Learning About Lanning: “This is a VERY HARD Program”

[FishDuck Article]

We’ve covered quite a few aspects of the Georgia program over the last month that Coach Dan Lanning will be integrating into his version of the 2022 Oregon Ducks. Something came up often about the Bulldog program that I think Oregon fans need to be aware of due to implications in several directions. I refer to how even Dawg fans ...

 

Read the full article here...

[Smith72]

"These Georgian conditioning runs were seemingly built to either break players, or create leaders who push and pull their teammates to the finish."

 

Conditioning is tough!  Doing it is hard.  Without it you can't prevail.  Talent and scheme will only take you so far.

 

Against equal or better teams you have to be in great condition!

 

You are correct Charles in reporting that some players may not want to pay the price.  But the rewards are worth every second of gut wrenching conditioning!

[HappyToBeADuck]

Charles thanks for this article and topic. I have reread this 3 times. There is a great deal to think about and ponder.

 

I like the idea of putting the players and coaches in a sort of a pressure cooker. Will they be shaped into hard diamonds or simply, spit out? Without a doubt, very talented players will transfer out. It is usually easier to quit than finish within difficult situations. 

 

The Ducks will be as prepared, motivated and in shape as the Bulldogs when they step on the field in September. Maybe not as talented. The question is will they be as prepared, motivated and in shape late in the season against Utah or USC/Utah in the P-12 title game? Or better yet in a rematch with Georgia?

 

Many on this team played and experienced 3 losses in 4 games to close out 2021. They played uninspired and seemed tired. My hat is off to them for sticking it out under a quitting coaching staff. Their staff will not be quitting on them in 2022. 

 

The opportunity is theirs for the taking. We will all see who rises to the challenge. I feel confident Coach Lanning and his staff will teach and drive these young men hard  Go Ducks........

 

 

[1Ducker1]

Sounds just like what the Ducks need to be a real contender.

Edited March 17, 2022 by 1Ducker1

[Drake]

The physical and mental demands of being pushed beyond barriers is not for everyone. However, most players will survive and many will thrive. The lessons young people can learn from pushing themselves to an elite level is invaluable. 
 

Most of our players will never play in the NFL. However, the lessons that they can learn about themselves will become part of the foundation they can use towards success beyond football. 

[McDuck]

You have been close to the program for years.  Isn't the idea behind the conditioning program similar to that of the Chip Kelly era?

[FG Lumber]

Sounds like the "training" the Navy Seals go through.  The best of the best.  It'll be interesting to see how the players react.

[Charles Fischer]

On 3/17/2022 at 9:07 AM, McDuck said:

You have been close to the program for years.  Isn't the idea behind the conditioning program similar to that of the Chip Kelly era?

This sounds tougher to me, and I did not flood you with quotes...just a few from Georgia fans.  Even established Bulldog stars leave, as they know it can be easier somewhere else...

[Just Ducky]

A large portion of today’s 5 & 4 star high school kids have relied on their talent rather than their conditioning.  Most have been coddled since grade school. It will be interesting to see which players will be willing to nut up and become real football players and which ones bail out.

[savagefund]

Sounds like what Urban Meyer did at Utah and I suppose the rest of his stops..

 

Lots of throwing up.

[WiseKwacker]

Thanks for another insight-filled article, Charles. Good read. And, I'm looking forward to seeing how Lanning's philosophy and approach to practicing pans out on the field.

 

I think that oftentimes us fans are distressed when highly-rated players transfer out of the program. When you look more closely at the reasons players are leaving, though, it makes a difference in how "concerned" you should be. When a guy like Pittman leaves because he feels the offense is not throwing the ball enough to the wide-outs (my simplification of the situation), it's one thing. For me, it was kind of concerning because I could see his point. But, when another kid transfers out because he can't keep up with the pace of conditioning expected (which, of course, a kid will rarely admit), it's quite another thing. Frankly, you're not going to miss those kinds of kids. 

 

Lanning seems like the kind of guy who's really going to set the bar high. I'm good with that.

[WiseKwacker]

On 3/17/2022 at 11:18 AM, savagefund said:

Lots of throwing up.

Uhhh, I believe the medical term for that is "upchuck."

[savagefund]

On 3/17/2022 at 12:22 PM, WiseKwacker said:

Uhhh, I believe the medical term for that is "upchuck."

Well if that kind of activity actually starts happening maybe it can be affectionately personalized as the "duckchuck".

 

[Charles Fischer]

I've heard this before....I think the first time was in the first grade when a bully asked me, "hey...what's UP, Chuck?"  "Get it?"

 

      Yeah, you get it too.

[Haywarduck]

This focus is completely different than what Mario seemed to emphasize. He wanted to almost bully the opponent and expected them to submit. The problem was not too many opponents submit to an attempt to just over power them.

 

The focus Lanning has is, it isn't the first encounter that wins games, it is the last. The last ounce of effort during workouts. The last guy giving it his all on a play, even when he isn't involved, directly. It is also the last ounce of effort in the 4th quarter when it is all on the line. You have to train for that effort.

 

This will definitely be something to watch, not hear about, a theme from another article. You can talk about how tough you are, how hard you train, but it all comes down to what you did in the months, and days leading up to game day when it is all on the line. What I love about this is it is also about building men of character and integrity. The easy way isn't the right way. As the Seals say, 'the only easy day was yesterday.'

[JDuck]

Remember Chip would do practice FAST, and it would be over relatively quick too, but everyone was in shape.  The offense gassed opponents, and the D would substitute a lot of fast players.  Aliotti wanted "2 monsters in the middle" and 9 guys who could run like hell.  It mostly worked, especially when the spread was new.  Fake an injury anybody?

[Annie]

Just wondering--is anyone going to the coaches clinic? It would be fun to get a report.

[Charles Fischer]

On 3/17/2022 at 12:54 PM, Annie said:

Just wondering--is anyone going to the coaches clinic? It would be fun to get a report.

It has already passed, and the report on another site was blah-blah, but apparently it got the high school coaches fired up. 

 

I used to be invited, but was dis-invited when Chip/Helfrich left. Perhaps my videos of the Oregon Spread Offense (viewed two million times) frightened new coaches concerning what I would write or create?  I thought I was being a pretty good ambassador of Oregon football, but beginning with Taggart...they apparently disagreed.

[Jon Joseph]

Thanks Charles. Interesting that toughening up practice almost got Bryan Harsin fired at Auburn?

 

Such a fine line today. Back in the day if the coach told you, 'Run!,' you ran until he yelled, 'Stop!' Or, until you dropped. And if you went home and whined, both Mom and Dad would tell you to suck it up. Compare to Willie Taggart wanting to toughen the Ducks up. 3 guys were hospitalized and the whey hit the fan. 

 

Love all the comments to this great article but CFB practice comes no where close to what a candidate has to go through to make it as a Navy Seal. 

 

Chip's practices to me seemed to be more about quickness, hurrying up for additional reps, rather than distance running for fitness?

 

The 'Good Old Days?' Read 'Junction Boys.' Any coach today who ran practices like Bear Bryant ran when he was at A+M would be in jail.

 

Many great points made by Charles in this article. One that I especially liked: where was the physicality and playing hard for 60 minutes under Mario? Mario's teams seemed to play in this manner only when the players believed it was a 'big game.'

 

Except for the early D struggle opener vs Clemson last season and the over-confidant 'no-show' vs Bama in the SEC champ game, Georgia in 2021 simply dominated its opponents. Including in the playoff semi-final when it made Big 10 champ Michigan look like a JV squad.

 

Thanks again Charles for the further insight into Coach Lanning and his coaching roots.

[Charles Fischer]

On 3/17/2022 at 1:13 PM, Jon Joseph said:

Thanks again Charles for the further insight into Coach Lanning and his coaching roots.

Thank you, as I have one more component, what Kirk Herbstreit thought was the most important advantage the Bulldogs had.  THAT is tomorrow...

[Haywarduck]

As a coach, I can tell you athletes just straight up tell you no, I am not doing that. The kids seem to be empowered by their parents to set boundaries.  This can be helpful, but a kid telling an adult no to hard work is just another move like the participation trophies.

 

I still remember getting sore from the workouts from our hard ass basketball coach in grade school. We learned to love it, and we never lost. Seems like kids now aren't so much quitting as never even trying, and learning what it takes to succeed.

 

Here is my favorite participation necklace! It is gold, as it should be ;). Not sure why it won't load right side up, maybe that is also the way it should be. 

[Annie]

On 3/17/2022 at 1:11 PM, Charles Fischer said:

It has already passed, and the report on another site was blah-blah, but apparently it got the high school coaches fired up. 

 

I used to be invited, but was dis-invited when Chip/Helfrich left. Perhaps my videos of the Oregon Spread Offense (viewed two million times) frightened new coaches concerning what I would write or create?  I thought I was being a pretty good ambassador of Oregon football, but beginning with Taggart...they apparently disagreed.

Oh, something about it popped up on my FB timeline--I should have read more closely. Long ago, in another life time, I attended a coaches clinic as someone's guest. Whether people had to be invited then, I don't know.

[Viking Duck]

Thank you for the article and I think it sounds very much like an ethos I'd love to see in the program.

 

Just for the sake of having a contrary voice, I would point out this article:

 

Georgia Football Ranked as Biggest Underachiever by ESPN - Sports Illustrated Georgia Bulldogs News, Analysis and More

WWW.SI.COM

---

ESPN recently released a tier list of the biggest underachievers in college football and Georgia was at the top of the list.

 

What a difference one season can make?

 

It took Georgia a decade (or more) of averaging better recruiting classes than the best that OBD have ever had to get to the prize. As the article correctly points out, their nemesis was Alabama, and there is no Alabama in the Pac 12, but... our departing coach came out of the Saben coaching tree.

 

To me, it says that it's good to temper my expectations. Every coach looks like a genius if he's coming off a championship season, and he looks like a goat if they have a year or two of not winning the biggest games.

 

I have great hopes for the trajectory of the Ducks under Lanning, but I am also not going to be surprised if takes a while to get to that pinnacle. As a fan, I hope it's sooner rather than later though!

Edited March 18, 2022 by Viking Duck

[Haywarduck]

On 3/17/2022 at 11:07 PM, Viking Duck said:

Thank you for the article and I think it sounds very much like an ethos I'd love to see in the program.

 

Just for the sake of having a contrary voice, I would point out this article:

 

Georgia Football Ranked as Biggest Underachiever by ESPN - Sports Illustrated Georgia Bulldogs News, Analysis and More

WWW.SI.COM

---

ESPN recently released a tier list of the biggest underachievers in college football and Georgia was at the top of the list.

 

What a difference one season can make?

 

It took Georgia a decade (or more) of averaging better recruiting classes than the best that OBD have ever had to get to the prize. As the article correctly points out, their nemesis was Alabama, and there is no Alabama in the Pac 12, but... our departing coach came out of the Saben coaching tree.

 

To me, it says that it's good to temper my expectations. Every coach looks like a genius if he's coming off a championship season, and he looks like a goat if they have a year or two of not winning the biggest games.

 

I have great hopes for the trajectory of the Ducks under Lanning, but I am also not going to be surprised if takes a while to get to that pinnacle. As a fan, I hope it's sooner rather than later though!

Great article and I like what one of the old assistants said, 'it is just something about that place' as an explanation of the losing. I would ask what it is about Eugene that consistently creates winning teams and coaches. We have had many coaches leave, but none of them has done as well as they did at Oregon. Even assistant get jobs elsewhere and struggle. Hopefull that something about Eugene will help Lanning in his first year and all the years to come.

[Viking Duck]

On 3/18/2022 at 3:53 PM, Haywarduck said:

I would ask what it is about Eugene that consistently creates winning teams and coaches. We have had many coaches leave, but none of them has done as well as they did at Oregon. Even assistant get jobs elsewhere and struggle.

It's a great point - I'm sure there are a variety of reasons. Good pondering material

 

[Annie]

On 3/17/2022 at 1:11 PM, Charles Fischer said:

It has already passed, and the report on another site was blah-blah, but apparently it got the high school coaches fired up. 

 

I used to be invited, but was dis-invited when Chip/Helfrich left. Perhaps my videos of the Oregon Spread Offense (viewed two million times) frightened new coaches concerning what I would write or create?  I thought I was being a pretty good ambassador of Oregon football, but beginning with Taggart...they apparently disagreed.

The coaches clinic is in April, as it turns out.

 

Oregon Ducks Football Camps | University of Oregon Ducks

WWW.OREGONFOOTBALLCAMPS.COM

---

Oregon Ducks Football Camps are led by the Oregon Ducks Football coaching staff. Ducks camps are held at Autzen Stadium...

 

[Charles Fischer]

Well, a coach I know wrote about it on another site, so…?

[Annie]

On 3/19/2022 at 8:46 AM, Charles Fischer said:

Well, a coach I know wrote about it on another site, so…?

Maybe that coach can see into the future???

[Jon Joseph]

On 3/19/2022 at 4:04 PM, Annie said:

Maybe that coach can see into the future???

If so, he ought to be resident in Las Vegas?

[Charles Fischer]

On 3/19/2022 at 1:04 PM, Annie said:

Maybe that coach can see into the future???

In retrospect, I recall that coach and others explaining of how the Oregon coaching staff would have "open" times in February where you could come by and visit, and the Coaches Clinic was in March.  Perhaps that got moved to March/April and his post on the other site was about his recent visit?

 

I have no explanation...since I cannot attend them anymore.  However I will yield to your proof...:) 

[McDuck]

Perhaps they were referring to the Nike clinic?

 

 

[Mike West]

When Bama "graduates their stars", they simply reload. Same with Georgia, Clemson and UGA ( though last year was a bit different). 

 

What seems to be on our minds is the question of reload or reboot. Do we have enough talent to simply reload?  Not an an elite level.  

 

Injuries left OBD down to walk ons in some cases, and third string players in others.  And the eye test appears deceiving when it comes to the theft in Columbus. 

 

It also seems apparent motivation was a factor the last month of the season.  So, "what kind of talent do we really have" is front and center on our minds.

 

Uncertainty definitely breeds fear.  That's why faith matters.  

 

We have a new coach.  Untested, from the other side if the world, with a mix of players deemed unproven.  This clearly stokes fear from afar.  

 

I get the tempered expectations in the face of these "facts".  Everything is brand new.  That can be a curse, or a cure.  We just don't know.

 

That's why I encourage you to follow Kool Aide Mike.  After all, we can't lose till we lose, right??

 

Hopium and homerism.  It works until it doesn't.  

 

That's my story and I'm sticking with it.  

 

Go Ducks. 

[LADuck]

Ducks have a lot of talent but agree not at an elite level. They will easily win the North and be a 5 point dog to Utah for the P12 Championship. Like this year there will be way more Ute fans at the game which means drink lines will not be crowded which is a plus.

 

Ducks get revenge and beat them by 13 points and just miss being a playoff team. The 17 point loss to Georgia in the first game just a little too much to overcome.

 

Overall a great year with awesome things to follow.

Edited March 20, 2022 by LADuck

[Viking Duck]

On 3/19/2022 at 5:42 PM, Mike West said:

That's why I encourage you to follow Kool Aide Mike.  After all, we can't lose till we lose, right??

 

Hopium and homerism.  It works until it doesn't. 

Haha that makes me think of back when I really really loved college football and the Ducks were my team, around the Jorgensen/Miller era. I had a lot of hopium and homerism at the beginning of every season