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Zac brings on Voice of the Ducks and Oregon legend Jerry Allen, and the two discuss the biggest surprises so far through the first three weeks, and where the Ducks go from here. Allen breaks down what he most wants to see from Oregon this week against the USC Trojans, and predicts what we will see on Saturday. 0:41 Intro 2:05 Biggest Surprises 6:40 The USC Rivalry 10:10 Defensive Line Questions 14:05 Saturday’s Keys

Over in the LA Coliseum, the Oregon Ducks and USC Trojans are set to face off in a game with massive consequences for both teams. For USC, this game has been circled on the calendar for a long time in hopes of letting the world know that the Trojans are serious Big Ten contenders. For the Ducks, Dan Lanning's crew is poised to show the world that the Oklahoma State game was a fluke. Who wins this game? Watch here as former Oregon Duck George Wrighster III joins to give his thoughts on this huge matchup ahead of week four in college football. 0:00 Intro: USC vs Oregon 10:57 Gametime 12:08 Concern with tipping plays? 15:15 Scared of USC? 19:25 The Crowd in the LA Coliseum

Looks like winning combination

Head Coach Dan Lanning and quarterback Dante Moore join Jerry Allen, Mike Jorgensen and Joey Mac ahead of Oregon’s Big Ten opener at USC (4:30, NBC).

Dante Moore was exposed. Now Oregon's season may depend on his responseOregon's championship dreams may hinge on whether star quarterback Dante Moore can deliver in a season-defining trip to USC. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/bigten/2026/09/24/dante-moore-tipping-plays-oregon-vs-usc-football-fix/91909156007/

The 5 pivotal players who can be X-factors for Oregon vs. USC5 Ducks could step up and swing Oregon's first Top 25 clash of the season Autzen ZooThe 5 pivotal players who can be X-factors for Oregon vs....Massive showdowns are often played with the thinnest of margins, and on Saturday Night, the Oregon Ducks will be tested on that scale for the first time this se

Posted by Scott Reed: Dan Lanning on why touchback percentage is the wrong question: “Stats in some ways are for losers from that standpoint. You don't care about touchbacks, non-touchbacks. You care about average starting field position.” That’s just one detail from a week of increasingly specific USC preparation. Our Weekly Practice Report: Weekly Practice Report: What Changed Inside Oregon’s Prac...From containing Maiava to solving USC’s defensive movement, Oregon’s preparation has become increasingly specific.

Posted by Scott Reed: Loved this quote from this week. Dan Lanning on why touchback percentage is the wrong question: “Stats in some ways are for losers from that standpoint. You don't care about touchbacks, non-touchbacks. You care about average starting field position.”

Posted by Jon Joseph: Standing Room Only - https://trojanswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/trojans/football/2026/09/23/usc-football-game-against-oregon-sold-out/91912178007/

CHAPTER 5 PAYING THE PRICE (pp. 119-142) https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5149/9781469690674_oriard.10 On the last day of August 1954, newly hired Texas A&M coach Paul (Bear) Bryant loaded 111 players onto two buses for the ten-hour drive to the drought-stricken little town of Junction in the Texas Hill Country. After ten days of brutal two-a-day practices on dirt fields under a blazing sun, the team returned in a single bus with just 35 players, the remaining 76 having fled by then, most of them silently in the dark. Two years later, the remnant of those survivors, now seniors, won the Aggies’ first conference championship in fifteen years and entered Texas football lore...

Thank you, Mike for taking the time to find the video sequences that support your point of view. Well done! I look forward to the comments from the Forum members, especially about the defense. I have mentioned in previous posts that I have lost my faith in the Duck D. Not in the players but in the sets, schemes and overall philosphy. It used to be that it took the great teams to beat the ducks. The "Contenders", the teams with great offensive players, great coaching, with great sets and play calling that kept the Duck D off balance. As you mentioned in your breakdown, they exploited the Ducks weaknesses. It did not bother me because this happened against teams that won the Natty or played in the Natty. You know the cast, tOSU, Indiana and the dreaded fuskies, twice!!!!! It just wasn't our time. DL would learn from this and make adjustments, changes and big game performances. Sadly, i was wrong! This Duck fan does not put BSU or OSU in the category of the "Contenders". Do you? Without defensive changes, it may be a long season for this talented group of players. On the offensive side 2 things were crystal clear in the video..... The play calling was diverse. It kept IU off balance and on their heels. Look at the strong downfield blocking by the O line. I hope we see that from the Duck O against the trojans. This game is the Duck season. Win and the Ducls can keep working toward a CFP invite. Lose, and its off to San Antonio for the Alamo bowl. Yikes....... Lets just win. Ducks 52-49. Go Ducks......

I really wish people would stop talking about the mythical Natty. Everyone talking about it all summer, we all knew it was going to jinx it. I don't know how many times I cringed. It should've been treated like the old days when we didn't speak of the Rose Bowl, for fear of jinxing ever getting back there. What team besides Ohio State could live up to all that hype?

Will The Real Oregon Ducks Please Stand Up For the last 8 months I've wondered whether or not my beloved Ducks are really capable of winning a National Championship. For a brief moment, after we beat Texas Tech, I thought they really had a chance. Alas, gold plated performances are far different than the real McCoy. I'm not sure Oregon is a Phantom Menace or not, but I do know this-everything Dan Lanning assumed about his vaunted team has dissolved like Alka Seltzer pills falling in your glass. And believe me, we need some relief from the stress. Echoes of a dreadful demise haunted my mind as we all witnessed Our boys resemble a live version of the Walking Dead. The slow-motion train wreck in Stillwater wasn't the nuclear detonation Chris Peterson's Fuskies dropped on Eugene in 2016. But the feeling was the same in my mind. Our Beloved Ducks were in slow motion, and Oklahoma State and those Damn Fuskies were in high gear. I promised you some diagrams to show you what I have observed the past few months. Instead, I am going to drop a couple of videos. One of the Defense this past week, and one of the Offense-from the Peach Bowl (you’ll understand why later). I do so with two main motivations: 1) I really don’t want the general public to get a full grasp of what I see-knowing the experts have already figured it out. Secondly, I just don’t have the time to go into massive detail-I am not on Oregon’s payroll, or anyone else’s-but I recognize quite a few things that must have Coordinators salivating all over the country. I have said this before-if this Hack can figure it out, the professionals are all over this. Some say Oklahoma State let the cat out of the bag last week. I don’t think so. The concerns I have seen have been on my mind since OBD took Ohio State down in Eugene. Our coaching staff truly plays to their tendencies-to the degree I believe confirmation bias set hold this summer. Boise State, Oklahoma State AND Portland State knew exactly what to attack. Because I believe the Defense is the weak link, I am starting with that unit. And trust me, I am going to be very brief because some very intelligent people already know the tip of the iceberg I am going to reveal. Before I try to remain brief on the group, I want to explain something very important. Dan Lanning knows his team very, very well. He has been masterful at masking some key fundamental weaknesses. Let’s get into it… Lanning is married to the Mint Defense. It is his second love behind his wife and kids. So much so, that he is willing to alter the makeup of its fundamentals in order to suit his talent deficient personnel (in contrast to the over abundant wave of talent he led at Georgia). The Linebackers have been the most vulnerable of the group within the unit. That still applies today, but this unit resembles the 2024 version of the unit-light LBs bracketed by a talented set of lineman and defensive backs. Now the problem this year is the defensive backs have been tasked to cover so much field, they can’t cover ANY of the field. I am not going to break down why, and it won’t look obvious in the video. I will explain that in the comments as we discuss this. Now I hope to have enough screen shots for you by Friday-so we all will get an idea of the nightmare Lanning has on his hands. But I will simply post the video below for your entertainment. It is a three and out series, but boy, Portland State knew exactly what to attack. They simply don’t have the horses to execute like the elite teams have, unless some real changes are implemented the rest of the season. I will summarize it like this: Boise State and Oklahoma State recognized Oregon is running a tight Mint look to protect their smaller LBs. They keep the safeties deep to foil explosive passing plays. The result is there is so much room left open, the Pioneers from the 1700s and 1800s want to explore that territory. Again, I’ll drum up some screenshots from previous games OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS to support my theory. I will end this section by saying all is not lost, but I have to show you the standard for Defenses over the course of the season because there is much to discuss. There is so much to cover-but it must take this full season for me to show you-I simply don’t have enough time to drum up an ESPN/FOX and elite YouTube show for you-as much as I would like to. Here is the video for now. https://youtu.be/3pu8TLzTQl0?si=Nez1zsj03oXVEPX7 Now the Offense. I want you all to take a close look at this video. I cut the sound so you can simply watch a masterpiece in action. THIS is what I am talking about when I mention throwing teams off the scent. Indiana was completely unprepared for the formations, plays, and sequencing in this drive. https://youtu.be/EDIeYDTroKo If OBD are going to make a run at the Natty, these are the kinds of things that must happen. Some plays under center. Twelve and Thirteen personnel often. Bunch formations, and Jet Motions. Screens (there were two of them on this drive). Proper checkdown routes and scripted “Mesh, Smash and Smesh route combos that are more constraint type plays that look like the traditional routes Coordinators run using those concepts (I will introduce these concepts to you over the season). Stein ran plays under center, with a regular run and play action/boot looks. Stein ran exactly one play that resembled Oregon’s typical tendencies on that Series. It was a TD pass. It was also the most wide-open route in Eugene-against the Hoosiers-four different times. QB Moore didn’t throw that pass once in that game. He nailed it on a 3rd down with 12 to go just outside the Red Zone. Everything Oregon usually runs must be buried in sets of plays as demonstrated in this series. Lanning has decided to exploit Dante Moore’s natural ability to stun everyone with his downfield throwing capabilities. It has been all or nothing. I don’t expect that to continue. Now I don’t expect to see much variation from Lanning’s current strategy this weekend. And frankly, if the Offensive Line can block, they won’t need to. IF… And that is what it boils down to in Los Angeles this weekend: Will the lineman on both sides of the ball bring an excellent performance to the table? So Again I ask the question: who are the Oregon Ducks? If Dan Lanning has learned anything, it must be that business as usual is done. What we see in Los Angeles this weekend is nothing compared to what will happen if Our Beloved Ducks face the elite group of teams-the Contenders. Lanning and his staff have all season to pretty much dial up a playbook specifically for that group. To be unveiled slowly but surely. That is what I hope Lanning will be spending sleepless hours the next 16 weeks developing. Then maybe we will see the Real Oregon Ducks-the ones we expected the past 3 seasons. So enjoy the videos, and even if you are not religious-pray. That the set of plays an Offense above become a staple of plays unleashed when teams are expecting business as usual. Unfortunately, the Defense will take longer to develop. Nonetheless, that is what I hope Our Ducks will become. The explosive Offense Lanning wanted so, his Bend but Don’t Break Defense could maintain a winning edge.

We have the pieces.. Almost all athletes are competitive and want to win! It's the job of the coaches to arrange those pieces most efficiently, so that we have our best chances of winning. Go Ducks.... . No time to mess around... I expect us to show and whip the University of Spoiled Children in the Colosseum.

Everyone is pertty much spot on here. That's why this is a great forum - OBD have smart fans! One thing I want to say is that we are not Clemson because we have never won a Natty yet. If we are talking about the trojectry - I don't think we are in that dire of a shape yet coz we still can recruit. We just need better coaching, mostly at the assistant level.

Agree that this game is hard to pick. Theoretically though, any team that gives up 35 to Rutgers would seem to present a field fay for the Ducks' offense. So Ducks roll.

This team has talent and depth. If it shows up, our Ducks can beat anybody. Don't jump ship yet!

We are in danger of personifying the old Western expression "All hat and no cattle." Endless hype and promotion. Highest payroll. Thinnest historical NCAA resume compared to Blue Bloods (i.e., New Kid on the Block). Have generated the most animosity amongst fanbases because we have been ascending for 20 years.

Charles, you nailed something important. The Ducks are no longer regarded as highly as they once were. They face planted in front of the nation. And they are now considered underdogs. But that characterization is one of the things that can generate intensity and, for lack of a better word, fight. That was one of the things that was missing in the Oklahoma State game. Now the team has to prove itself, and the coaches too. They all have something to prove in LA this weekend. What's more, they all know it. I expect to see an intensity that's been missing from a team with so many talented players.

It's Week 4, and Exhibition Season is over. The B1G had a small preseason. Things were delightful in Dixie. Are we seeing the B1G regress to the College Football (CFB) mean(ies)? Notwithstanding three seasons of B1G CFB dominance, the SEC never surrendered the recruiting ranking and NFL draft pick titles. And SEC programs are not shy about dropping dollars on athletics. Heading into Week 4, 29 Power 4 programs are undefeated. SEC: 9 teams - Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Tennessee, Texas, and Vanderbilt. (It's not a Michigan asterisk for Vandy, but it's close.) ACC: 4 teams - Duke, Miami, Pitt, and Virginia Tech. I'll add ACC-enabled Notre Dame here. B12 - 6 teams - BYU, Cincinnati, Kansas State, Texas Tech, Utah, West Virginia. B1G: 8 teams - Indiana, Iowa, Michigan (?), Nebraska, Northwestern, Penn State, UCLA, USC. Come Sunday, one of these teams will have a loss. No. 1 Texas at No. 14 Tennessee/ No. 4 Mississippi at No. 21 Florida/ No. 19 Missouri at No. 24 Mississippi State/ NR Kansas State at NR Cincinnati. (See Iowa at Michigan below.) In the B1G - FRIDAY. Northwestern at Indiana - 21.5 - 8 PM Eastern/ 5 PM Pacific - Fox Chip and Jerry Neuheisel have upped QB Aiden Chiles' game, but Indiana only -21.5? 🤑🤑 --- Howard at Rutgers -14.5 - 7 PM/ 4 PM - Big Ten Network (BTN) To date, Howie has been a B1G punching bag for Indiana and Maryland. After the way Rutgers played vs. SC and looking for the first win? 🤑🤑🤑 --- SATURDAY. No. 7 Ohio State -27.5 vs. Illinois - Noon/ 9 AM - Fox The Ohio State run game has not been robust. But Duke ran all over Illinois. Is there an Illini DB who can cover Jeremiah Smith? 🤑 No. 18 Michigan -5.5 vs. No.17 Iowa - 3:30/ 12:30 - CBS A game between two teams whose coaches like to get down in the dirt. The Hawkeyes come in having played lesser competition but with a more productive offense than Michigan. SPORTSLINE - Michigan 21 - Iowa 20. (Sportsline does not predict enough games correctly for me to subscribe. The referenced SL odds come from the few results shown on CBS Sports program Inside College Football.) --- THE GAME FOR LEFT COAST SUPREMACY. No. 20 Oregon -3 at No. 12 USC - 7:30/4:30 - NBC 🤪I'm fairly certain that back in the day, unless Timothy Leary and Lucy In the Sky tripped to Eugene, many Forum Friends would, in their wildest dreams, have had visions of Oregon squashing the men of Troy five times in a row. On Saturday, Oregon is favored to Give Ducks fans a High Five! Man, this game is difficult to predict. 🤔 SPORTSLINE - USC 31 - Oregon 27 --- B1G Saturday games featuring undefeated B1G teams. UCLA at Maryland -1.5 - 1:30 PM/ 10:30 AM - BTN UCLA does not have a defense that will travel, but to date the Bruins have the best run game in the B1G. Against Purdue, UCLA put up 369 yards rushing, the same kind of numbers the Bruins have put up all season. 🤑🤑 --- 3-0 Nebraska -5.5 at 2-1 Michigan State - Nebraska is 2-0 vs. the MAC, but can it win a game in the Midwest against a Spartans team that did not roll over against No. 3 Notre Dame in South Bend? --- Washington -9.5 vs. Minnesota - 11 PM/ 8 PM - Fox OK, in 1936, when Minnesota was ruling the CFB roost and traveled to Seattle to play Washington, rumor has it that the hotel the Gophers stayed in Seattle caught fire. Sadly, this happened in Missoula, Montana, not Seattle. (No one died or was hurt in these fires.) Like many B1G teams in 2026, the UW O-line is not performing to expectations, so the run game is struggling. But the defense has been solid. --- Everybody's heard about the Bird, but is anyone watching? On Peacock - No. 3 Notre Dame -27.5 at Purdue - 2 PM/ 11 AM Did you know that this is the Battle for the Shillelagh game? If so, congratulations! Wisconsin at No. 13 Penn State -10 - 5 PM/ 2 PM Penn State's Nittany Lion's leading receiver, Koby Howard, is out for an extended period, and the Wisconsin offense has improved every game. I think Bucky will give PSU a battle. ENJOY & TRASH TROY!

100% spot on, nailed it. We deserve, and frankly have earned, pretty much every ounce of crap that we've been given since our complete implosion against OSU. Right now, to the college football world, we look a lot like a decent sized dog that does a lot of yappin', but simply cannot deliver the big bite. We are being laughed at... right now. However, we also have a golden opportunity to shove it all down their throats. The recipe and solution is 100% in our control. IMHO, It's time to put up, or shut up. Winning is our only pathway to redemption. As the late great Al Davis said: "Just win, Baby!!" Saturday will tell us much. OBD can choose to come together and kick some USC as, or roll over and prove our detractors correct. I'm betting on OBD... 38-34.

Sports/team psychology is one of the great wonders of the world. Truth is, no one knows. No one knows how good Oklahoma St. will be this year. No one knows how Oregon players and coaches will fully respond or how capable they are of making the needed adjustments. There are no recent comparisons to Oregon's situation. 2014 Ohio St. could be a good example with their early loss to unranked Virginia Tech at home, but Ohio St. was ranked #8 at the time and didn't have nearly the expectations placed on OBD this year. We are not Clemson. We are not 2025 Penn St. The 2026 Ducks will write their own story and a pivotal chapter will occur on Saturday vs. USC. The consequences of the Oklahoma St. loss are immense. Our players and coaches have no one to blame for the pessimism but themselves. It comes with the most wins in college football over the past 3 years. - any and every loss is memorable. The consequence can ultimately be positive, however. Maybe Oklahoma St. will be the last time the 2026 Ducks show up to a game unprepared.

That's all awesome news. And hopefully he will live up to his 5 star rating, and #1 QB ranking in his class. I'll know for sure when I get to see him play against a real football program. I'm looking forward to it.

Just win

Have often thought that the song cycling through the minds of all those Duck haters when they’re forced to think about us must be Hall & Oates’ ‘Rich Girl’. Our road is no longer an easy one, and our days of sneaking up on anyone seem pretty much over. We’ve just got to make up our minds that there’s no way to get there but the hard way, and then do it. That’s the only way they’re ever going to respect us. Wrong sport, but these lines from, ‘A League of Their Own’ kind of capture what’s behind that attitude: “ — Jimmy Dugan: Baseball is what gets inside you. It’s what lights you up, you can’t deny that. “ — Dottie Hinson: It just got too hard. “ — Jimmy Dugan: It’s suppose to be hard!! If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. The hard . . . Is what makes it great.”