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Thank you, David, for another terrific article. I'm surprised Dan Lanning didn't melt down in December of 2025. His DC and OC were off to HC jobs and had to keep the recruits pledged to Cal in Kentucky intact and keep the players they wanted to retain out of the portal. Will and Tosh were not encouraging players to remain at Oregon for another season and continue to play for their DC or OC. Dan also had to keep the 2026 class in place, try to retain all of the players he wanted to keep on the roster, and bring in the portal players he wanted. This while preparing for a 1st-round PO game against JMU and then dealing with the logistics of playing the next round in Miami. 🤪 A Coach Crazy-making calendar. The Big Ten wanted the portal closed until the playoffs concluded. But the B1G's logical proposal was rejected. Sound familiar? The CFB calendar penalizes the top teams, which makes no sense. The Protect College Sports Act would provide relief. Like the NFL, there would be restrictions on 'free agency,' penalties for poaching players and coaches before the end of the season, and no coach could be hired by another team before the conclusion of the playoffs. A 24-team playoff and the additional games are in the valuation process. There is no reason to expand the field if the games are not worth the candles. If the price is right, this will bring an end to conference champ games, which college coaches (except Mario 🙃) would be happy to see disappear. With a 1st-round bye, a team has to play 15 games to win it all. 16 games if you do not have a 1st-round bye. No coach whose team is a lock for the field wants to play an extra game against a motivated, quality opponent. A 2025 B12 champ game knocked 12-2 BYU out of the playoffs. (Of course, 10-3 Bama's champ game loss to Georgia didn't count. 🤬) Indiana went 16-0 with a mature roster and all assistant coaches on deck. The Hoosiers were able to overcome injuries, including a bizarre post-champ-game injury to Indiana's best DL player, but no position group was devastated, and no top backups left for the portal. It takes skill and luck to win it all. In the champ game, the Miami kicker bounced a FG try off the goalpost. An extra point try by the Indiana kicker hit the upright and bounced through the goalpost. And a special teams blocked punt for a TD was critical to the Indiana win. It will take skill, luck, and overcoming ridiculous waits between games for OBD to play for it all in Las Vegas on 1/25/27. Thanks again, David, and Beat Boise!

Georgia's back to back titles came with some pretty old teams that lost loads to the draft which meant they lost juniors and seniors and then reloaded and did it again the following year... And lost loads to the draft. Those teams got old back in the day because of the wait your turn mentality.

I would agree with that. Lanning has a rematch problem that I know I wrote an article about at the end of last season. I might need to republish it. But from this last season the defense was good against Texas Tech and TT doesn't have the offensive firepower their stats showed but still. But it felt like it didn't get the attention needed. I am only guessing because I am not in the know... But did Lupoi take his hands off the defense and the lack of leadership not allow for Hampton to take over more when he should have? Could Mehringer taken over more offensive duties from Stein? Or did Lanning not want to make those changes because he didn't want a chaotic loss to blemish his new picks at coordinator? Again.. I know nothing and am just saying things.

I think Lupoi got exposed and embarrassed by Chip. And then again by Shanahan. Lupoi is a good coach when it comes to recruiting and player development, maybe great. I am suspect of his play calling and adjustments when the heat is on. Lupoi seemed predictable imo. We will see this year.

"The defense in the Peach Bowl just melted and didn’t look anything like itself, even compared to the previous game against Indiana. It was predictable and just lacked any new wrinkles." Likewise the season earlier in the rematch with Ohio State. That game in particular it looked like Oregon's defense expected Ohio State to make no changes in the Rose Bowl from the regular season meeting.

The Judge clarifies and limits her 5-for-5 eligibility ruling. Agents cannot be happy. 😍 AP NewsJudge clarifies NCAA eligibility order, which could blunt...The judge who granted the right to play another year of college sports to some athletes whose eligibility ran out last school year issued a new order to make clear that does not include football playe

Morning everyone, This week's article is here and I'm talking about some January chaos, enjoy! https://open.substack.com/pub/marshduck/p/just-how-close-are-the-ducks-from?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=8foswi

The SEC, where being 2nd Hertz so bad. 😁

DanL, redshirts have been torn up and tossed away. No more redshirts in college athletics. You have five years of eligibility beginning with the earlier of when you enroll or turn 19 years of age. There are exceptions for military service and religious missions. Injured? Too bad because injuries will not extend your eligibility; we'll see if this holds up. The Protect College Sports Act includes antitrust protection for the 5 & 5 eligibility rule.

Lots of fun this season?

Lanning did said that this was most player led team since his tenure at Oregon. Agree with Scott, is the team ready to take ownership. I think they are. THE HANDOFFAs Oregon moves from a coaches retreat to media day and fall camp, the central question is whether the most experienced team of Dan Lanning’s tenure can become its most player-led.The Oregon football calendar has finally reached the point when projection begins giving way to observation. The Ducks will hold their annual media day today, two days before opening preseason camp Wednesday. Between now and then, we will hear plenty about position competitions, offseason development, new additions and the expectations surrounding a team that should begin the season near the top of the national rankings. Those are all worthwhile conversations. I am not sure any of them represent the most important storyline Oregon carries into camp. The more consequential question is whether this team is ready to take ownership of everything the coaching staff has spent the offseason building. DSC Inside Read: The HandoffOregon Ducks football, Dan Lanning, Oregon recruiting, college football, NIL, Big Ten, Pac-12, Scott Reed, Duck Sports Central, recruiting news

Good on Tosh Cal Beats Out Alabama, LSU to Land No. 1 Junior College Prospect

Dakorien Moore will continue working to hone his skills. Good thing his hand-eye coordination is so good! He's such a great competitor. Oregon Ducks On SIWhy I'm Buying the Hype Around Oregon Star Dakorien MooreThe Oregon Ducks are inching closer to another major college football season, as the Ducks and the coaching staff have hopes of winning their first college foot

Teams like UGA, tOSU, Bama... tend to be younger (20 yo and younger). They get the most high 4 and 5 star guys. Elite talent jumps to the NFL at 3 years. Oregon has stacked 4 classes in a row that fit this trend. Top 5 classes. The 26 starting units are not the norm and the 25 team was one of the youngest in all of college football. Per Rivals IU recruited somewhere around 50th in 2025 and around 30th for 2026 and 27 class. Cig has to rely on the TP pretty heavy to remain at a high level. IU are the national champs. I am jealous of that for sure. I am not sure that staying near the top of CFB is sustainable recruiting outside the top 10. We will see

Are those averages of B10 contenders the total roster. Because the IU 22 year average was from players that played regular and produced, not the average age of 105 players?

Assuming that figure is correct, a 22 year average age is still quite old in today's college football game. Someone posted a chart in one of the other threads about average returning age and all the B10 contenders are basically around 20 years old....so that extra 2 years last season is actually a pretty big difference in maturity and gained football knowledge.

Thanks. I watched when IU played baseball at Oregon last spring, blowing an 8th inning lead. LOL

Cig has had two very good recruiting classes back to back. Two QBs in each year a 4 and a 5 star. The recruiting class for 2027 has a lot of 4 and a few 5 stars. Winning helps recruiting. He said in his intro press conference when ask that he prefers HS recruits to develop them but "we have a lot of holes to fill and until that time we will use the portal."

Right. The on-campus media day is open to all the media, and the players are there for interviews before the season starts. Held in the Hatfield-Dowling, and lunch is fed to players and media. A dozen years ago I interviewed Devon Allen at that event...

The Best One Yet...

Not even OREGON makes his cut?

SEC trash-talking about the Big-10...

So true, so GOOD!

Oh yeah....WE LIKE GREEN!

When do practices start? The Oregonian column said there is an on-campus media day on August 3, with practices starting August 5. Oregon's participation in Big Ten Media Day in Chicago was July 29.