Mike West

I take that back, Alabama is a good two loss team.

Oh we know exactly how those 4-2 and 5-2 teams are doing. Although I am not impressed with UCLA, there isn't a single SEC team that has lost two games I am impressed with. I don't think any of them should be higher than 15.

Good read David. I understand very much about life issues. I can't do a quarter of the things I planned to do this year. I think the past 24 hours might explain some of what has been happening all year. This team is not focused. Maybe I'm way off base, but the unfortunate news yesterday feels like a microcosm of the year. I shared your same preseason concerns outside of special teams. You even summarized it better than I could say in an entire article LOL. One concern I briefly brought up was our fan base. I saw rumblings of the same sentiment that got Penn State in the very situation they currently face. While I don't think the team is fine, I'm not nearly as concerned as our entire fan base is. It is what it is at this point. And the disappointment the entire fanbase has expressed is more disappointing the the performance on the field. We're not going to the playoffs. That's less of a concern to me than what Lanning has been doing. I give him a A+. I've never seen Lanning look so worried all year. And he has shown remarkable poise as every one else has been screaming the sky is falling. I've got to hand it to our media though. They've been far more professional about the chagrin they've faced along with us. The way they've been asking questions we've all been talking about is as impressive as he's been. I look forward to the rest of the season. Enthusiastically. I'm more tuned in than when we were riding the coattails of our semifinal appearance.

All three conference games, the defense performed well. All three conference games I think they could have shaved 10 points off of each of the opponents. I will say I'm as spoiled as all of Duck Nation (that I'm ticked off at right now) when it comes to my expectations about the defense. Mostly because I've been doing a lot of research, and there's a reason for a lot of the stuff that's been going on. So I've been overreacting to some plays. And Lanning's last press conference confirmed that the information I've been getting from my research is far more credible than the responses I've had all season about the defense. Outside of looking at the damn QB all the time of course (and that is by no means exclusive to OBD- Georgia lost a Natty for the that specific reason). I'm hoping the defense makes "the kinds of adjustments" that makes this defense even better. To date, this group of talented young men have been giving up on average 33 points to Elite offenses the past 3 years. So far so good, let's hope it gets to be ridiculously awesome.

I can't than any of the bubble screens or tunnel screens. Everybody seems to know when it's coming, and the blocking is always atrocious. They all look at what Ohio state does with Jeremiah Smith. That's the kind of screen I can get behind.

Wasn't everybody just about to scream to the television when he lined up for a regular fourth down play in the middle of the game against Nebraska? I know I was LOL. I'm surprised nobody thought that he was gambling that his team was going to come from behind by playing it so close to the vest. I think a lot of people need to start paying attention to what he says not how they feel about it. My thoughts of course because during this disaster I think Lanning has kept the wheels from falling off. If our fan base were running things, we would be winless in conference games.

Great comment. I always want to write a novel in response. Not this time. You cut to the chase on several topics and issues.

You and me both. My response wasn't directed at you per se (or simply a response to your analysis). As I have said before-you see the game in slow motion-better than most of us. Let me expand on why I believe the scheme is the issue: the install for this defense allows for some flexibility that fits the unit, its components, and the talent within the unit. But there's more, it also is flexible enough as a base to provide a multitude of looks and strategies. I didn't believe that myself until I looked into it. You specifically mention Koi has a terrible sense of pursuing the ball at the proper angle. It seriously nullifies his speed. I believe you said that is a coaching issue (more like a damn malfunction if you ask me). While scheme has nothing to do with that, the flexibility within the scheme allows for it to a degree. Koi is too fast to bench. So what can be done to exploit his talent? That is the question. I finally got to see highlights of the Georgia at Bama game. Let me tell you, Kirby Smart realizes he has to modify the Mint-because I saw variations to it-including putting 5 guys at the Line of Scrimmage. I am seeing it a bit with Lanning. But I haven't had the time to really get into it. But my study has led me to the conclusion the install is flexible enough to throw teams off because they wouldn't be able scout tendencies as much. Again, this game is far more complex that we hacks have time or expertise to judge. This year more than ever, I have been humbled because I have discovered Lanning and his staff ARE on this and think about our concerns far more than we grasp. I think Duck Nation is convulsing over the dramatic difference in performance than we expected. And I am being kind when I say that (that I will actually address because I am starting to get annoyed with our fellow fans).

The players are fine. The scheme isn't. The right scheme? This would be an elite defense and we would be undefeated had they showed up in September with the scheme. I see several teams that are going to crack it if we were fortunate enough to reach the playoffs. Of course, the install is flexible enough they could shift away from tendencies and actually dominate. As much as I love DL, he won't do that. All the points scored this year are do to scheme (and looking at that damn QB). Change the scheme to better fit the talent and this is a 14 PPG unit ( and nobody would have scored 20 this year). My opinion of course.

So I have been pretty silent about criticizing the staff as of late. I am not happy with the defense. Despite how well they played. But...they did what was necessary to win. I'll take that. I wanted to show everyone some things about the defense this week-good and bad. And I understand some of the dynamics of what is happening right now. I need to look at the offense like that as well (I just don't have the time). I may wait until the end of the season to go into the kind of detail I have uncovered. I didn't want to stress everyone out this week. We are rightfully all on edge at the moment. We don't need any more stress than the nightmares we are witnessing right now.

Maybe I am alone in thinking the plays on that last drive looked almost identical to the play calling all game. And I really don't care. I am sure OBD will not win playing, looking or coaching like that all year. But if they win ugly for the rest of my life, they win. I know I will age a thousand years, but I will take it. One damn day at a time. We are trying to solve every problem known to this team this very second. It is not going to happen. Tomorrow is another day. And let's be real here. We have not looked like a championship team Lanning's entire tenure. And he still wins a hell of a lot more than he loses.

I'm stressed too folks. But I am going to stand by Dan Lanning. WARTS AND ALL. I don't like what I see, and I don't care. I am willing to be patient. I know, and I believe all of us know just how difficult it is to win a title. Indiana got incredibly lucky last year. No matter how much fanfare Cignetti gets. If Carson Beck throws that pass five more yards downfield-Mario Cristobal would have been called a pretty damn good coach. Five yards folks. Remember that when you think Lanning has to be the most brilliant coach this planet has ever produced.

That the offense was so bad. Seventeen Points. Thought we would lose. But I won my bet... Never again

I think NIL is degrading the quality of football nationwide. These kids can't put in the time the pros are able to. And it's showing up in every program.

Here's my perspective: In Lanning's best 3 years against elite teams OBD have scored on average 23 PPG and given up 35. Sure we want to be in the discussion, but in those 7 games we have performed significantly less than EVERY ELITE TEAM. It's something I've held back since the Spring. We've all deluded ourselves based on a simple look at the scoreboard. This year's team would have had to play flawless football, and we haven't seen that from Lanning or the players during his tenure. And frankly, we don't look even close to elite when you watch teams that are elite. I truly believe Dan Lanning is getting the very best out of players that don't measure up. Maybe not this year, but that is practically beside the point. People (trolls and those that hate Oregon) say Dan is a fraud. Lanning would probably make any of the middle tier in the B1G play above their level. If we want a title, were going to have to do better than our Ohio State victory in Eugene. OBD are going to have to beat elite teams by 7 to 11 points to truly be considered a contender. That is a tall task for any program. But that would restore credibility in our building. Excellence requires more. We will know we're on the cusp when people start fearing us. Everybody.