All Activity

I can't disagree with this, other than to say no defensive scheme is perfect, but there should be other schemes that are more net positive. I was hopeful DL would return from the Seahawks with Mike MacDonald's defensive playbook, but maybe all he really did was stand on the sidelines and watch them practice.

The following freshmen got their first meaningful snaps against Nebraska and contributed significantly towards our win: Tommy Tofi LT went in a left guard in the 4th quarter and immediately we could run to the left inside again. Brandon Smith RB had the best yards per carry of our RBs by a mile, somewhat due to better circumstances, but he clearly has a different running style with much more explosive one step change of direction than Davison and Hill. Devin Jackson Safety who had solid tackles and no coverage breakdowns filling in for Flowers alongside Benjamin. Jalen Lott WR many clutch plays and is immediately the best at getting separation on this team. Likely to be more productive than Stewart has been assuming he can get and stay healthy. He's the next Tez Johnson. Bair is turning into a special teams nightmare on kick coverage for opposing teams. He has struggled to be effective as a WR so far, but hopefully he continues to develop there. Anybody else I missed?

Honestly I think you can make a better argument it's his worst coaching job for the season, with the caveat that the USC game may have been his best single game performance as a coach and leader of young men. However I have to ask the question, "Does this team look well-coached?". To me the answer is no. The team looked totally unprepared for the Okie St and UCLA games, the latter coming off a bye week. Lanning's in-game decisions haven't been great either. In Stillwater he went for a long 4th down in our own territory with over 8 minutes to go and down a single score. In the UCLA game his decision to go for a 2-point conversion early in the first quarter kept us from OT or a chance to WIN the game outright. He left Raiola in too long against UCLA and he left Thomas in too long against Nebraska. Speaking of the Nebraska game, he could have just run out the clock before halftime, essentially gifting a possession and consequent TD to Nebraska. The way our offense played in that first half there's barely a non-zero chance we move the ball down the field for a quick score before halftime. How about his off-season personnel hires? It's admirable to promote within whenever possible, but with or without Dante Moore this offense has taken a huge step backwards. Results matter. Oh yeah we're also unranked for the first time in DL's tenure and all but mathematically eliminated from the playoff in October. I'm not a hater and I still think DL could be an elite coach for us, but he's not there yet. I trust my eyes on this one.

Since PSU my eye test disagrees with your eye test. Maybe it's down to our assumption of how good our competitors offenses are and how many opportunities they are having to score on us. I think USC has a top 5 offense, UCLA has a top 30 offense and Nebraska has a top 40 offense. And there were given an absolute ton of possessions by our non-complimentary offense. My eyes tell me this is defense is as good as the 2019 Avalos defense with a worse scheme. I expect us to be even better by the end of the year.

Benning’s comments speak to the truth about actually playing in the game. It was hard fought, and balanced on who saw and adjusted the quickest to what the other was doing. But most of all, who fought the hardest to win the 4th quarter. I’ll accept that opinion over all the negativity.

Nothing beats his coaching against the Buckeye's at Autzen, especially the final minute.

Guess it bears repeating as often as needed: “A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.” - Winston Churchill Receivers are dependent on quarterback health. Not been the best year for that, and staying focused through some frustration is required. That’s what Dakotan has done and Evan hasn’t. By the way, thought DM separated quite nicely.

They're adults making a combined several million dollars.

Best coaching job yet? I can’t say that I agree with that. The time outs at the end of the first half were head scratchers given how the offense had played up to that point. They made it possible for Nebraska to score in a game where points were at a premium. Also, Lanning waited way too long to put in Raiola. It worked out, but I can think of several games where I thought Lanning coached better.

Maybe UO could sponsor a Chris Brown concert or something similar to keep these young men out of trouble after the game.

SPD reports make no reference to street racing..., in fact, Oregonian article reports SPD says any connection to street racing allegations were "unfounded".

Winners and Losers from Week 7 - In CFB, it helps to have a dual-threat QB - Ask Kirby Smart and Steve Sarkisian https://www.yardbarker.com/college_football/articles/cfb_week_7_winners_losers_sec_eating_itself_byus_major_statement_and_more/s1_13132_44441362?utm_source=mb&utm_medium=email&mb_edition=20261019&mb_loc=left_

During our Oklahoma game the start time was 7 am, Pacific. Players (and coaches) probably had to get up at 3 am Pacific or even earlier to start game preparations. I challenge readers to start their day at 3 am and see how well they do. If you are an athlete, get up at 3 am (or 4 or 5) and do your normal run, etc., at 7 am and see how your performance changes. You probably won’t break any personal records. Going east is a lot harder than going west.

Sounds like somebody was out celebrating mediocrity after an uninspired win over a troubled team. I think our coach needs to stop accepting mediocrity himself and start holding these kids accountable to the championship standard their talent is capable of reaching. They should be staying humble, keeping their noses to the grindstone, and constantly striving for more.

Oof! 😆

Now that’s funny!

Lanning did gamble and fail in the first two games, with 0-6 4th down conversion record. Worst one by far was the 4th-and-8 at the our own 33-yard line in Q4 of the OSU game which arguably cost us the chance to win. But I see that he cleaned things up in the Nebeska game, going for it only when it makes sense, with a 3 for 3 record on 4th downs. He clearly was a much more conservative coach in that game. Glad he listened to criticisms. The only coaching flaw in that game was changing QB late, but fortunately not too late for us to beat the sleepy cornhusks.

If Oregon’s receivers were street racing, they would have been caught. We all know they can’t separate from anyone.

What! Me Worry? 😁'Something' is Missing from Every Team. SIForde-Yard Dash: The College Football Season Is Slipping...The losses and problems are piling up for some preseason title contenders approaching the critical stretch of the season.

Odds for the Illinois Game - Ducks favored by 12.5? OBD has covered twice in six games this season. Oregon Ducks On SIOregon vs. Illinois Betting Odds Come With Warning Sign f...After a narrow 17-14 win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers at home in Autzen Stadium, the Ducks head on the road to start a crucial lineup of games that will determ

More coming!

What punishment does Dan Lanning give to Evan Stewart? Nothing, if we use the example of Rashaad Samples with his DUI from last summer. These players, especially the stars make a lot of NIL money. He had choices, take a cab, take an uber. He has already seriously damaged his draft value. Next man up IMHO.

Does Kirby Smart have control of his Georgia team?

This wired (un)social media world takes what may be a fact and turns it into a legion of troubles and worries. This is not new for our species; gossip doesn't need an accelerator. It's children playing the game of Telephone. And the media that used to be a guardian of reporting the truth simply wants to be the first to report and damn the consequences. All of the above may be true, but get the facts; facts are inconvenient things.

I have challenges with this defense. Are they as good as I thought they would be? I watch a game with my heart in my throat, convinced this unit is hanging on by a thread. Then I analyze the box score and find out they statistically dominated. This is the paradox of the 2026 Oregon Ducks defense. Entering this season, DL’s unit carried massive hype as a potential all-time great group. Six games into the season, sitting at 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the Big Ten, I think we have enough tape and data to ask the ultimate question: Is this defense actually an elite, championship-caliber machine, or are they a vulnerable unit getting saved by a few star players? To find the answer, I had to put aside the “eye test” in favor of statistics. So, what did I learn? I am going to share it with you! If you are a pure data analyst who evaluates football strictly from a spreadsheet, the metrics paint the picture of a highly disciplined, efficient unit that ruthlessly terminates opposing drives. Third-Down Dominance: Statistically, Oregon boasts one of the most lockdown defensive units in the country when everything is on the line. They have limited opposing offenses to a measly 25.8% conversion rate. This tells a story of a defense that knows exactly how to get off the field when it matters most. Trench Warfare Efficiency: The math absolutely loves Oregon’s front. Opponents are averaging just 3.4 yards per carry against the Ducks. They have managed 13 sacks on the year, and this defense has successfully squeezed opposing rushing attacks down to a strict, predictable crawl. The Big Ten Blueprint: If you look strictly at the final scores of conference play, holding USC to 27, limiting UCLA to 17, and grinding out a brutal, offensively ugly 17-14 win over Nebraska, the statistics suggest a championship-caliber team that strangles the game in the second half. What about the "eye test"? Now, I shut off my laptop and turn on the tape, and watch the game. My eyes will tell me a completely different, much more chaotic story. Watching this team live is a paradox between a vulnerable unit that is capable of elite flashes but frequently looks prone to collapsing entirely. Maybe this explains my rise in blood pressure. Against Nebraska, the eye test saw an Oregon defense trapped on the field for nearly 19 agonizing minutes in the first half alone. Because the Ducks' offense couldn't sustain drives, the defense was forced to scratch, claw, and looked physically exhausted before halftime even arrived. Then, we have my secondary anxiety. While the defensive line features absolute physical marvels, watching the game reveals a secondary that makes me hold my breath. We see flashes of brilliance and then the Ducks give up massive chunk plays through the air. They are routinely allowing opposing quarterbacks to generate momentum on long-developing downfield concepts combined with scrambles that make me think the defense has their helmets on backwards. My eyes vividly remember the Oklahoma State game, where the defense simply looked lost, surrendering 39 points and over 550 total yards. The tape doesn't show a flawless machine; it shows a gritty, bend-but-don't-break unit surviving on pure elite individual talent on the defensive line rather than collective perfection. So, which one is it? Is the spreadsheet right, or are my eyes telling me the truth? The truth is right in the middle. The 2026 Oregon defense is not an all-time great, flawless unit, but it is an incredibly elite "clutch" defense. The statistics perfectly capture the moments where Oregon wins the situational chess match, like third downs and goal-line stands. Meanwhile, the eye test captures the stress of an inconsistent offense forcing this defense to play an unsustainable number of high-leverage snaps. This HAS to change. This unit has the playmakers that come alive and make incredible plays at times, and they will probably give me and fans a few more heart attacks before the season is over. But, when their backs are entirely against the wall, this group can refuse to break. And in the grueling Big Ten, that MIGHT just be enough.