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Great comments from the forum. On a side note i would be remiss if i didn't give Mike West a shout out for his screen shots of the gaps and wide open spaces that our defensive scheme allows. I really feel the offense will improve and add 7 to 10 points per game. But the defense needs some more change ups and variations, soon. In the Texas vs Tennessee game, Texas had 8 sacks. In one game! Do the Ducks have 8 all year? Go Ducks....

Ducks at No. 3, with 12 top 300 recruits. Notables: Ohio St. 7 / 11 top 300; Michigan 11 / 13; UCLA 14 / 6; SC 18 / 9; ewe dub 21 / 5; Cal 23 / 7; Kentucky 24 / 3; Indiana 27 / 3. Cig might need more portal magic. 2027 college football recruiting class rankings - Top 50 schools - ESPN

Can't get a much better learning opportunity than hanging out with the coach of the defending Superbowl champions. Additional bonus is that Fusky fans caught wind of this and weren't happy that DL was hanging around their neck of the woods with such a benefit 😂

Admittedly, I haven't looked into Chris Hampton's coaching background in depth until now. I figured since he had recent, successful experience as a DC at Tulane that he'd had fewer issues than Meringer taking over those duties in Eugene. Seems that's an obvious wrong call on my part. Taking a cursory look over his coaching career, he's had plenty of years as a DB positional coach but only 2 years as an actual DC. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Hampton He was there for the 2021 and 2022 seasons (the later of which they beat USC for their bowl game win). Tulane was a pretty bad football program leading up to his hiring and is reflected in his first season stats (opponents scored 34 ppg on average on them): https://tulanegreenwave.com/sports/football/stats/2021 They did significantly improve in his 2nd season, opponent scoring average dropped to 22.2 ppg: https://tulanegreenwave.com/sports/football/stats/2022 I found a couple of analysis videos of the Tulane defense during his time there: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLkuGFhOiuY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7EO2hLdwjU So I guess DL hired him on given his potential based on that 1 instance of season-over-season improvement in the AAC? I'm not informed enough to know if that was the correct decision or not. Personally I would've liked a couple more years of DC experience that showed consistent, positive impact before taking someone on.

There have been 2 knocks on Dan Lanning, one of them being focused on recruiting during bye weeks instead of game planning, and the other being schematic weaknesses that are continually be exploited by opponents with excellent coordinator. Well, this just in: https://duckswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/ducks/football/2026/10/02/oregon-football-dan-lanning-seattle-seahawks-bye-week-visit/92054636007/ Maybe Christmas came little early. Sure their is only so much you can change during the season, but at least Dan is aware of the importance of improving the teams schemes and execution if we truly want to win a Natty.

Keys to continuing Oregon's turnaround after the bye weekImprove Safety Play Cut Nasir Wyatt Loose Complementary QB Play https://duckswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/ducks/football/2026/10/02/oregon-football-three-keys-to-victory-bye-week/92044263007/

Oregon Ducks make late 2027 offer to Power 4 commit Troy MailoThree-Star Colorado edge Troy Mailo, a Stanford commit, reported a new offer from the Oregon Ducks on Friday. https://247sports.com/college/oregon/article/oregon-ducks-make-late-2027-offer-to-power-4-commit-troy-mailo-290712498/

And amazing athletes... Oregon's athletes won against Boise State and were the only reason why the debacle in Stillwater wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been. I still believe Lanning needs to take a hard look at his staff at the end of the season but during the season there is no point in firing anyone as it will only damage any chance at righting the ship.

Agree, for the most part. Installing a playbook is only the first stage, and they probably did an okay job of that, individually. Where I see the OC, DC inexperience affecting performance is in what must accompany the X’s & O’s: teaching how to communicate the playbook between one another which is what leads to the kind of confidence that breeds quick play evaluation and execution. Talented coordinators - which we have - must still learn how to make their plans work correctly between 11 individuals. That takes time and experience. When you have the potential, there’s always the chance to get it right.

"We didn't get run out of the stadium." $12 million a year for this? Pathetic! On3Lincoln Riley on USC's loss against Oregon: 'We didn't ge...USC head coach Lincoln Riley is focusing on the positives of the team's two-score home loss to Oregon. On Thursday, Riley shared his thoughts on Oregon

When Lanning offers players, supposedly he evaluates not only their athletic ability, but their character as well, and how he thinks they will fit the culture he wants to create. I don't think Riley fits very well with my perception of that culture, and I'd bet Lanning wouldn't either.

Riley would not be the first head coach to exhibit an imbalance between his focus on the X’s & O’s, and governing team conduct and behavior. I’d guess the majority of HC’s would fall in that category (on one side or the other), because the few great ones excel at both. If Dan can stomach him, being focused on the X’s & O’s is what a coordinator is primarily about. The other way around makes you mostly a good dorm mother.

Absolutely not. I can't get past how disingenuous his post game remarks were. I don't care if he's an offensive "genius." His lack of candor was offensive. We have a good thing going here, he wouldn't add anything to the UofO's athletic culture. Just my opinion. (One of my grandads left the UofO to go fight in WW1. Had four broken arms. He came back and got his degree. My only sibling is a UO grad. Two of my three kids are UO grads. Now my granddaughter just started her college career at the UofO.)

Northwestern and head coach David Braun are coming on. NW is spending the money to hire OC Chip Kelly, improve the roster, and improve facilities. The renovated stadium opens tonight with a game against Penn State. NW is 6-16 vs. Penn State; however, the last win sent Jimmy Franklin packing. SIIndiana Created a Blueprint for an Impossible Turnaround....The Wildcats have invested in a new stadium, solid leadership and their roster with ambitions set on going from the losingest program to one on the rise.

Dan on needed improvement - Oregon Ducks On SIDan Lanning Identifies Biggest Fixes on the Oregon Ducks...The hit and ensuing injury on No. 15 Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore stole headlines in the win over the No. 18 USC Trojans, allowing the Oregon defense to

Oregon's Dan Lanning visits Seattle Seahawks practice during bye weekhttps://duckswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/ducks/football/2026/10/02/oregon-football-dan-lanning-seattle-seahawks-bye-week-visit/92054636007/

Update on the heat on Linc's seat - CFB-HQ On SIMajor Lincoln Riley, Mike Norvell and Shane Beamer Update...USC coach Lincoln Riley, Florida State coach Mike Norvell and South Carolina coach Shane Beamer all head into Week 5 under heavy pressure, and the next few game

Great ponder point! I don't know about Lincoln, but long-time college DC Pete Kwiatkowski had success at UW (😧), and in 2025, his defense at Texas finished fourth in the nation in Total Defense. This wasn't good enough for Sark. Will Muschamp's Texas D is ranked 13th in Total Defense. (OT - I see a lot of Riley in Sark, including having immature and undisciplined players on the roster. The last coach who called the plays on offense to win a title was FSU's Jimbo Fisher in 2013.) Former Boise State TE, PK, took a pay cut to coach the D-Line for the Arizona Cardinals. I don't know what kind of recruiter he is, but Texas brought in a lot of studs on defense when Pete was there.

It makes me wonder if the weakness on defense is primarily due to changes in scheme from last season. Feels like Coach Hampton has moved stuff around just for the sake of it (it's not uncommon for a new boss coming in to want to put their stamp on things even if it's not necessary).

I think a lot of this comes down to the inexperience of many of the position coaches. They just have failed to prepare these guys for the season in the off season. We are discovering now just how badly off this team is. I remember reading in the off season that they were "ahead of schedule" in their playbook instillation. I am going to say that that was now untrue even if they believed it at the time. It probably points to the coaching at the time failing to evaluate how well players were integrating the playbook. I am not saying these young coaches aren't talented but they lack experience and they are frantically working to try and make up the gap of preparation that formed over the off season.

No worries! During the bye week, my minions are on the road in their DeLoreans, searching for Doctor Emmet Brown and the Flux Capacitor. Others are scouring our planet for enough plutonium to provide 1.21 gigawatts of energy. I'm optimistic that by 11/7, OBD will reach at least 88% efficiency, return to 2021, and once again Flux Ohio State. 😁 Seriously, Charles, what a terrific and insightful look at the season to date. I was hoping we Ducks fans would have an easy ride on the Lazy River. Instead, we're on the Kingda Ka roller coaster. A terrible way for it to happen, but after the vicious hit on Dante, I think the team galvanized, and I hope the troops are ready to play to their potential and play as a team. Your Xs and Os review of the team to date is, as always, enlightening. I don't have the skill to detail deficiencies; I do know that the team better show up with a bad attitude and ready to ball out. Before the trip to Columbus, Oregon plays No. 23 UCLA, No. 33 Nebraska, then Illinois on the road, with the Illini having two weeks to prepare, and Northwestern at home. No easy day before Ryan Day. UCLA and Nebraska are the two back-to-back home games remaining on the schedule. Beginning with the Illinois game in Week 8, Oregon will be on the road every other week. This is a back-loaded schedule. Eight games without a break, with one trip to the Central and two trips to the Eastern time zones. Again, Charles, thanks for the detailed off-week analysis. Beat the Bruins!

Flock Talk: What a Bye Week Really Buys YouA bye week gives Oregon time to heal, reset and develop. It also gives Dan Lanning’s staff something just as valuable: a rare Friday night to get back on the recruiting trail and see the future.Flock Talk: What a Bye Week Really Buys YouA bye week gives Oregon time to heal, reset and develop. It also gives Dan Lanning’s staff something just as valuable: a rare Friday night to get back on the recruiting trail and see the future.

Charles, thank you for your observations and resulting thoughts. So much of your assessments were spot on. (IMHO) The preseason or off season hype about the 2026 Duck team was way over the top. It created a very high and perhaps unrealistic expectation for the fans. I was one of those fans. Granted, I was excited that Dante and the big front 4 on defense were all coming back. This Duck fan was certain this would be the year the Ducks captured the elusive national championship. Afterall, I am a fan so i ignored the fact the oline would have new pieces that needed to have time to jell. The best QB's and RB's go nowhere without the big boys up front. And the D would be without Boettcher at LB and many #2 players on D transferred out. Warning signs, big red flags. And the BSU and OSU games validated that. Players need game film to view to work and improve. Charles astutely pointed out the D line can not get home when the linebackers and DB's leave gaps in coverage. Those gaps allow all those 3rd and long conversions. Short QB drops and quick releases can capitalize on those gaps. Moving the chains has been easy for our opponents. The D is giving up 30 points a game. That does not reflect the PSU game/scrimmage. Our QB's and running backs cannot excel without run blocking and pass protection. All be it, things have improved with the O line the PSU scrimmage game and against USC. I have rewatched the USC game 3 times and against the classless trojans the RB's had some holes for positive gains. I lineman were downfield blocking. Thats improvement. DR had pressure but he slid or side-stepped that pressure. DR kept his eyes downfield and found his open receiver. In the last 2 games their were big chunk plays. That does not happen without improvement.. However, take out the 84 points scored in the scrimmage game and the Ducks are averaging about 35 points per game. That is not top 5 production. Won't cut it against tOSU, IU, Texas, Georgia and others. This Duck does not see our team winning against the big boys 35-30. More improvement is needed on both sides of the ball. As the coaches help the players improve we should see the offense score more points. As for the defense, the back seven players cannot close those gaps or wide open spaces in this scheme. The defense should take advantage of the players skill sets. Maybe? I believe in DL, his staff and his players. This current team can finish 10-2. This current team will be destroyed in The Shoe by tOSU....... This leaves no room for a bad game against the other 7 teams they play. Go Ducks. Keep improving and beat the Bruins.

Replacing a safety of that caliper is a tall order, but I was hoping for a little bit more as well.

I think the Ducks would be unstoppable with him as OC. He would need to take a page or of Chip Kellys book at OSU and stays in the booth during games. Whit him the chances of a National Championship are greatly increased. Dan could concentrate on D and get that up to snuff. I'm not sure his Defensive minds can take 2 new guy at coordinator positions and his time would be better spent on the D. Ohio State and Chip Kelly is a perfect example of how this could work. Don't let him near a camera or the Defense.