Mario Cristobal: On the Verge of Superstardom?

[Charles Fischer]

Do you agree with this tweet below?  I do not until he returns the offense back to the productivity it had before he arrived.

"Mario Cristobal has held the Oregon Offense down better than any defense since Auburn of 2010!"  Duckpop22

Yes he can recruit players and coaches, but will they develop here, and not in the NFL?

[Duckpop22]

The end of the high-scoring era for the Ducks is something that isn't talked about enough. Are we suddenly recruiting "straight ahead, no fair dodgin' players", or has the scheme deteriorated the scoreboard that much?

[30Duck]

"On the verge of superstardom"  Yes, I believe he is on the verge. The two coaches above him on the list have had more success, though Riley hasn't done anything with the Sooners appearances in the Playoffs, and Day landed at Ohio State, which really is close to "Coach-proof", unless they hired Clay Helton. 

[nogerO]

I have a hard time with that.  Anyone who has that deer in the headlights look so much scares me.  I guess time will tell...

[ChicoDuck]

13 minutes ago, Duckpop22 said:

The end of the high-scoring era for the Ducks is something that isn't talked about enough. Are we suddenly recruiting "straight ahead, no fair dodgin' players", or has the scheme deteriorated the scoreboard that much?

How can one deteriorate a scoreboard that big?

[BigDucksFan]

"on the verge of superstardom?"

He could be if his OC and DC work out. So far we haven't seen that. One more year to see about the Offense, and two more to find out about the DC. Then we can decide. 

 

[RuletheGap]

I think he is on the verge, but it is highly dependent upon whether the O starts to cut like a hot knife through butter again.

I honestly think we were close last year, but Shough was not ready to make complex decisions under pressure, and that led to more mind numbing A Gap dives.

What I find interesting is Alabama will run a version of the pistol in the same situations, with far better results. I'm not sure what to make of it.

 

[BigDucksFan]

10 minutes ago, RuletheGap said:

What I find interesting is Alabama will run a version of the pistol in the same situations, with far better results. I'm not sure what to make of it.

Interesting observation. 

[Duckdude]

I hope it’s true,.........but, I haven’t seen anything to convince me that it’s true.

[1Funduck]

I remember, not so long ago, Oregon would score in the first 2-3  minutes of seemingly every game. The plays were simple but they were 25 seconds between snaps. Even simple would get 18 year old Kids heads spinning and create confusion. 120 seconds later?.........TD! Can we get some of Dat?

[30Duck]

When I say that I think Cristobal "is on the verge" I look at two time defending conference champion, a Rose Bowl win, upgrades in replacing coaches, building a positive culture, the best recruiting ever seen at Oregon. The only Pac-12 teams to recruit better were Carroll's USC teams.

 Now, if he would just get out of the offense's way.

[RatherBe]

Yes, Mario is on the verge of superstardom. If he had better game management against Oregon State and Cal the Ducks would have been walking into the Fiesta Bowl with a storyline of “Undefeated Oregon snubbed by Playoff Committee” instead of the default Pac-12 Champs. At that point they would have been 6-0, and 21-2 dating back to the last loss of 2018. 

However, as Kayvon Thibodeaux’s grandma would say “if ifs were fifths we’d all be drunk.”

That’s the key. A lot of ifs left on the table and extra Ls in the record book. I would venture to say that out of Cristobal’s nine losses almost all were the result of bad game management: 2018 Stanford, 2018 Utah, 2019 Auburn, 2020 Oregon State, 2020 Cal. 

That will be the key going forward, will the in game coaching be at a high level? Settling for field goals on 4th and goal, punting from midfield in the fourth quarter, becoming too conservative with leads are all things that are concerning to me. The inability to put an opponent out of their misery is the anchor of this teams potential. 

The very promising things outweigh the negative. There has only been one entirely inexplicable result, 2018 Arizona. Slow starts a few times as well, but the team rallied in those. The hire of Joe Moorhead is a fantastic move, and Andy Avalos was as well. The number one thing though is the recruiting. It’s more important than ever, top talent is being consolidated at the top unlike ever before. The lack of talent at key spots and depth overall is what really hurt the program, and Cristobal has done as well as one could hope to get Oregon up a tier. This is the number one factor to being a consistently elite program. 

I am not entirely sold on Cristobal yet. I’m giving him a partial mulligan for 2020, and I’m as excited for the future of the program as I was at this time last year. Taking a look at the college football landscape and Mario is positioned as well as anyone to be the next star coach. It’s going to take some luck, and things outside of Oregon’s control. Mostly he’s got to be better at game management, you can’t lose to inferior teams because you’re afraid of losing to them and play conservatively.

[Charles Fischer]

2 minutes ago, RatherBe said:

However, as Kayvon Thibodeaux’s grandma would say “if ifs were fifths we’d all be drunk.”

OK...I have not heard that about his grandmother, but that is epic and true!

[47sgs]

I want badly for Cristobal to succeed, to be that super star coach, and maybe he will.  But as a spoiled fan that remembers the Kelly, Helfrich years, I also want to be entertained.  So Woody Hayes 3 yards and a cloud of dust power football just isn't entertaining to me.  Even if Cristobal is highly successful playing power football, there will be an exit of interested fans, probably me included.  Oregon's fourth quarter play offensively has been conservative, boring and pathetic.  To be that super star coach, he needs an aggressive, imaginative offense for a full four quarters that isn't afraid to try to put teams away, and someone that can manage the end of a game. 

[woundedknees]

I would love to see a show of the faster offense Mario has hinted he is looking for. Getting opposing defenses on their heels early and often is huge!

[Notalot]

No. Not yet. But I hope MC gets there.

SS recruiter. Mediocre game planner and on- field game coach. He works hard and shows growth. The next 3 years will reveal the truth.

[BigDucksFan]

7 hours ago, RatherBe said:

Yes, Mario is on the verge of superstardom. If he had better game management against Oregon State and Cal the Ducks would have been walking into the Fiesta Bowl with a storyline of “Undefeated Oregon snubbed by Playoff Committee” instead of the default Pac-12 Champs. At that point they would have been 6-0, and 21-2 dating back to the last loss of 2018. 

However, as Kayvon Thibodeaux’s grandma would say “if ifs were fifths we’d all be drunk.”

That’s the key. A lot of ifs left on the table and extra Ls in the record book. I would venture to say that out of Cristobal’s nine losses almost all were the result of bad game management: 2018 Stanford, 2018 Utah, 2019 Auburn, 2020 Oregon State, 2020 Cal. 

That will be the key going forward, will the in game coaching be at a high level? Settling for field goals on 4th and goal, punting from midfield in the fourth quarter, becoming too conservative with leads are all things that are concerning to me. The inability to put an opponent out of their misery is the anchor of this teams potential. 

The very promising things outweigh the negative. There has only been one entirely inexplicable result, 2018 Arizona. Slow starts a few times as well, but the team rallied in those. The hire of Joe Moorhead is a fantastic move, and Andy Avalos was as well. The number one thing though is the recruiting. It’s more important than ever, top talent is being consolidated at the top unlike ever before. The lack of talent at key spots and depth overall is what really hurt the program, and Cristobal has done as well as one could hope to get Oregon up a tier. This is the number one factor to being a consistently elite program. 

I am not entirely sold on Cristobal yet. I’m giving him a partial mulligan for 2020, and I’m as excited for the future of the program as I was at this time last year. Taking a look at the college football landscape and Mario is positioned as well as anyone to be the next star coach. It’s going to take some luck, and things outside of Oregon’s control. Mostly he’s got to be better at game management, you can’t lose to inferior teams because you’re afraid of losing to them and play conservatively.

I like your take on the subject RatherBe. Keep posting as I like your writings. 

[BigDucksFan]

6 hours ago, 47sgs said:

I want badly for Cristobal to succeed, to be that super star coach, and maybe he will.  But as a spoiled fan that remembers the Kelly, Helfrich years, I also want to be entertained.  So Woody Hayes 3 yards and a cloud of dust power football just isn't entertaining to me.  Even if Cristobal is highly successful playing power football, there will be an exit of interested fans, probably me included.  Oregon's fourth quarter play offensively has been conservative, boring and pathetic.  To be that super star coach, he needs an aggressive, imaginative offense for a full four quarters that isn't afraid to try to put teams away, and someone that can manage the end of a game. 

I agree with your observations 47sgs, however if Cristobal is highly successful playing power football, I would think the thing that might help keep you and other interested fans around is - - - - "winning". 

[47sgs]

9 hours ago, BigDucksFan said:

I agree with your observations 47sgs, however if Cristobal is highly successful playing power football, I would think the thing that might help keep you and other interested fans around is - - - - "winning". 

That's true up to a point, but they're going to need to develop an interesting offense with a killer instinct to finish off an opponent to keep me, and a lot of fans truly motivated.  Fans come to games to be entertained.  It's not entertaining to watch 3 runs between tackles for maybe a first down, but it is entertaining to watch an imaginative offense where you never know what's coming .  Winning by 14-13 is still winning, but scoring 21 in the 4th quarter to put someone away is much more fun, exciting, and entertaining.  It also plays better on a national level.

[Charles Fischer]

41 minutes ago, 47sgs said:

Winning by 14-13 is still winning, but scoring 21 in the 4th quarter to put someone away is much more fun, exciting, and entertaining.  It also plays better on a national level.

Amen Duck-Brother!

[30Duck]

2 minutes ago, Charles Fischer said:

Amen Duck-Brother!

Yes, we go back to what Mario told us, that he would keep everything the same, just, "do it with bigger, better players". "Prevent offense" is not keeping everything the same. Scoring the 21 points in the 4th quarter to put the other team away is not only more entertaining than playing the clock out, it has fewer variables  that could trip you up. 

[EzDucksIt]

20 hours ago, RatherBe said:

Yes, Mario is on the verge of superstardom. If he had better game management against Oregon State and Cal the Ducks would have been walking into the Fiesta Bowl with a storyline of “Undefeated Oregon snubbed by Playoff Committee” instead of the default Pac-12 Champs. At that point they would have been 6-0, and 21-2 dating back to the last loss of 2018. 

However, as Kayvon Thibodeaux’s grandma would say “if ifs were fifths we’d all be drunk.”

That’s the key. A lot of ifs left on the table and extra Ls in the record book. I would venture to say that out of Cristobal’s nine losses almost all were the result of bad game management: 2018 Stanford, 2018 Utah, 2019 Auburn, 2020 Oregon State, 2020 Cal. 

That will be the key going forward, will the in game coaching be at a high level? Settling for field goals on 4th and goal, punting from midfield in the fourth quarter, becoming too conservative with leads are all things that are concerning to me. The inability to put an opponent out of their misery is the anchor of this teams potential. 

The very promising things outweigh the negative. There has only been one entirely inexplicable result, 2018 Arizona. Slow starts a few times as well, but the team rallied in those. The hire of Joe Moorhead is a fantastic move, and Andy Avalos was as well. The number one thing though is the recruiting. It’s more important than ever, top talent is being consolidated at the top unlike ever before. The lack of talent at key spots and depth overall is what really hurt the program, and Cristobal has done as well as one could hope to get Oregon up a tier. This is the number one factor to being a consistently elite program. 

I am not entirely sold on Cristobal yet. I’m giving him a partial mulligan for 2020, and I’m as excited for the future of the program as I was at this time last year. Taking a look at the college football landscape and Mario is positioned as well as anyone to be the next star coach. It’s going to take some luck, and things outside of Oregon’s control. Mostly he’s got to be better at game management, you can’t lose to inferior teams because you’re afraid of losing to them and play conservatively.

I am in agreement with the last paragraph here, especially the last sentence.  You can NOT expect to succeed or your team to excel, if you don't have the confidence in them or the coaching.  This is where Cristobal fails in my opinion.  Coach Saban, his former mentor, has to constantly replace coaches due to the success of his teams.  He is a "Next Coach Up" kind of guy.  Talent is NOT his problem as far as players and coaches, winning has seen to that.  I just hope that Cristobal does not become a Texas, USC, Tennessee or FSU that gets the recruits but can not put the leadership and coaching to lead them to success.

[EzDucksIt]

2 hours ago, 30Duck said:

Yes, we go back to what Mario told us, that he would keep everything the same, just, "do it with bigger, better players". "Prevent offense" is not keeping everything the same. Scoring the 21 points in the 4th quarter to put the other team away is not only more entertaining than playing the clock out, it has fewer variables  that could trip you up. 

What about giving the "next men up" the chance at some important game experience?  Trusting them to be ready for when a starter goes down, in the future.  Reps, is what coaches tells you, a player needs to get better.  That is part of the draw to a program, since the four game limit against eligibility started for freshman players.  Gave them a taste of college while coaches got glimpses of talent in games.  I would take 10 points from second and third string players along with giving up 7 points, it makes our future stronger.  Allows for talent evaluations while letting iron sharpen iron.

[BigDucksFan]

13 minutes ago, EzDucksIt said:

What about giving the "next men up" the chance at some important game experience?  Trusting them to be ready for when a starter goes down, in the future.  Reps, is what coaches tells you, a player needs to get better.  That is part of the draw to a program, since the four game limit against eligibility started for freshman players.  Gave them a taste of college while coaches got glimpses of talent in games.  I would take 10 points from second and third string players along with giving up 7 points, it makes our future stronger.  Allows for talent evaluations while letting iron sharpen iron.

Good point EzDucksit, Oregon could do a lot better at getting non first string players into the game to gain experience. I would like to see every QB coached to be very good at a couple of different plays, and used much like Brown was used last season. This would give them real game time experience that would help them improve even faster. 

[EzDucksIt]

5 minutes ago, BigDucksFan said:

Good point EzDucksit, Oregon could do a lot better at getting non first string players into the game to gain experience. I would like to see every QB coached to be very good at a couple of different plays, and used much like Brown was used last season. This would give them real game time experience that would help them improve even faster. 

My problem with the QB situation, is then you tell the opponent what may be coming, just like our Running Backs told teams what might be up.  And how many times, have we left a high level player in at "Garbage Time" just to get injured and lost for multiple games or the season.  I'm just a believer that MC sells opportunity to the kids but coaching lacks.  My impression is that they might not get enough reps on the field due to coaches corrections.  Where as Chip would get the film and correct in the classrooms, which allowed for many reps in the field.  

I just wish, we had Chips very well organized practices with Cristobals recruits.  But we really need coaches to start producing talent shortly or the recruits will give up on making it to the league, through Oregon.

[FishIceCream]

I will answer with a simple yes.

I hear all of the honest, heartfelt, and informed complaints that it's no longer the offensive circus it used to be under Chip Kelly.

But then we have the 2019-2020 statistics MC vs Kelly:

U of O 35 points per game / UCLA 27 points per game.

Yes, players have a factor in it, but who recruits the players?

My take is simple: If he continues to recruit like he has, and the team does not completely under-perform, some bigger program will make him an offer he can't refuse within a few years.

Then we can have the same debate about his replacement *grins!*

[30Duck]

1 hour ago, EzDucksIt said:

What about giving the "next men up" the chance at some important game experience? 

I am in favor of getting players experience. I would not employ it as end of game strategy though, unless you're talking up 21 with 3 minutes left. 

[RatherBe]

1 hour ago, FishIceCream said:

I will answer with a simple yes.

I hear all of the honest, heartfelt, and informed complaints that it's no longer the offensive circus it used to be under Chip Kelly.

But then we have the 2019-2020 statistics MC vs Kelly:

U of O 35 points per game / UCLA 27 points per game.

Yes, players have a factor in it, but who recruits the players?

My take is simple: If he continues to recruit like he has, and the team does not completely under-perform, some bigger program will make him an offer he can't refuse within a few years.

Then we can have the same debate about his replacement *grins!*

Great point. I, and most Oregon fans, are guilty of romanticizing the Chip era offenses. That was lightning in a bottle that the rest of football caught up with. Ohio State, Clemson, Oklahoma, and now Alabama have great offenses. While Chip has above average ones, Scott Frost has mediocre ones. What’s the commonality? Talent level. 
 

Here is another interesting stat: 

2009 Oregon: 36.1 PPG, 412 yards per game 6.1 yards per play.

2019 Oregon: 35.4 PPG, 435 yards per game, 6.4 yards per play.

The 2009 team averaged more points by virtue of 16/19 FG kicking, while 2019 was 9/16 and missed two extra points. 2019 only had one more non offensive TD.