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I'm no football mastermind and I appreciate those of you who share your knowledge, but it's quite obvious to me that what we are facing now is a real coaching challenge. Portland State is a cupcake. But after that, like in two weeks, we will be able to better evaluate the calibre of our coaching staff. Do they have what it takes to get the team up off the mat for that USC game and then put them in a position to get into the playoffs? They owe it to every player they placed on their roster as well as to Duck fans.

I think there may be a “continuity illusion” going on with this team. Because Oregon promoted Drew and Hamp from within, it was easy to look at it as continuity instead of what it really was: replacing both coordinators at the same time. Knowing a system and actually running it on Saturday are two very different things. Play sequencing, recognizing what the other team has figured out, knowing when to abandon something, making adjustments on the fly, and anticipating the counter to your counter are skills that only really get tested when you’re the guy making the decisions. That might also explain why Boise looks a little more significant in hindsight. At the time, that game was easy to dismiss as Week 1 rust. Now we’ve seen two straight games where Oregon has looked strangely disjointed despite having more than enough talent. I also think Oklahoma State was almost the perfect opponent to expose it. Oregon wasn’t really playing the same Oklahoma State team they embarrassed last year. Eric Morris essentially brought a new offense with him, along with a huge roster overhaul and a bunch of his North Texas personnel. Morris had one of the best offenses in the country at North Texas. In other words, the helmet said Oklahoma State, but what Oregon was trying to diagnose and defend was something almost entirely different. And they never really figured it out. That’s the part that concerns me more than the loss itself. Oregon kept making enough individual plays to stay alive, and eventually even took the lead, but they never reached that point where it felt like the coaching staff had figured out what Oklahoma State was doing and taken control of the game. My theory is that the 2026 Ducks have the talent, confidence and expectations of an established national title contender, while underneath all of that they’re effectively a first year operation in two of the most important game management positions on the staff. That would explain why they look so weird right now. They’re talented enough to erase mistakes and deficits. They have enough playmakers to rescue possessions that aren’t working. But they don’t look synchronized enough yet to dictate games. Against Boise, the talent was enough to overcome it. Against Oklahoma State, it almost was again. The good news is that if this theory is right, it’s fixable. Mehringer and Hampton may simply be going through the learning curve that comes with actually running their respective sides of the ball, and Lanning has time to help get it sorted out. But that’s what I’m watching now. Not the rankings, not the loss itself, and not whether they blow out Portland State. I want to see whether Oregon starts looking like a team that is anticipating what opponents are doing instead of reacting to it. If that happens, yesterday might end up being the early season punch in the mouth they needed. If it doesn’t, then losing both coordinators in the same offseason may have been a much bigger deal than any of us realized.

Mike, Great post, great and astute observations. My youngest son was at the game and was texting me his thoughts in real time. Michael played college ball as a corner back. He watches the game from an analytical perspective. Here are some of his comments throughout the game: The team has no energy or pop. Not ready to plsy a full 60 minute game. Dante is not hanging in the pocket long enough to hit receivers as they come open. Bailing to soon.... Not always going thru his progressions. Forcing the ball to his favorite receiver. Gatin wide oprn for an easy first down and instead throws into double team coverage. OSU defense knows the plays before the O snaps the ball. The Duck D scheme is being exploited by OSU. Its very predictable. Some players are taking plays off. Not sure why? This game is hard to watch. In fairness, Dad, it is brutally hot and humid. Probably 125 to 135 degrees on the field. No way to prepare for it. I know this game was difficult to watch for us Duck fans. Something hss to change on defense. Let's hope DL and staff figure it out. Even great players cannot excel in a weak scheme. Let's go Ducks.

Routinely...Dante throws short when there were open receivers downfield. This alone keeps drives going, scores points, and wins games. Sigh.

What I can't figure out is; There's always going to be dropped passes. But how is it possible for everyone to drop passes, in the same game???

Many of you know, as I found out, how excruciating a game like this can be following it on ESPN Gamecast and play by play text. The play was painful enough with video telecast!

Starts at the top. The entire season rests on the USC game. On the top side they turn it around. On the downside a loss to USC for the reasons above they go 4-8. UCLA will boat race them. Sorry, time to take the good with the bad. I want to hear about accountability. Where was Dante in the post game presser? I want leadership.

The Dante hype and the Dante reality just don't match. "He could be the first player taken in the draft". But he also has a tunnel vision problem, and a lack of mobility problem and accuracy when pressured problem. OSU's QB was extending plays with his feet, connecting with targets on the run hurdling into the endzone like a Heisman favorite while taking a serious shot. For all the hype this guy gets, who would you have preferred QB the team yesterday? Forget about him vs Herbert, Mariota or Nix. What about him vs Dennis Dixon, Akili Smith. Joey Harrington, Darren Thomas, Vernon Adams, Dillion Gabriel, Bill Musgrave, Chris Miller even Kellen Clemens or AJ Feeley? I think the Ducks pull out a win with any of them at QB. How can you both be a future top pick and yet not crack a recent top 15 at your school's position?

Im very afraid you are right.

To recap, here's how the game started. OBD three and out OSU 75 yard QB keeper to the 3 first play. FG 0-3 OBD three and out OSU 70 yards drive to the UO 10 pick six 7-3 OSU Punt 5 plays 28 yards OBD Turn over on downs at the UO 47 OSU Touchdown 47 yads 5 plays 7-10 OBD Three and out OSU Touchdown 7 plays 67 yards 7-17 OBD Punt 6 plays 14 yards OSU Interception OBD returns it to the 1 OBD Touchdown 14-17 OSU Touchdown 4 plays 75 yards 14-24 If not for two super human plays by Devon Jackson and Matayo's pick to the one, the route would have been on from the opening bell. Whatever the coaches game plans were for this game they were grotesquely inadequate. The last time the Ducks looked this lifeless and uninspired was the first half of the bowl game when Mario left getting down 3-28 against (also coachless) Oklahoma. Something is extremely wrong from the top down. four star linemen can't be this bad even if they are young. If they're having trouble sustaining blocks, roll your QB out and buy some time. Just look at the offensive ineptitude above, Three and out, three and out, turnover on downs at midfield, three and out, 6 plays 14 yards punt. Pathetic. On defense as mentioned above, three key plays masked a total mauling as OSU went up and down the field at will. The D gave up a 75 yard quarterback keeper on play one that should have been a touchdown. After the game, I watched the freaking Beavers fight, scrap and claw their way to a near upset of 13th ranked Texas Tech. Their line could give their QB time to find open receivers. Their D could pressure the QB and create problems. They would have destroyed the Ducks yesterday. This wasn't just a shocking upset which can always happen. This was a sign that something is very wrong with the program and it was glaringly apparent from play one.

Herbert, Nix and Gabrial ran for TDs and 1st downs. Dante is limited to passing and handing off - not a threat to scramble for TD or 1st downs.

I have been calling out the coordinators since the middle of the Boise game. I know the players don’t look ready, but why is that? There are 8 returning starters on defense that was in the Top 10 last year. Either the players don’t believe in the scheme and/or the coaches are not motivating them properly. I’ll go with both. I don’t even know what to say about the offense. Going 0-6 on 4th down against a G6 school and a school on a 12 game losing streak is indefensible. The OC’s solution was to throw it short of the line to gain last week TWICE and hope the players can break some tackles? Then on 4th and 8 in this game, with one of the best pocket passers in the country, you roll him out to the right immediately and take away half the field? Just gross. 🤮 That said, I will always continue to pull for my school. Go Ducks!

And, Coach Morris on his team's prep and play. Oklahoma State's Eric Morris Doesn't Hold Back After Beating Oregon Ducks

Drew Mestemaker on the game. Oklahoma State Quarterback Makes Surprising Admission After Beating Oregon Ducks

Questions galore: Coaching, Dante, D-Line, rushing game, the rest of the season. Oregon Football: 5 takeaways from historic loss to Oklahoma State

Duckwire report card. Even with a Michigan freshman no grade policy, this we a fail. Oregon football: Week 2 report card reveals brutal grades

Postgame Report: Both sidelines saw the same problems for OregonOregon and Oklahoma State told nearly the same story afterward — one team imposed its will, while the other admitted it never found answers.Postgame Report: Both sidelines saw the same problems for...Oregon and Oklahoma State told nearly the same story afterward — one team imposed its will, while the other admitted it never found answers.

Dan talks. Trouble is we have to go to the doctor with him. Everything Dan Lanning said on coaching, execution concerns, and more after Oklahoma State upset

It worked for Texas twice! Dan explains going for it late. Dan Lanning offers explanation of crucial fourth quarter fourth down decision

Freshman tracker. True freshman tracker: Eight Oregon freshmen make debuts, and 13 total play in loss to Oklahoma State

I thought the Ducks had moved past games like this (Deja Vu me thinking for myself). Although I am hoping it is like Ohio St. v Michigan two years ago. Unfortunately, Friday's game will teach us NOTHING. We will be sc's superbowl No. 1 of 3.

Like Charles, I am extremely disappointed. I've been a Duck fan for 70 years and experienced a lot of highs and lows. Yesterday was low, real low. Unfortunately, I was sold on and believed the hype. You know, the best talented roster of any college team. Experienced NFL caliber players returning to claim the Championship. I wanted to believe it could finally happen. As a loyalist, I'm not giving up yet. I'll wait to see how we perform against USC. But if we fail again, the question becomes, why is a team so loaded with talent playing so poorly. I think we know and that problem can't get fixed before next season.

Clearly something is very wrong. Most knowledgeable observers felt that our Ducks had incredible talent coming into this season. Better athletes than any other squad in college football. I thought the Boise State game was an explainable performance, given it was game one and that BSU will prove to be better than predicted early on. I thought it would prove to be a wake up call, but I was mistaken. Something is amiss with the team. It is early, and I was never thrilled with Will Stein, but I'm starting to miss him. I did think Tosh Lupoi was solid, but his internal hire replacement may not be ready for his current assignment. The Ducks have enough talent to run the table. A tough task, but the athletes are equipped and need to be coached to play up to their talent level. Assuming they will destroy Portland State (why were they scheduled?), the USC game will likely determine what this season will be .... success or failure.

If they dont improve that money could disappear soon.