC for the LAST 5 YEARS. Wishing for that to change makes no sense to me. Non-traditional powers have to rely on a bit of luck and fortune at times.

 

Given Oregon's reliance on CA as a West Coast recruiting hot-bed, they've been fortunate that USC has not been an attractive locale for some time now.

 

I agree! Winning championships will never be easy. No sense in wishing it to be harder than it already is.  

 

Clemson went toe to toe with the big boys by Recruiting first.  They dominated the conference because they were preparing for the big boys. Contrast that with Oklahoma, who has Not crushed it nationally.  They dominate Texas.

 

USC under Carroll didn't dominate just California, they dominated Nationally.  New Jersey, Texas, and yes the Southern hotbed. 

 

Meanwhile, the second best team in the conference- OBD- got their share of elite players from guess where- CALIFORNIA.  

 

WE DIDN'T ESTABLISH A NATIONAL FOOTPRINT.  

 

Rip Van Wrinkle is awake.  The sleeping giant sleeps no more.  Not only must they win, they have to recruit effectively across the nation.  

 

Though the majority of MC's roster consists of California players, we have young men from TWENTY TWO other states.  

 

We are a national recruiting power.  California cannot win a Natty alone.  Even Pete Carroll recognized that.  Ohio State, Bama, Georgia, and yes Clemson pull from outside their region because you can't get them all in the place you reside.  

 

We get enough from California.  But let's face it, they don't grow Big Boys in California like they do everywhere else.  Let's see how many Bubbas get drafted from California (high school players) this April.  Let's compare that with the rest of the country.  

 

I believe you'll find We're going to have to get some corn fed young uns from all over the country. 

 

We're fine.  Nothing can stop what is coming.  Both interior coaches on our staff come from the Pros.  The elite kids are paying attention. The Blue Bloods know they're competing with us. The only thing stopping us now is game time performance.  

 

Quarterback, the Battle in the Trenches, and Defense.  You saw it in the Super Bowl yesterday.  You saw it all throughout both the NFL playoffs and the CFP playoffs.  

 

Did you see how Lanning disrupted a pretty lethal Bama offense?  Did you see unreal throws from Stetson Bennet?  Bo Nix is better.  Hell make Thomson and Butterfield better.  And the future elite kids are already taking about OBD.  

 

USC's national reputation is going to draw eyeballs nationwide. We are already on the doorstep. Ding Dong. The best is yet to come.