1Funduck No. 1 Share Posted December 24, 2022 I was raised around commercial fishing and found I still have a very eerie calling for it. It's a long lost friend calling to me from just out of site whenever I smell the sea air. I reminisce about being woken at 4:00am to go and set scows, while the tide was in, so that we had 'tubs' to fill with oysters we picked. I hated getting up that early as a teenager but I now find myself yearning for 'just one more tide'. My grandfather has long passed away and most of the family has either sold off or just plain moved away. I'm not sad for the ending, I'm incredibly grateful for the journey. I swam in live Sand Dollar beds where these 'black', not white, creatures would stand on their side to eat. It was old hat to a teenager. It simply was a break from working the tide. Since my coming of age, the realization that the family business could only support so few left nearly all of my cousins to find other work, myself included. The rules had changed. No longer was Land cheap enough to buy and support a family. Big money wanted beach front property in the Puget Sound and our generation was priced out. I have since taken the work ethic my father has instilled in me so long ago, waking at anywhere from 12:00am-4:00am working the tides, to starting my own business, at 17 years of age, and not looking back. It's been a long road full of fulfillment with training my children the value of 'getting up early' and going to work. And, I get to work with 2 of my adult children every week, a true blessing. This brings me to Alabama. For so long, there have only been a few sitting at the top of CFB. Their recruiting has been legendary. Whether it be U$C, tOSU, Georgia, Alabama, or any of the top tier schools, it's been a crowded group with an occasional hopeful little brother within striking distance. But, the Tides are changing. It's interesting about a tide. You don't see the mean low tide, you only know it's happening by looking at the Tide Book and your watch. You can't see the water moving back in but if you wait a few minutes then you realize you are standing in a skim of water. You are still at peak working conditions. Alabama has just recruited a powerhouse class. To be fair, the top 15 schools all look the same. But, make no mistake, the Tide is changing. The Portal is changing everything. Alabama transfers to Oregon and to other BIG12 schools. The sheer number is astounding. AtM is no different. While the Powerhouses of football will, by and large, not change overall, the cluster at the top is going to get huge IMO. The turnaround for any of these teams to be a contender will be astounding. Tennessee proved it can be done. Texas and U$C jumped in winning this past year due as well. Washington was pathetic last year and was 1 game from winning a trip to Vegas, and so was Or. ST. Will Alabama continue to vie for a NC? You bet! Will they win back to back championships in the future? It's possible but highly unlikely. I would venture that the Tide has changed for all of CFB. The reshuffle every year from the Portal and with truck loads of cash is truly leveling the playing field. You can't quite see it yet, just like the turn of the tide, but it will start to rush in and it will overtake us and force us to readjust. You can't stop the tide, you can only hope to beat it. Alabama is NOT done. But, Alabama's days are numbered as being at the top year in and year out. Nick Saban loathes the Portal. It's simply a matter of time before he succumbs to the tide as well. Best for them to enjoy what time they have left. It won't be long before a different conference wins it all and it just might be a year or two in between Championships. It might be a year or two between the SEC having a Championship! The Tides, they be a changin'. It would behoove them all to learn how to swim. Right now, we are Ducks out of water but, Ducks are great swimmers. ......Tide is coming in. 1 1 4 5 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ktmguy2018 No. 2 Share Posted December 24, 2022 Well said! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrw Moderator No. 3 Share Posted December 24, 2022 Nice piece of writing, 1Funduck, very evocative. Well done. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fischer Administrator No. 4 Share Posted December 24, 2022 Well, I don't know. I say that because I look at how CFB has changed with the portal, NIL and crazy contracts, but look who is still at the top? Saban has adapted and flourished despite the changes, IMHO. He will win another 'Natty yet, IMHO. When I see people wring their hands at how hard it is for Oregon...I just shrug. We are killing-it in the portal, and our recruiting just tied (and will probably beat in February) the all-time best recruiting record for a new coach at Oregon after his first year. I do not like the changes either, but the teams that adapt the best....and the Ducks along with Alabama have? What happened at Washington and Oregon State is simply a coaching miracle in college football--they adjusted well too. Good stuff to ponder... 1 Mr. FishDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Funduck Author No. 5 Share Posted December 24, 2022 On 12/24/2022 at 8:49 AM, Charles Fischer said: Well, I don't know. I say that because I look at how CFB has changed with the portal, NIL and crazy contracts, but look who is still at the top? Saban has adapted and flourished despite the changes, IMHO. He will win another 'Natty yet, IMHO. When I see people wring their hands at how hard it is for Oregon...I just shrug. We are killing-it in the portal, and our recruiting just tied (and will probably beat in February) the all-time best recruiting record for a new coach at Oregon after his first year. I do not like the changes either, but the teams that adapt the best....and the Ducks along with Alabama have? What happened at Washington and Oregon State is simply a coaching miracle in college football--they adjusted well too. Good stuff to ponder... I'm going to respectfully disagree with your assessment about the Northern schools. OSU is being built slowly and methodically. Their defensive line was notable all year. UW is righting the ship. I want to spank those puppies every year but they are not hapless anymore. Miracle? For UW I think not. OSU should have lost by a ton, but their team is getting methodically better. They are a QB away as their bowl proved. Current QB is getting a ton better. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fischer Administrator No. 6 Share Posted December 24, 2022 On 12/24/2022 at 9:20 AM, 1Funduck said: I'm going to respectfully disagree with your assessment about the Northern schools. No sweat, and that is the perfect way to say it. Oregon State was incredibly bad three years ago, and I thought Washington would go 6-6 or 7-5 this year. I did not see Penix coming, and was surprised at how well the Huskies were coached. Both to me are "miracle-coaching" examples, the way Oregon used to be. And if we develop the new classes of 4/5-Star players the way we used to develop 3-Star players, (as Oregon State, Washington and Utah have done) then we could be formidable. But I do agree with your basic premise of how everything has changed to give more schools a chance to improve. Without the portal...the miracles at Corvallis and Seattle could not have happened. Fun to ponder, and thanks for starting the thread. Mr. FishDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duck Fan 76 No. 7 Share Posted December 24, 2022 On 12/24/2022 at 9:20 AM, 1Funduck said: They are a QB away as their bowl proved. If the rumors are to be believed... D.J. Uiagalelei To Transfer To Oregon State OREGONSTATE.RIVALS.COM Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei will transfer to Oregon State... The Beavers just became a formidable opponent in the PAC. Good thing we play them in Autzen in 2023. Think we will get to see some brother-on-brother violence? That would be super fitting for the civil war. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
OregonDucks No. 8 Share Posted December 24, 2022 I also respectfully disagree with the OP’s premise. Alabama killed it on the recruiting front this year and Nick Saban has shown an ability to adopt. With NIL, I believe that the top teams and those with well-funded and organized NIL collectives will further separate themselves from the pack. The top teams are not going anywhere. Hopefully, Oregon will be a part of this group. If Oregon can consistently sign top 10 classes, the team’s success should come down to player development and coaching. Let’s hope that Dan Lanning can become the coach we all think he can and hire great assistance coaches. The transfer portal will enable a team a quick turnaround (e.g., USC) and bring some of those top recruits that couldn’t sign them out of high school (e.g., Oregon State). However, if those players were starting and thriving at one of the top schools, how many would be looking for an opportunity elsewhere? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Ducker1 No. 9 Share Posted December 24, 2022 Nick has an ability to recruit 2 and 3 deep, I wouldn't ever count them out of the running. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
OregonDucks No. 10 Share Posted December 24, 2022 On 12/24/2022 at 11:29 AM, 1Ducker1 said: Nick has an ability to recruit 2 and 3 deep, I wouldn't ever count them out of the running. And he is the best college football coach ever, IMO. The question is - who does Alabama hire, when/if Saban ever decides to retire, and can they maintain what Saban has built? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fischer Administrator No. 11 Share Posted December 24, 2022 On 12/24/2022 at 12:32 PM, OregonDucks said: The question is - who does Alabama hire, when/if Saban ever decides to retire, and can they maintain what Saban has built? A terrible job to take except for the buy-out money when you get fired. The best coach after Tom Osborne at Nebraska was Frank Solich, who was fired...Solich's 58 wins during his first six seasons as Nebraska's head coach exceeded those of his predecessors, Bob Devaney (53 wins) and Osborne (55 wins), both of whom are in the College Football Hall of Fame. Gene Bartow after John Wooden... Mr. FishDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasDuck No. 12 Share Posted December 25, 2022 Calling my shot on Saban’s successor - Lane Kiffin. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartan2785 No. 13 Share Posted December 25, 2022 I would respectfully disagree, Bama has gone to the portal for specific needs, they don't need to go wild bringing in 10+ guys because they already have the dudes they need to win, they just need to pick the cream of the crop to fill in specific needs. You'll see these teams go for quality over quantity. Look at Georgia they just went to the portal for a couple of WRs from SEC schools, if there was one area where they probably could use a talent upgrade it was WR. What we will see are dramatic changes in fortune for various teams as they deal with roster turnover both negative and positive. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Marsh No. 14 Share Posted December 25, 2022 On 12/24/2022 at 11:29 AM, 1Ducker1 said: Nick has an ability to recruit 2 and 3 deep, I wouldn't ever count them out of the running. I think that's the big deal here ... Building a roster that is reliably two or three deep is becoming harder to do. That talent that knows they'd be starting for other schools isn't waiting their turn on the bench anymore ... They're leaving to go start at another school. We just grabbed two of these players from Bama this cycle a reciever and DB. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Funduck Author No. 15 Share Posted December 25, 2022 On 12/24/2022 at 9:13 PM, David Marsh said: That talent that knows they'd be starting for other schools isn't waiting their turn on the bench anymore ... They're leaving to go start at another school. Well stated. This is the point I was trying to convey. There will be a lot more schools vying for Championships due to a spreading around of the talent. Alabama will continue to be great but they are about to get claustrophobic with all the schools vying for Championships. It won't be long. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fischer Administrator No. 16 Share Posted December 25, 2022 But Nick is using that turnover to his advantage; Kadyn Proctor was swayed because they had a bunch of the three-deep leave via the Portal, and thus made his chance at starting easier. Nick recruited to the holes created by the portal to his advantage... He's a damn good coach when he wins both ways--no matter what happens or what rules emerge. Mr. FishDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Marsh No. 17 Share Posted December 25, 2022 On 12/24/2022 at 9:24 PM, Charles Fischer said: But Nick is using that turnover to his advantage; Kadyn Proctor was swayed because they had a bunch of the three-deep leave via the Portal, and thus made his chance at starting easier. Nick recruited to the holes created by the portal to his advantage... He's a damn good coach when he wins both ways--no matter what happens or what rules emerge. Saban might deplore the portal... But he still knows how to use it and he will take full advantage of it. I think 10 years ago coaches, including Saban, would be appalled by how coaches are pushing players out of their respective programs today. But this isn't 2012 ... It's 2022 and the game has changed so much that pushing players into the portal to enable new talent is common place. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Log Haulin No. 18 Share Posted December 25, 2022 Division Street will level up Oregon. Between NIL, portal and recruiting, Ducks are going to have huge talent by year 3. 2 years and Ducks are competing for NC. Lanning will also get better this off season One school ran away with the best National Signing Day WWW.MSN.COM Money talks, as the saying goes. And nowhere does it talk louder in college football than at Oregon. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
