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Flock Talk: Independence DayWhy the future of college sports media may depend on the places that choose not to become everything to everyoneFlock Talk: Independence DayWhy the future of college sports media may depend on the places that choose not to become everything to everyone

Kirk Herbstreit Issues Warning to Oregon Ducks Before USC GameKirk Herbstreit still believes in coach Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks, but says the Ducks' first two games "reeked of individuality and not respecting your opponent." What Kirk Herbstreit Said About Oregon Ducks, USC TrojansFor ESPN College GameDay analyst Kirk Herbstreit, Oregon’s talent is clear. His questions surround whether the Ducks will prepare for USC and play together. Herbstreit believes Oregon can win, but warns that talent alone won’t be enough. "I still believe in Oregon," Herbstreit said on the Pat McAfee Show ahead of Saturday's game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. "I'm still writing off that those first couple weeks, Dan (Lanning) needed maybe those games to get these guys to buy into how important it is to prepare, no matter who you're playing. I need to talk to him, but it reeked of individuality and not respecting your opponent. And they're too good to play that way. I'm hoping those two games were a wake-up call," Herbstreit continued. Herbstreit also acknowledged that he has not spoken with Lanning about what happened inside the program, basing his takeaways on what he saw from Oregon on the field. Oregon Ducks On SIKirk Herbstreit Issues Warning to Oregon Ducks Before USC...LOS ANGELES - The No. 20 Oregon Ducks have a chance to hand the No. 12 USC Trojans their first loss of the season and answer some of the looming questions surro

Oregon Ducks Football: USC 2026 Film Study AnalysisA preview of Oregon’s week 4 opponent in Los Angeles I’ve watched Coach Riley’s unique offense and his adapations to the Big-XII, Pac-12, and Big Ten with interest for quite some time. The most recent and surprising development in 2025 was abanding the power RPO plays which were the calling card of his offenses. This was shocking to me, since using these as the backbone of the playbook gave Riley’s offenses up through 2024 extraordinary flexibility to manipulate defenses, take advantage of mobile quarterbacks, and complement what’s always been explosive passing with a highly efficient chunk-yardage rushing game regardless of offensive line quality. It appears that the power RPO playbook continues to be shelved in 2026. The reasons why, whether it’ll return in the future, and the strategic up- and downsides to this have been a large part of the last few installments of the decade-spanning conversation between my friend Alicia and I. For the purposes of this article, it suffices to say that the current USC offense is essentially the nameless shotgun spread which took over college football in the mid-2000s without much to distinguish it beyond two things: first, an emphasis on pre-snap reads to give the QB a leg-up on which of his elite wide receivers will have the best leverage advantage; second, Riley’s outside run play design creativity to generate explosive rushing, which is the one deviation from an offense that’s otherwise fairly vanilla schematically and driven more by talent. Addicted To QuackOregon Ducks Football: USC 2026 Film Study AnalysisA preview of Oregon’s week 4 opponent in Los Angeles

OREGON 34-24 1 3 320

Usuk 35-24 1 take away 1 sack Pass yds=289

My heart says... Oregon 45-24 Defensive line plays angry, Lanning gets over himself and his mint and attacks. Somebody fast spies Maiava and helps kill the run...Jackson or Wyatt? DB's allowed to play and soft high cover 2 stuff goes away 3 takeaways 3 sacks despite his quickness Us...338 passing yards and over 200 on the ground Quack. Riley becomes second USuC coach to be fired on the tarmac, later this season

If I had been granted one wish for the University of Oregon, it would not have had nearly the impact on it that Phil and Penny Knight have had over the years. This is how you pay it forward.

Ducks Wire staff predicts Oregon Ducks vs. USC Trojans https://duckswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/ducks/football/2026/09/25/oregon-football-usc-predictions-score-picks/91930645007/

Getting to know 10 recruits of interest on the USC rosterDuck Territory takes a closer look at the top-ranked prospects on the USC Trojans' roster ahead of Oregon's game on Saturday. https://247sports.com/college/oregon/longformarticle/oregon-football-usc-preview-10-recruits-of-interest-on-the-trojans-roster-getting-to-know-foe-290339796/

Oregon Adds Surprise Twist to Stormtrooper Uniform Against USCThe Oregon Ducks have more than just the famed "stormtrooper" look against the USC Trojans on Sept. 26 Oregon will roll into the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Sept. 26 rocking the "stormtrooper" all-white look. Past Duck teams have enjoyed success with the gameday attire. A la the 2010 team led by former coach Chip Kelly, plus the 2012 one that saw former Ducks running back Kenjon Barner shatter school records in that win down in LA. The No. 12 USC Trojans, meanwhile, countered the "stormtrooper" look with fresh new cleats via Nike unveiled on Sept. 24. But one Ducks defender helped leak out Oregon's own kicks ahead of the massive Big Ten Conference showdown. Oregon Game Day Cleats Turn HeadsOregon defensive tackle and former USC Trojans defender Bear Alexander put Duck fans into an excited frenzy. Alexander posted this image on his personal Instagram stories on Sept. 24, which later made its rounds all across the internet and social media: Oregon Ducks On SIOregon Adds Surprise Twist to Stormtrooper Uniform Agains...The No. 20 Oregon Ducks busted out a uniform they've had success with for the USC showdown. Oregon will roll into the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Sept. 26Bear Alexander shows off Oregon's custom cleats for USC rivalry gamehttps://duckswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/ducks/football/2026/09/25/oregon-football-custom-cleats-usc-rivalry/91935686007/

Presidents Cup - Oregon's Wyndham Clark is a Day 1 Winner. Day 1 - USA 3 - International Team 2 https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/presidents-cup-day-1-winners-000755721.html

Week 4 Preview from ESPN's David Hale begins with a look at OBD- https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/page/gamedaykickoff092426/2026-gameday-kickoff-week-4-preview-top-games-usc-oregon-alabama

Assume the Positions! https://duckswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/ducks/football/2026/09/24/oregon-football-usc-trojans-tale-of-the-tape-breakdown/91911896007/

Inf(l)ect Lincoln! 😁 https://trojanswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/trojans/football/2026/09/24/lincoln-riley-future-usc-hinges-oregon-game/91924819007/

45-38 USuc 1 TO 0 Sacks 278 Pass

Ducks 49-17 3 5 275

"The way everyone including the media is talking I did not know the Ducks were 0-3." Well, "journalists" are actually pretty lazy. Not just in sports, but across the spectrum of news. So, they will borrow and repeat a story until something else comes along to exploit as an easy assignment. Right now they are mostly waiting until next bonehead decision/comment by Kiffin then they'll jump on that thread again. Ole Miss played a damn fine game, but the post-game stuff was about....Kiffin. Kentucky got the win at Tex A&M last weekend. Good win for Stein. And, crickets. So, Saturday's outcome will be "the coach who can't win the big one." Fill in the blank for name. Will there be other storylines? Yep. But, most of the columns are already written except for the name.

On paper, this will be a nail-biter of a game: Oregon wins 34-30 2 3 285

Ducks 45-27 2 3 309

Mike, on the same day you posted this terrific take, The Athletic's ($ Wall) Chris Vannini asked: What's Wrong with the Ducks? Vannini notes five problems. All of the problems have been raised by Forum Friends, but Vannini provides stats to confirm his points. 1. Too many penalties. 10 vs. Boise and 7 in the games vs. OK State and Portland State. This averages out to three more per game than in 2025. 15 of the 24 penalties have been called on the defense. Two penalties on 4th downs vs. OK State led to Cowboys scores. 2. Too many 3rd-and-long - The Oregon offense has not been on schedule. 9 out of 26 3rd downs converted against Boise State and OK State; 34%. 2025 conversion rate was 47%. Oregon is 0-for-5 on 4th down attempts. 4th down failures in the first two games resulted in 16 points scored against. 3. O-Line Struggles - The Oregon offense is averaging 3.8 yards per rush, No. 78 in the nation. Only one running play has gone for more than 30 yards. The OL surrendered 4 sacks to OK State; 3 came against a 3-man rush, and 3 sacks to Boise State. Both Addison's and Crader's Pro Football Focus Pass-Blocking Grades are below 30%. 4. Dante Moore struggles when defenses change post-snap. Dante continues to have problems reading the field when defenses make post-snap adjustments. There has been no improvement since 2025, and a modest regression. USC DC Gary Patterson will mix it up post-snap. Does the SC D have the chops to take advantage? 5. The Defense Has Been Busted. 7 plays of 30 or more yards allowed to date. In 15 games in 2025, the defense allowed 18 impact plays. But 6 of the 7 breakdowns occurred in the Stillwater meltdown. Can these problems be avoided or overcome against USC? Perhaps, and it helps that USC's outstanding freshman WR Trent Mosely will not be able to play. SC should have lost at Rutgers, and previously, under Riley, SC would have lost. But there are better players on the field, including on a defense that scored two TDs, and in 2026 SC has run the ball much better than Oregon. Which D shows up on Saturday? The SC D that shut out Fresno State or the Swiss cheese D that played against Rutgers? Which O shows up for Oregon? If it's the O that no-showed in the first two weeks, USC wins. Before knowing whether Jeremiah Johnson can play, I'm keeping my prediction powder dry.

Ducks in a nail biter, 21-17 2 TO 2 Sacks 245 yards passing

DUCKS! 43 - 27 1 TO 2 SACKS 310 YARDS PASSING Note: Add 3 points to the Spoiled Children if that horse dumps on the 50 yard line.

Let's hope this is true . . .

I really hate when Oregon loses and someone wins this contest. If it were me I would Just sit it out.

49-39 Oregon 3 2 317