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Morning everyone, Not a happy article and also I didn't post anything after the game. After a loss, especially one that bad, it takes time to process. Also I don't have cable or a streaming service that has ALL the ESPN variants needed to watch the game. But I saw enough for this. Let's hope we start to see some life out of this team. Where’s the Team?Seriously, where are the Oregon Ducks?

Well.... Mike Ostrom who was there for the game said this about the heat index on the playing field. "The Heat was Hot - An on-field photographer checked the turf temperature at halftime and it read 146 degrees. It went up from there."

Our special guest columnist Mike Ostrom was on site in Stillwater for some great insight into the ‘little things’ that became big thingsMIKE OSTROMOklahoma State Knew What Oregon Plays Were Coming Oregon Tipping a Run or Pass - This isn’t sign stealing; this is good old fashioned film study and insight. Oklahoma State saw something on film and the result was Cowboy players knowing whether a run or pass was coming. Duck Sports Central is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe “We were noticing earlier in the week that their (Oregon’s) offensive line had tendencies that helped us key into run (or) pass and a couple areas we could take advantage of,” said senior linebacker Tate Romney, “and obviously our defensive line was keyed into that. That was one big thing that gave us a big advantage.” What were those tendencies? “Just their offensive line had a few stance indicators for most of the time run/pass,” said Romney. The Heat was Hot - An on-field photographer checked the turf temperature at halftime and it read 146 degrees. It went up from there. What’s Oregon going to do now? Answer: Dan Lanning is going to do what Dan Lanning always does. He’s going to learn from what went right and what went wrong and the Ducks will improve. Few coaches in college football have done it better than Lanning over the last four years and two games. 3 of the most popular questions I was texted after the game: 1- Is Oregon going to turtle like Penn State did last year? Answer: No. 2- Are the Ducks going to miss playing in a Bowl game this year? Answer: Heck No. 3- Should Oregon fans be worried about Portland State? Answer. That would be a No. Dan will find a way. He always does. From the Sideline: Oklahoma State Knew What Oregon Plays...Our special guest columnist Mike Ostrom was on site in Stillwater for some great insight into the ‘little things’ that became big things

Idk, I was in Honduras doing labor, concrete work and installing water systems. It was in the 90's, humid and the travel in those mountains is incredibly difficult. I guess it's an excuse. Seems pretty soft though. Not sure that blaming weather is a good look. The Ducks look soft and blaming the weather makes then look softer imo

The Fifth Quarter: Oregon’s problems in Stillwater ran deeper than the scoreOregon’s loss in Stillwater exposed problems in preparation, protection and identity that the final score only partly showed.SCOTT REED The Fifth Quarter: Oregon’s problems in Stillwater ran de...Oregon’s loss in Stillwater exposed problems in preparation, protection and identity that the final score only partly showed.

From the Sideline: Oklahoma State Knew What Oregon Plays Were ComingOur special guest columnist Mike Ostrom was on site in Stillwater for some great insight into the ‘little things’ that became big thingsMIKE OSTROMFrom the Sideline: Oklahoma State Knew What Oregon Plays...Our special guest columnist Mike Ostrom was on site in Stillwater for some great insight into the ‘little things’ that became big things

The new indoor facility is still under construction. Maybe Dan is making some phone calls to those making the new indoor facility to see just how hot they can crank that thing up to. Would be great if they could add some industrial strength humidifiers while they are at it.

I recall Chip Kelly changing conditions within the indoor practice facilities in the days before a road game where he knew the climate would be different. Wonder if DL has done anything like that.

He also defended some passes well. All in all 14 direct points in Oregon's favor is a heck of a day. Seeing the replay of him blowing by Aaron Flower to save the Mestermaker touchdown, I wonder if they would be better switching spots LoL. But really his speed and acceleration are otherworldly. By the time he was able to release from the blocker to give chase, Mestermaker was 5 yards ahead and nearly at full speed and Devon only had about 50 yards to catch him. Absolutely unreal. And at his size, it doesn't even look fast because he's so big, but it's scary as heck.

SP+ Bill Connolly's takes on Ohio State, Oregon, and others - https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/49922684/connelly-week-2-true-texas-ohio-state-oregon-oklahoma-state

Here is what AI "Claude" has to say when I asked "What are the effects of Hyperthermia on athletic and mental performance." For those that are going to say "It was hot for OSU too." I'll put what it says about acclimating first. Performance also depends on hydration status, acclimatization, and individual heat tolerance — well-acclimatized athletes can maintain performance at higher core temperatures than unacclimatized ones. Hyperthermia (elevated core body temperature) impairs both physical and cognitive performance, generally in a dose-dependent way as core temperature rises above ~38–39°C. Athletic performance: Reduced endurance capacity — time to exhaustion drops sharply as core temp approaches ~40°C, a threshold linked to central fatigue Decreased muscle power output and increased perceived exertion for the same workload Cardiovascular strain: blood is diverted to the skin for cooling, reducing blood flow to working muscles and raising heart rate at a given intensity ("cardiovascular drift") Faster glycogen depletion and dehydration, compounding fatigue Increased risk of heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke at the extreme end Mental/cognitive performance: Slower reaction times and reduced attention/vigilance Impaired decision-making and executive function, especially in complex tasks Working memory and short-term memory take a hit Mood effects — increased irritability, perceived fatigue, and reduced motivation Above roughly 39–40°C core temp, cognitive decline becomes more pronounced and consistent across studies. It was measuring 97F in the stadium and likely higher on the field, with the level of humidity was probably a heat index of 110-115, and they are in pads and a helmet! Without a doubt their bodies were redlining on temp, and you body doesn't care about you trying to win a game, it's literally trying to dump enough heat to survive. And if you don't think Dan Lanning's brain was baked by the 4th quarter with two delay of games that NEVER happen and going for it on 4th and 8 from his own 30 yard line when there are 3 minutes and 3 timeouts left, then I don't know what to tell you. I saw a tweet from an OSU fan that said he was seated near the entrance to the Duck locker room and going into halftime they looked absolutely exhausted. I grew up in Oregon and lived in St. Louis. There is no way to go from 60s and 70s to that kind of weather overnight and perform. It's an out of body experience, but with time I acclimated to go on runs when it was that hot out, come back in a pile of sweat feeling fine, opening the door to my apartment that was A/C'd to a dry 80 degrees and it felt like an icebox! Anyways, don't get me wrong, we've got real problems that need to be corrected, but for the entire sports media industrial complex and fans to act like this wasn't a factor for them playing uninspired and with poor execution is more than a bit unfair.

I suspect the '22 Georgia D (considered historic) was more Kirby than Dan. Elite LBs and the star position were crucial to run the 4-2-5, we have had talent but not that level. I always assumed Lanning was more the guy on D than Lupoi. Now with Hampton? Does DL override the OCs opinion on going for it on 4th down?

SP+ Post Week 2 Rankings - OBD No. 9 - Helping to keep Austin Weird - 1-1 Ohio State ranked 2nd and 2-0 Texas 6th 😁 https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/49868647/2026-college-football-sp+-rankings-all-138-fbs-teams

Congrats to him being fast.

What it’s like to be a Duck fan:

Yep, Devon Jackson deserves props. He was lone 🦆 standout with a couple great plays.

So much great analysis by this forum. In the painful process of rewatching this game, i am certain DL and staff see and recognize what we all see. I ask myself, can the coaches teach and lead the team out of this situation. The HC, OC and DC make 7 figures annually! TIme to earn it. I feel confident that the players, after watching game film, today, will recognize it. I ask myself do all of the players care enough or have enough pride to make the changes necessary to fix this? I rewatched this game to get a better look and thought about watching again. I decided against watching again because i had nothing left to barf up and i hate the dry heaves. Bottom line from this,Duck grey beard: Coach DL and staff, with about 10 minutes left in the game, the offense fought back and the Ducks led 31-30. With at least 8 defensive starters who will be playing in the NFL (in the next 2 years) WHY did the defense not shut out the Cowboys and bring home a victory? Why?

Wish I had put money on Boise St. I knew it would be a close game.

Good call since prior to '93 we only had good wins, the L's were expected.

Good, another L for Riley in a game he is supposed to win. As you can tell, I am drinking heavily from my half full glass.

Reality check…at this point who are we better than on our schedule other than Portland State? Never thought I would ask that question.

My top 15 most disappointing/poorest performances in a loss 1993-2026 (I only go back to 1993 reliably). Not just toughest losses, but losses where things just were bad (or during the game went bad). Factoring in where Oregon was at as a program at the time, expectations against the opponent, the importance of the game, and so on (and not games like 1998 UCLA, 2010 Auburn, 2012 Stanford, 2022 Georgia, 2024 tOSU II, where it was either a competitive game that just didn't go the Duck's way, or just a very tough opponent). 15 Colorado (1995) Cotton Bowl (6-38): #7 Colorado (9-2) versus #12 Oregon (9-2). Coming off the Rose Bowl the year prior, Oregon had a shot at its first 10 win season and a first top 10 finish. Oregon brought a reported 14,000 fans to Colorado's 6,000 to a cold and rainy Dallas. With a 7-6 score in the second, Tony Graziani throws a pick returned 95 yards for a Colorado TD. Oregon goes on to commit 5 TOs. With 5 minutes to go leading 32-6 and running 7 straight times, on 4th down Colorado coach Rick Neuheisel calls a fake punt and pass for a 28 yards (Oregon fans not pleased). Included because it was just a huge letdown game for a success hungry program and fanbase, losing then its forth straight bowl game. It was a gloomy day (upper 30s with a cold drizzle) and the teams combined for 8 TOs. The game really turned on the pick 6 (going from going in for a go ahead score to suddenly down a score in an instant). Oregon once leading 6-0, was outscored 38-0. Yardage ends up being 313 to 267, with the fake punt being 28 of that. 14 OSU (2004: 21-50): Oregon and Oregon State enter the Civil War both 5-5 with probably a bowl game on the line. Derek Anderson throws for 351 yards and 4 TD plus a rushing TD, Mike Haas has 9/154 receiving and two TDs and Kellen Clemens is held to 126 yards passing and 3 picks in Corvallis. Oregon closes the game to within 6 in the third quarter, but momentum turns and OSU outscores Oregon 23-0 to finish the game. Oregon is outgained 455 to 235. Oregon ends up 5-6 in Bellotti's only losing season (and doesn't beat a team with a winning record that year). Included because it was a very rough ending to a very poor season, collapsing to the rival Beavs. It also was the end of the third season after finishing #2 in 2001, the Ducks going from 11-1 to 5-6 rather quickly and unceremoniously. 13 California (1993: 41-42): After an Independence Bowl loss the previous year, Oregon jumped out 3-0 and travelled to #17 Cal. It came out firing and built a big 30-0 lead. Cal then proceeded to perform the then 2nd greatest comeback in FBS football history. Cal scored the winning TD with 1:17 left with a 26 yard TD to Iheanyi Uwaezuoke then a 2 point coversion in the corner of the endzone by Mike Caldwell. Danny O'Neal for Oregon completed 17 passes for 313 yards and 3 TDs, Derrick Deadwiler caught 11 of those for 234 yards. Post game coach Brooks, "It's got to rank up there with one of the toughest defeats in my life." Included because expectations were very high at the time, the Brooks led Ducks were going to (again) turn that corner after a couple down season, starting 3-0 and coming out and jumping all over ranked Cal at their place. The game then just changed in then historic fasion. Oregon still has a late chance to salvage a win but allows the 2-point conversion in the corner of the endzone. Devastating loss at the time. 12 OSU 2022 (34-38): 34-17 Duck lead after a Duck FG to start the 4th quarter. OSU gets a long KO return then scores a TD on 3 runs. Oregon gets a decent KO return but a holding puts them back to their 8, they stall, the punter drops the punt and OSU recovers at the Duck 2 and in two more rushes scores again. Up 3, Oregon goes for it on 4th and 1 from their own 29 and gets stuffed and OSU takes over and scores in 4 rushes to lead 38-34. Oregon drives all the way to the OSU 5, then fails to score in 4 plays and OSU takes over on downs with 2:58 remaining. With 6 more rushes, OSU runs out the clock. 15 straight rushes by OSU to win it. Included because prior to yesterday, it was the worse loss of the Lanning era. Being unable to stop the Beavs when they weren't even trying to throw was particularly demoralizing. 11 UW (2002: 14-42): 14-14 at half, UW outscores Oregon (who was still rated #23 at kickoff) 28-0 in the second half and Neuheisel and his players dance at midfield on the O at Autzen. Cody Pickett throws for 316 yards and 4 TDs and Reggie Williams catches 3 TDs. Included because, at the time, Oregon had won 5 of 7 from UW, and 2002 had started off well, highly ranked and 6-0, then teams found out Oregon could not cover anyone. The UW game in the middle of losing 6 of final 7, dancing on the O was pretty exasperating. 10 Stanford (2013: 20-26): Under Helfrich, Oregon had started 8-0 and and was averaging 55.5 points per game. Stanford was 7-1 and #5. In the 4th quarter, Stanford led 26-0. With the offense sputtering all night, Mariota, nursing a sore knee, attempted a bit of a late comeback (aided by an onside kick recovery and a 40 yard FG blocked and returned for a TD by Rodney Hardrick); but, ultimately were held to 312 yards of offense and just 20 points. Included because jumping out 8-0 post Chip Kelly and putting up 56 a game came crashing unceremoniosly to a hault. Through 3 quarters Oregon's explosive offense had been held to 0 points and about 175 yards. It had 6 drives only to that point, 3 ending in punts, one on a missed 4th and goal at the Stanford 4, and two with fumbles. 9 Arizona (2013: 16-42): Eleven games into the Helfrich era, probably the first real game that showed there might be more serious problems post Chip Kelly. Oregon was behind 35-9 in the third. Ka'Deem Carey rushed a whopping 48 times for 206 yards and 4 TDs as UA rushed for 304 yards on the day. 9-1 Oregon commits 3 TOs in route to its second loss. Included because Oregon had survived the loss to what ended up being a good Stanford team but went down to unranked 6-4 Arizona and got throttled. Could not stop the run and also Arizona QB (BJ Denker) goes 19-22 for 178 and 2 TDs. 8 Wake Forest (2002) Seattle Bowl (17-38): Coming off a #2 finish in 2001 and once ranked #6 in the nation, Oregon finishes the season losing its 6 out of last 7. Fife starts the game 1-10 passing and is replaced by FR Kellen Clemens. Wake Forest, making its 6th ever program bowl game appearance, jumps out 21-3, Oregon closes within 7 in the 3rd, then is outscored 14-0. Oregon is outgained 497 to 290 on the day. Included because it was a tough ending to a very rough season. Game known most for college football discovering Seattle was probably not a successful location for a bowl game (lasted two years after which no one wanted to finance a 3rd); and, a large turnout of Husky fans who showed up to cheer for Wake Forest. 7 Indiana (2004): 24-30 #23 Oregon outgains Indiana 495-198 but commits 7 TOs to snap Oregon's 21-game home OOC and 11-game home opener win streaks. Indiana goes on to win just one more game the rest of the season. Included because #24 Oregon loses an opener at Autzen with 7 TOs, despite going up and down the field on Indiana. It ends Oregon's home winning streaks and Oregon ends up not beating a team with a winning record that season, finishing 5-6. 6 UW (2016: 21-70): Maybe the game that ultimately ended the Helfrich era. Second most points allowed in Oregon history (it gave up 71 at Texas in 1941). Jake Browning threw for 6 TDs and ran for 2 more. Myles Gaskin rushed for 197 yards and a TD. Washington piles up 682 yards of offense with 378 rushing yards. Included because it was just rough to watch. Washington appears to be happy to make it convincing for its out-for-blood fans (after Oregon winning 17 of the last 21 over UW), and Oregon seems pretty helpless under Helfrich to stop them. Jake Browning's "point" at Jimmie Swain remains part of the rivalry lore. 5 Utah II (2021: 10-38): The Mario foot out the door Pac-12 Championship game. Even with losing the first matchup, Oregon was still ranked #10 and Utah #17. For a second game, Oregon is essentially uncompetitve falling behind 23-0 at half and 38-3 in the 4th. Oregon only manages 221 yards of offense (and really doesn't seem to change much from the loss 20 days prior). Included in part just because it felt like a near repeat of the 7-38 game 20 days prior. Mario is announced to Miami 3 days after the game and fans are left with the feeling the coaching staff (and possibly some of the players who had the idea) sort of mailed it in (while the fans still very much cared). 4 BYU (2006: 8-38): BYU entered the game 9-2 and ranked #20 and Oregon was 7-5 and on a three game losing streak. However, BYU was Mountain West and Oregon Pac-10, and it was Oregon who got most of the attention in the game lead up (Bellotti I believe even got into a bit of hot water for some pregame comments about where BYU might slot if it was to play instead in the Pac-10). Oregon looked unmotivated and underprepared falling behind 31-0. Duck OL Geoff Schwartz later recalled: "While they're sleeping, we were partying." Included because coach Bellotti later called the game such a poor performance it became "program changing", as in so bad he felt it required a change and reset of where the program was at. 3 TCU (2015: 41-47 OT): #11 TCU versus #15 Oregon. TCU suspended its starting QB and Oregon and Vernon Adams jumped all over them 31-0 in the 1st half, outgaining them 376 yards to 142. Adams did collide helmets with a TCU LB and was out for the second half. TCU then outscored Oregon 31-0 in the second half to force OT. Oregon's second half offense was listed at 18 plays for 18 yards, while TCU had 356. TCU scores 6 in the 3rd OT while Oregon fumbles on 3rd and 2, forcing a 4th and 8 where Lockie misses Carrington ending the game. Included because one of the most shocking changes I have witnessed from one half to the next. Oregon looks absolutely dominate the first half under Adams and absolutely looks borderline inept without Adams in the second half (struggles to even snap the ball). 2 WSU (2003: 16-55): "Rich, Cool, 4-0" the previous week (beating #3 Michigan 31-27). The following week defending Pac-10 and #21 ranked WSU came to Autzen and were up 38-2 at half. After having no interceptions on the season, Clemens throws 4 picks and Fife throws 3 and Oregon fumbles twice for 9 turnovers. Oregon adds 12 penalties. WSU "only" needs 399 yards of offense to put up 55. Included because after #3 Michigan and rising to #10 nationally, there was a feeling 2002 had been a fluke and Oregon had returned to 2001 Fiesta Bowl form and were set to return to being a national player. One week later Oregon crashes back to ground and looks boarderline inept getting rolled at home by a very solid WSU team 1 Oklahoma State (2026: 39-31): After a supposed wake-up call last week, #6 Oregon loses to a team on a 21 game FBS losing streak, in a game that probably wasn't as close as the score indicates. Outgained 554-281, and 25 first downs to 12. I don't know where to start on the rest of this one.

Yay, we're now underdogs playing USC. So it's not as big of a deal losing to them? 🤔

Difficult questions, and they give rise to more. As the traditional college game continues to give way to NFL-lite $$ball, what now motivates players to compete at the highest level if the money alone doesn’t? As Mike points out, other high NIL budget programs are not currently faltering in the way we are. Of the top 10 NIL spenders, only Oregon has not won a national championship. Is Oregon dealing with a program legacy deficit that affects motivation in a way it does not for the other nine? Do players here not feel the same expectation of excellence they do at these other programs to, “win one for the Gipper”? Without a proud tradition, can money alone win championships? Those who were there during the Brooks/Bellotti eras that set the tone for Oregon’s development into a nationally recognized program will recall that emergence of what would become ‘Oregon football’ under Chip Kelly and beyond. It felt like we knew where we were going, and players were excited and proud to be a part of it. Now, it feels like money’s shadow has fallen over that emerging legacy, and stalled its growth. Lost in the woods. Since money is not going away, we need to find what it takes to rekindle the excitement and pride of those emerging days that defined what Oregon football could become: our legacy. Money alone will not get us there.

Definitely more disappointed than sad. After all, we have multiple millionaire "students athletes" playing ball, just killing time like a typical NFL game. This wasn't and won't be first such performance, unfortunately. College football is dead as we knew it. ☹️ It was actually much more entertaining watching the Beavers trying to beat No. 13 team and almost did it. Can't believe it, but I was actually rooting for the Beavis!