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I believe that is a fair assessment. Below are examples of throwing a receiver open. It is difficult to execute because it requires precision, timing, trust and training (LOTS of training). But this is what it looks like when executed well. https://youtu.be/OHuSOwHA-9Y Here is another example... https://youtu.be/0wDRelNH8kw And here is one that is difficult to execute but displays why timing of the throw matters... https://youtu.be/RQqgcTQ44B0 Again, I agree with you. Raiola's strengths are throwing fade routes and he is more confident throwing to wide open receivers. That last pass of his is his hero ball complex. He was feeling it, so he went for it. It was a good example of an ad lib going well.

Oregon opens as two-score underdogs against Ohio State https://duckswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/ducks/football/2026/11/01/oregon-football-betting-preview-ohio-state/92549234007/

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I don't believe that Raiola's strengths are going through progressions and then finding the check down, if everyone is covered. To me, his strength is airing it out vertically. He is a gun slinger. A more simple offense, like a variation of Steve Spurrior's "fun n' gun" or the modern air raid offense (vs. a west-coast style offense).

An interception, down 6-27 at the half and the season could have gone full Hindenburg. Maybe not as epic as Kenny Wheaton but that could have been a program trajectory changing play.

Congrats to Mudslide and to the Duck offense for making my prediction way way off!

The "GO" on the glove is epic. Great photo! It also makes me love these uni's. I wasn't sure about them but I now love them. Oh how winning makes everything a little sweeter

I think his huge buy-out contract does not require him to seek another job. If so, I could see him just living off the $75M for the rest of his life.

As we know, the score was 34-26 Ducks, and the closest to that was Mudslide, with a prediction of 38-28, a total of only six points off! What was surprising, yet not surprising with how the season had been going, was how we set a record for the number of predictions for the opponent. Out of 41 entries, we had a stunning 19 of them selecting Northwestern to win. After last week's game...who can blame them? Such an entertaining game and sweet victory....and congrats again to long-time OBD forum member Mudslide, for his winning prediction! Another cool photo that I can't get the forum software to fit....with more time and money spent....maybe I can!

Thank you. This is truly a great article and post game report! The difference in vibe and crowd energy in last two quarters was palpable... Great comeback win.

It is very kind of you to notice, and to acknowledge how it looks. I think that a lot of the background pictures are cool, but I never know if others share the same opinion. I am having a heck-of-a-time with the forum software in trying to crop and fit the photos, and it has cost me a bunch of money thus far--and I'm still a long ways off. I will be doing an online meeting again with the web developer in England to try to figure it out. I have a bunch more cool ones...but I can't get them to fit. The photographer, Gary Breedlove, is a professional photographer who has shot photos for the AP in the past, and had tons of photos used in newspaper/websites around the world. He is semi-retired now, and shooting for us for fun....and I really appreciate it. There is a ton of background time and money spent (by me) to keep things up and going well. I like the recent changes of a more transparent site, but boy it cost me a bunch with more to figure out. Thanks again for noticing and commenting! Charles One of the other photos that I can't get to fit right with the software yet....

Lott saved DR from that stupid throw. The DB has an 8-yard cushion, and the safety is playing over the top. DR just decides he is going lob one up. I don't think Dante with his arm could have rifled one into Lott on the run before the safety got over. Plays like this is why Lanning wants to keep QB's on a leash.

I agree. He has issues and he is not eilte. I'm not saying the kid is bad, he threw great fades and with protection had some good down field throws. He can make off platform throws, like dropping down side-arm, and back foot with a dude in his face. But I think it has made him lazy with this footwork. Mahomes makes a lot of those same throws, but when he has time, he gets his feet right and rips it. Raiola, I see too often being lazy with his feet when he should be set up and driving the ball. He also seems to throw quite a bit of wobblers. He football IQ needs work as well. Last week he threw into four defenders over three WR's trying to get Moore the ball, but he had better numbers on the other side. I get we were short on WR's and he wants to get Dak the ball, but he had the first down on the other side. On the swinging gate play everyone hated, he had three defenders over five. We had four guys to block three and Dak behind them set up, instead he motioned Dak over into that run play where we had bad numbers. We'd caught them napping and we probably gave up a TD on that play; you don't get a better set up than that for Dak. I've seen him miss wide open guys on his reads every game. He had JJ for a TD and missed him this game, wasn't even looking at him. I think we need to go to the Portal and get another starting QB, if Raiola stays then they can compete for QB1 next year.

That was a great catch on an almost sure interception! It did save the game..other plays did too, but that interception would have cooked our Ducks.

I saw that too. The only thing he lacks is breakaway speed, he is really slow, but he's got everything else you look for. I think Hill and Davison's running style are too similar, one cut straight ahead. Some games that will work great, but other games you need the extra lateral agility and vision. Verdell and Dye were an underrated RB duo for that reason that their styles were so different. If one was struggling the other would have success depending on the chemistry between the defensive scheme and the offensive blocking.

Hampton has us sitting 10th in the BIG1 in pass efficiency defense and 39th in the nation on the NCAA site. He also has us sitting 52nd in Total Defense. Tosh had us 7th by Fox Sports metric and 12th by Sports Reference at the end of last year. We've gone from an elite defense to average. NCAA College Football FBS current team Stats | NCAA.com

I think the Vegas line makes sense at -10.5 Ohio State. Coming off a bye week way far on the road as a late game in the rain with a new QB. It was like a bowl game where one team doesn't show up. Now OSU is angry will get back in their groove at home with their backs against the wall to stay in the playoffs. Also we had a new OC, and Patricia now has a week to game plan against him, the NW didn't. I'm pretty sure we will show up this game and play hard, and the OL finally looks up to the task, but some play calling regression by Jay and a poor outing by Raiola is still in the cards. Our biggest hope is for OSU to have another mediocre offensive performance, with our defense playing their best game of the year, learning from what USC did.

I just have to say that this is a great image of Dak in the background. Props to the camera work and to Charles for putting it up!

Odds are stacked against us for a win. OSU has not lost two in a row in conference play since around 2013. Oregon has not won two in a row since entering conference play 2026. Meaningless stats but it's all I got. 😃 I think they have a better chance than MC did in 2021.

After rewatching some highlights. I think the momentum swing happened with the great catch by Jalen Lott on the TD drive just before half. That play was destined to be a bad interception giving the ball back with good field position with a minute or so to go already down 6-20. Instead Lott not only snatches the ball away from the defender but snatched the teams mojo back from the trash bin. After that play Raiola went back to USC form delivering strikes all over the field as the offense finally came back to life. A tale of two halves. A tale of two teams and I think that play was the dividing line. Great game. Go Ducks!

Excellent point. The adversity is hitting the coaches hardest, because it's blatantly obvious the underperformance this year is all their fault. The talent is here to have been 8-0, but instead it's 5-3.

Yes I think a loss to Oregon would end their playoff hopes. It would probaly put them up against a possible 3 loss Texas, Ol Miss, and/or Alabama. Plus no Big 10 champ game.

I love the optimistic outlook on this........ True, loyal ODB fans will appreciate that optimism. Those that jumped off the bandwagon, not so much. Sometimes obstacles are too difficult to overcome. Or the odds are stacked too heavy in the other direction. Just a few things need to happen to make this a reality. First, somebody needs to beat Indiana to hang that 2nd loss on the Hoosiers. Go USC???? Second, somebody needs to beat Illinois, so they have a 3rd loss. Third, the Ducks must win out. OBD's strength of schedule will be critical in tie breakers. UCLA must win out. A 2 point, self inflicted loss to a top 5 team will strengthen the Ducks schedule number. This is a possible scenario in this years chaos in college football. The only intangible in my mind is how up are the players to do the one thing that is in their control? Win out. I would love this to happen for a few reasons. First and foremost for DL, the staff, the players and the loyal fans. Second, i would enjoy asking my so called Duck fan friends why they gave up on OBD's. The team hasn't quit, why have the fans? My son, who lives just outside of Dallas, Texas, flies out for each home game. My friends felt it wasn't worth driving down from Portland......GEEZ Go Ducks! Prove them doubters, wrong! Last night's team effort can beat any team the Ducks play.

If we win out, we need help in this way: Indiana has one conference loss, so we need them to accumulate one more. A loss to USC would be fabulous (which I think is their next game) because that puts them at 2 conference losses. Both would be to teams that we have beaten so OBD would own the tiebreaker. UCLA has no losses and would own the head to head against us, I "think" they would have to drop 3 of their next 4. Again, moot point if OBD doesn't win out, but there is some hope to be had!

Photos from the game Photos from Oregon's come-from-behind win over Northwestern 3* Brandon Smith showed his star power. Freshman RB Brandon Smith steps up for Oregon Ducks in win over Northwestern