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On Saturday, SC is fini! 😁 My rotating screen saver just featured a beautiful Duck taking off to heights unknown! Shake a tail feather, baby! Traveler is toast!

As a high school JV basketball coach, I have been on both ends of the spectrum. When my team is getting their collective butts kicked, I don't want mercy from the other coach. I want my team to learn what it takes to win. Frankly, it's more embarrassing for me and the players if the other team "takes it easy." Last season, we lost two games by 30+ points. We watched film, worked hard, and beat each of those teams in the rematch and the postgame celebrations were fantastic! I'm not sure that would have happened had our opponents took it easy on us and let the final score look more competive than the game actually was. When my team is doing the butt kicking, I'll take out the starters and not press and perhaps even play zone D. But no way I am going to tell the reserves not to play hard. They have been working hard in practice and this is their time to shine. And it can be a cancer to a team to ever instruct a team to stop doing what I have taught in practice. In other words, play the reserves, don't employ any exotic strategies, and coach up your reserves to keep executing and playing hard. Just lilke the Ducks on Friday night! \

DR has shades of Bo Nix. He had great touch on his throws and has the presence of mind to throw the balls to the best place for his receivers to have a chance of coming down with it (see his TD to Brady Bidwell). He seems to thrive more in the big moment. Dante Moore had flashes of this last season (Penn State, Iowa) but we have yet to see him pull himself together like that on a week to week basis. Someone said he looks emotionally fragile and I tend to agree. He looks like he needs to be kept in a positive state of mind in order to perform well. He has earned his starting spot but I don't see a reason why DR shouldn't be given a look if DM seems like he's struggling.

Yes......and the USC game may determined on both sides by which QB's show up. Maiava has the same issues......with some awful decisions at times. Dylan was also a 5 star and has gone thru some crap.....but has shown an ability to carry a team at times.....Donte rides with the wind and when the wind blows against you.....he is no sail. Do I expect Lanning to just switch....no....but if the half time stats and results are obviously bad QB play.....give Dylan the ball and see what happens. A loss in LA is going to be really bad for Oregon. A win could be the start of the climb. With a somewhat shaky OL Oregon may need a QB that can create instead of just administer.

Know the Foe: Five USC Trojan players to knowThe 20th-ranked Ducks will hit the road again to play USC at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum this Saturday at 4:30 PM. Here are five Trojan players to know entering the game. https://247sports.com/college/oregon/longformarticle/know-the-foe-five-usc-trojan-players-to-know--290286405/

When Washington & Alexander made headlines with their superhuman squat lifts last summer, repping 855 pounds multiple times, I remember thinking, "How is any offensive line going to stop that kind of strength in the trenches?" WTH is going on?

We will disagree, no sweat. The defense gave up of 33 points in the first two games, and the offense scored an average 32.5 points...which is enough scored points to win easily. (32-17 for example?) Even with the sacks and hurries...we will score enough points to win, especially as they improve. But the defensive line is underperforming badly....and they will determine if we win or not, IMHO. We Need More Reasons for THIS....

Furthermore, if you stop playing before the game is over, you are robbing PSU players of the opportunity of a lifetime. What if one of their bench players makes a spectacular interception in the end zone and gets noticed by a school willing to spend NIL money on a defensive back? Or what if a PSU linebacker stands up Tradirian Ball at the goal line and catches the eye of an OSU defensive staff member? Would you rob them of that opportunity (perhaps of a lifetime) because of a false sense of athletic chivalry?

Linc? The pressure is on. https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/college-football-pressure-index-week-4-coaches-qbs-coordinator/

I really don't have the data to say if the internal promotions are bad or good. However, I do believe Dan need to take a more innovative, flexible and introspective approach to scheme. And if he isn't willing to bring in outside coordinators running those innovative schemes, I don't know if there is an internal mechanism to allow that to happen, which is the one part of the article that resonated with me.

SP+ believes in No. 5 OBD and No. 8 USC - https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/49868647/2026-college-football-sp+-rankings-all-138-fbs-teams

I think the O Line is still the bigger variable for our success. Our DL runs a certain scheme and the backups are as good as the starters, so it kind of is what it is at this point. The OL is more important because DM can wilt under pressure, and his below average pocket presence makes him vulnerable to sacks. Also we don't have anyone in our RB that excels in super tight spaces with questionable rushing lanes. I saw some RBs that do on other teams Saturday, but ours do not. Bo Nix and Bucky Irving were both players that could cover a multitude of OL sins, but now we are the exact opposite. We really need an OLine that is elite or we will struggle in the B1G to have an efficient offense that our team is designed to be. We'll need way more 3rd and long high percentage plays drawn up by the OC.

Every single rep in front of 60,000 fans and a live television audience matters. When you are put in a situation where your talent and experience can make the difference between winning and losing—between achieving your goals or just "playing the game"—you have to take it. Not taking advantage of those opportunities is foolish from a performance perspective. Besides, easing up does nothing to build the esteem of your opponent. As if losing 55-0 is somehow more virtuous than losing 84-0? Come on, people!

He was the one player we lost that I really thought we didn't want to lose.

DL isn't going to pass up opportunities for real game reps, regardless of score or opponents. It's not against any rules. If people don't like this then change something else. My high school league had a 45 point rule. Once you were winning by 45 the game was over. To avoid this one time to get more reps our coach called a play "bad snap" to turn the ball over to the other team so we could play some more. Then there was the time we played Oregon School for the Deaf, and it was dangerous playing a team that couldn't hear the whistle, so we 45'd them as fast as possible.

Are you going to tell the kid who doesn't get much playing time to NOT score the touchdown? To Not intercept the ball? To Not sack the quarterback? Go Ducks.

USC represents a ‘must rise to the occasion’ opportunity for the D line. What they experienced against both Boise State and OSU are eye openers to what they should expect in spades from a much improved Maiava and a notch higher cast of characters. Maybe the time has come to see what happens when the hounds are unleashed?

I just came off an Alaska Cruise where I missed this game and the Oklahoma State game. I did not want to watch either game on the DVR. No desire to watch us fall apart in Stillwater and I felt running up 84 points is excessive.

A lot of shootouts this season, including on Saturday? The D-line better be able to pressure Maiava. If not ... Has any certain draft pick who returned improved their draft stock? Losing a leader like Bryce Boettcher hurts the 2026 cause. But as others have noted, the D was leaky in the red zone all of last season. Great take, but can we count on even average play from this O-line against the Ohio State and Michigan defenses? Ohio State's D wore down in the heat and humidity in Austin. Nevertheless, Texas only scored 24 points, and Ohio State wins the game but for another big time miss from the FG kicker. The Michigan O has sputtered, but the defense has been solid. The competition has been far from stellar, but the Nebraska, Northwestern, Michigan State, and UW defenses are playing well. Michigan State on Saturday was behind 17 to 10 to Notre Dame heading into the 2nd half. The Spartans held ND to ten points in the second half. Looking ahead, I see no easy days, including games against UCLA and a robust run game, and at Illinois. I hope Johnson and McClellan will be able to play on Saturday. Tired of playing big games with stars on the sideline. 🤬 Keep Traveler on the Sideline; Empty the Nag's Feed Bag!

This right here is the elephant in the room. If mere containment is the goal and pressure and TFLs are just a bonus, then the D is doing what it's being asked to do. I don't understand the need for a great D line if attacking and pressuring isn't the goal. Even a great DB group will eventually breakdown with a ten alligator pass rush so what is the point? This year, this system has shown major flaws just keeping decent offenses from running up the score. In the last two years, it has been completely blown off the field by elite offenses (tOSU, Indy.) So again what's the point? If bend but don't break is the goal, you might as well bring in 3 star Boise St type defensive players and not waste time and money recruiting five stars to get three star results. The most exciting prospect of bringing in Lanning as a coach to me was an elite defense that could give the offense a chance to beat any team in the country. This defensive philosophy seems to be to keep teams in the 25-35 point range and just out score them. That seems crazy. What am I missing?

He certainly looks better than any of our safeties have looked back there, so far. Kingston is flying around the field making plays. It would have been nice to retain him. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LTvn_HVzc0Q&ra=m

FEBU

Ducks better be hungry for what comes next. Make that Hangry! Oregon Football: Ducks 'hungry' for USC after bounce-back win

According to a recent Joel Klatt podcast, Oregon built its defense scheme assuming that our defensive line would be dominant and we would be able to win with a “light box.” That has not happened through the first 2 games. Instead, our defensive line is not shedding blocks, linebackers have not been sound in run fits and safeties have been late. Joel believes that we should switch to a one high safety (vs. 2 or even 3 safeties). He also pointed out that Oregon’s defensive line plays a gap control scheme (vs. penetration). Why not let the talented defensive line go and wreck havoc with stunts, twists and a straight up rush? Although Coach Lanning is very aggressive in some phases of the game (e.g., going for it on 4th down, special teams). His defense philosophy appears to be very conservative - the focus is on limiting big plays (“bend but don’t break”). I personally prefer an aggressive, attacking defense, even if we get beat deep occasionally. This has come as a surprise to me given his Alabama and Georgia pedigree.

A "D" for SC. But on home turf, Traveler's a thoroughbred. https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/college-football-grades-texas-a-m-earns-f-mark-for-kentucky-dud-usc-gets-d-on-week-3-report-card/?eid=c7d8647c6247db8d08c59fe44bc30380a147aa90b9e33099045cd46ddc6