Haywarduck

If not now, against a weak Cal team, then we should start one of the freshman next year against Georgia, in Atlanta, our first game? The next game would be against Eastern Washington, who are 5-0 right now. The following game would be against BYU who are 5-0 this season after knocking off 3 Pac-12 teams. If Cristobal isn't just looking at this season then look at what is going to happen next season when he starts one of these freshman. They will have to face 3 teams who are a combined 15-0 this season. One of these freshman isn't ready for Cal, but they will be ready for that gauntlet? Is he just going to bring in another transfer, because these guys aren't ready! I realize this is a tough decision, but the future is now. Many have wanted Oregon to become the Clemson of the Pac-12. Clemson is sticking to their Freshman qb, even though they have lost two games. This is the way a program recruits and develops talent, long-term. Anthony Brown was brought in as an insurance policy, against a disaster. We used the policy, now lets move on, and build the program. We aren't the Oregon Football Program under Helfrich who couldn't recruit a qb. We have 3 guys who are waiting to be developed and can run the show. This is Oregon's 2021 run it up the gut moment. We have moved on from the continual run it up the gut plays, congrats Cristobal. We now need to move on from the transfer qb decision. He is just an extension of the stubborn, conservative decision making process of the past. Time to move onward and forward, time to move on before next seasons start is doomed too.

I would argue Clemson is working through a freshman's difficulties. We, on the other hand are going to have to work through those freshman difficulties against Georgia in Atlanta! Who is talking about this? We either bring in our freshman now, or it will be against one of the best teams in the nation, on the road. You want to protect our freshman, then do it now!

I could see another loss, but I don't want to point it out...

The last item, I have eluded to before, is Cristobal seems to be like Ernie Kent. Without a good point guard, Kent was just an average, at best, coach. It is starting to look like without a great qb Cristobal is just an average, at best, coach. Stay tuned if Cristobal can actually win more than lose with a suspect qb going forward. I think there is an outside chance we struggle mightily through the rest of the season with AB. Without a massive turnover ratio we just aren't that good.

Condolences to Verdell as he is a warrior, and one of the cornerstones of this Duck team. He epitomizes 2021 Ducks, a team who has played well at times, and other times has been neglected. This has happened with little negative impact by the players, it is mostly the coaches who have missed it. It wasn't Verdell's decision to set up the qb to lead the team in runs. He just showed up and did what was asked, recently to do too little, until, like to many on the team, he became injured. One thing no one can take from Verdell, he came everyday ready to play, and gave it his all when asked, well done!

As long as the support of a transfer doesn't adversely affect our development of the young guys I am ok with keeping AB in. Seems to me if we had a competition between the 3 young guys and one was playing we would be better developing them, but what do I know. I don't want to see anymore transfers into position where we have recruited well, it just doesn't help the program longterm. When AB came in we had Shough, Butterfield and Ashford. AB came in and got 2nd team, then first team reps while taking away those opportunities from our young guys. I get it when you sign a Vernon Adams who has lit it up for his team. Bringing in questionable talent while our guys don't get the attention is bound to cause troubles with fans and even at the team level. My gut feeling is this will be a mistake when we look at the longterm effect.

The item that stands out to me, and is a cause of concern is the turnover margin. Without that turnover margin, like last week, we really aren't doing that well. Will we return back to the mean, or is this a turnover creating machine? This question, to me, will be the most important item, if everything else stays the same. Right now we are number 2 in the nation in turnover margin, down from a huge lead at #1. Will we drop further? I predict the same outcome if our turnover margin isn't high. The other question I had before the season was our 3rd down conversion rate. We are ranked 51st and OSU is ranked 6th in the nation. This is extremely concerning to me. This reflects the coaching and qb play. I don't see this changing without change!

Question on the hurry up, do you see a decrease in Ab's ability to make good decisions when we do the hurry up? Maybe this is also why we don't see the hurry up as much as we desire? Maybe we need a qb who doesn't just look cool under pressure, but thrives in dynamic situations. It seems AB just doesn't thrive under the RPO, or the hurry up?

Love seeing the defense read and the correct choice being made. I also love seeing how our offense can be creative, while keeping the defense on their toes. We have to keep the defense guessing, now if we can just add a little more hurry up the defense won't know what hit it!

Cristobal up in the press box, his assistants on the field. Maybe AB up there with him for the Cal game.

Agree with much of what you are saying, but I will also add this staff doesn't have what Bellotti, Kelly and Helfrich had more of, and that is continuity. With a new DC the processes and systems of training and coaching up players aren't in play. The is huge value in having systems in place the seniors have gone through along with the juniors and sophomores. You then just have to bring the freshman along and the other players are there to help. DeRuyter is building something, along with even Moorhead which takes years to complete, and we have to have faith the processes, and systems will be there in due time. In the mean time we can criticize, but we have to be reasonable. I do agree, the dynamic two, Flowe and Sewell were oozing with talent, but it needs better direction, and all in due time. As stated before, I often put out a take just to put a different perspective out there, this was one of them, great writing on your part!

Lane Kiffin would be hired right before Ric Neuheisel on my list. Kiffin has a complete lack of integrity and wouldn't provide any stability, two traits I value. If those two guys wanted to coach for free and guaranteed a national championship I would say it wasn't worth it. Leave those two and Sark for sc.

Sitting on the bench after averaging 30 yds a catch, and a td every two times he catches the ball. Also having balls bounce off the back of their helmet when they don't look for passes, and looking at balls thrown too far, or too high, frustrating for all!

Since we are talking about what isn't going to happen, but has an outside chance, I would hire Nic Saban as Senior Coaching Analyst when he retires. By the way, Saban will be 70 at the end of the month, Alabama is a Nike School so...... To make it to the elite level we need somebody who Cristobal will listen to on his ear. Have PK hire Saban at the Analyst level, and have him lead Cristobal to the top of his coaching tree. He wouldn't even have to move to Eugene, but who wouldn't want to move from Alabama to Oregon, I mean really. Just pay Saban to make a couple calls a week to Cristobal and set him straight! This is the only sure way to get Oregon to the top!

I was one of the few who wasn't drinking the Kool-aid on the AB article and it wasn't received well. I am now going to question your article on Cristobal's downfall in talent development. I am not and have not thought this was a playoff team, but it is a good team which can end the season surprising many people. Bottomline the qb position is critical. AB isn't and won't be a qb to lead us to the playoffs, nor probably the Rose Bowl. You can't have a qb who can't throw effectively, nor make decisions prudently, and he seems to have massive deficits which can't be protected anymore by surprising people with running. I said before he might turn out to be a Tim Tebow type talent, but Tebow was a winner at the college level, AB isn't. Herbert was a winner and an elite passer. The problem then was we didn't have the receivers who could catch his balls. Even in the NFL guys are dropping his passes, they're missiles. There was a reason Musgrave was so successful back the day, anyone could catch his passes, much like Johnathon Smith in the day, great college qb's. So we have had a great NFL qb and now a couple poor college qb's at the position. The big answer is to bring on one of the young guns. This might fail too as you have to let a qb grow into the position, if there is growth to be had, and I think all of our back-ups have talent to become very good college qb's. Just look at DJ at Clemson, struggling, but Dabo is in full support of his growing pains. That is what we need now, a young qb to grow into the qb position. The answer is Cristobal letting one of the young guys take over. He then needs to stay the course, take the flack he is receiving on his AB decision. The problem with AB is we don't have another season to let him grow into the position, we do with a young qb. The other issue is what others have highlighted. We need to get the young talent and receivers on the field. One of them is scoring a td every other time he catches the ball, but he is just sitting. At RB, it is time to put in one of the young guys too. The talent level is on the roster, waiting to be developed, but it can't happen while sitting on the bench, watching it all falter. As far as Noah being poor in pass protection, any program in the nation would take Noah right now. Attacking his pass coverage is going after low hanging fruit on a group who has been decimated by injuries. Noah is trying to do too much right now is the problem I see. If he had even Flowe to help we would see people talking about LB university, and the stats would show it. Joshua I love your writing, the time and research you have obviously put into it. I just come to a different conclusion, and respectfully disagree.

I suppose next critical question is, if none of the backups are better than AB who is going to lead us next year? We better have somebody who reads a defense, throws, and makes decisions better than AB or we are in trouble next season. It is time to find out if one of these guys is a better game time qb than AB. Anthony undoubtedly proved to be a better practice qb. Mr. Brown was able to become a leader before the season began. He has proven he can't lead this team to its' potential come game time, as the season has progressed. We need to find out if somebody else is a better game time qb. Some guys just light up when the whistle blows and other wilt. We need somebody who can light it up and keep it lit! If our next great qb isn't on the sideline, I suppose we have to wait for Tanner Bailey, and that won't be until next year. I have to believe one of these guys on the sideline is our guy, we just have to give him a shot, sooner than later. After looking at the analysis of AB's decision making, the one turnover doesn't matter. AB cost us the game with his inability to lead this team with his decision making process. We can't have that happening again with the guy who makes those choices every time he touches the ball. Turnovers are killers, but decisions are also a silent killer, often overlooked when you are the man with the ball.

It makes one wonder, what was he thinking? I mean when you have options, and you don't see how bad the option you are choosing is, what are you looking at? It also makes one think AB's self analysis was spot on, unfortunately.

Well done and the beavs win against sc in LA was huge too. The beavs are riding a wave, when it crashes, and can they ride it out are the questions.

I keep coming back to the decision is based on more of an adults risk to reward equation. The risk still is greater picking one of the young guns to run the offense than just staying with the guy who has made few massively impactful mistakes. I get it, we as fans want the points, the passes, the decision making, we have had it so many times before, we expect that type of performance from our qb. The problem as I see it is TT came in and threw some bombs to nowhere the last time he played. Maybe he and Butterfield just aren't ready for primetime? We have to trust the coaches and wish the best for AB. I also hope we get to see some real playing time for our backups in this next game. It better not be another play down to the competition, but it might be. Full disclosure I was rooting for Cristobal to pick one of the young ones as a starter this spring, so I get the angst.

My bet is the turnover ratio is what will be the kicker for a qb change. As long as AB takes care of the ball, which isn't guaranteed, he will stay our starter. When Shough started to cough up the ball more than AB is doing now, is when the change was made last year. Poor decision making from a veteran may push the dial a bit. Why let a veteran make silly mistakes when a young gun could do the same? The problem is I don't think Cristobal wants to risk putting in a young guy who may make 3 quick picks and blow another game. If AB does it then change will come. Until then we will see the same qb, my best guess. Fans are like kids, we have a much larger tolerance for risk. Why not put the young guy in it will be so much fun! Coaches are like the adult in the room, always thinking about the downside. I am not going to change qb's until I have to!

After beating Mahomes in Arrowhead in his second season Herbert is proving he is the real deal. Sometimes young qb's have a few good games, then struggle. Herbert is just getting better and better. It is exciting to hear the knowledgable pundits break down his game. Herbert has all the tools to become one of the all-time greats. Fortunately he also has the supporting cast, and a very good coach.

Great point Annie, how can we change out our qb with our OC in the hospital? I would think the OC would want to be in the new starting qb's ear after each play, if not after each practice set to get him ready. Without the ability to do this it would seem to be prudent to let AB continue. The problem is AB seems to be digressing, or was he reading turf speed and our guys were running at grass speed. AB seemed to overthrow a few which may be been misreading the speed on grass? Maybe I am just making excuses. I agree it would be good to make a move with the bye week and a weak opponent next up. I just don't see it happening without our OC, and without a complete meltdown of our starter. One turnover and a poor QBR in one game probably won't cause Cristobal to act. I do hope we see some action for our back-up because he needs to be ready going forward. An extremely bad game isn't out of the question with how AB has played recently. He could also get injured and we need to have the next man up ready to go.

All I can see is the outcomes aren't what I would guess they should be. Is it the coaching, not attacking, blocking correctly, or just a lack of that extra effort needed to dominate. The line play does seem to predict the outcome of the game. The line play against tosu was applauded, but against our other wins and the loss the play was spotty. This seems to indicate an effort issue. Are these guys, like the rest of the team, just playing up to and down to the competition?

I wish him well and a speedy recovery! These coaches work so hard, I am sure medical issues are often overlooked. Grateful he was able to get the attention he needed.

I also look at it like in a sport I use to compete in, triathlon. At first it was very traditional swimmers swam in speedos, cyclist used standard bikes and runners just ran in standard running gear. Pretty soon bikes were looked at and questioned. The handlebars, which had stayed the same for decades if not more, were first questioned. The 'downhill bars' were created, then the wheel were looked at. The disc wheel was created, then carbon fibre and on and on. This after decades of bike racing and the traditionalists adherence to what was always done. The traditionalists either changed or they were run over. If you want to be competitive you use the new technology. Football is much like that, you can be bigger and have more talent, but it comes down to being smarter. Cristobal is a traditionalist, and he needs to get off his old 10 speed, get some new wheels, actually use them they are sitting on the bench. He also needs to compete on a level playing field against what everyone else is doing. He also might think about innovating because that is in the blood of every Oregon Duck Fan I know. If he truly wants to be a Duck, then drink from the innovator cup, and just do it!