Haywarduck

Last December Bo Nix transferred to Oregon. I would imagine in the coming weeks we will have a new OC, and then the work begins on the team we will see next season. We can definitely focus on the recent past and wallow in what could have been. We can also look forward to what could be an exciting next few weeks as we build for next season. We have the new OC, recruitment, signing, transfers and a bowl game. I would love to see Bo come back and be part of that future. The future is going to be bright, so I am not holding my breath on Bo, just excited to see who is going to be part of it. Great times ahead!

It is just a game, and everyone is just doing their best. The item I loved how you highlighted was how people were so grateful in a time when things where so difficult. How we react when things get tough can teach us a lot. While you went through a tough experience, you came away a better man. So too will we, although this isn't too tough of an experience as compared to that time. That is the amazing thing about the coach and staff we have at Oregon right now. They are grateful for the opportunity and just want to improve, make Oregon better. I won't miss a minute if it, my perspective.

I understand he wants the positive to help the program, but he will need to handle the negative as a head coach. Seems kind of fragile to me, but I do like his emotion. Can he be the CEO, I wonder. Should be an interesting game next year when Lannings team heads to Tempe.

Uncertainty creates chaos, I hope Lanning can create clarity on the OC side soon. Maybe Thornton didn't like the feedback on the work he needed to become great? His hands need some work, but the ceiling on the guy is yet to be seen. He will get plenty of interest as just about every school wanted him, and you don't see his speed and height combo too often. I imagine Lanning is working hard to tighten up the players, and get somebody onboard soon.

I was surprised I didn't see Brady on the list yesterday. He wouldn't be here long, but that could be an exciting ride. The one ingredient the Ducks have never had, the elite receiver, is now on the roster and lining up to get on the roster. The Duck offense is set to take off to greater heights, yet seen. For Duck fans this choice is going to be like a Christmas present one can't play with until next fall. It will provide plenty to ponder, and Brady could create a day after Christmas feel for months to come.

The only coach to leave after one season. Even MariØ stayed through the first Miami head coach hiring. The money was pretty sweet for waiting a couple years.

I would put it at 2 in a row coaches leaving and OC's leaving for head coaching jobs. The first OC and coach have lost their dream jobs, Taggart and Arroyo. The second two MariØ and Dilly are still to be determined. The trend isn't their friend though. Many programs look for the coach to be their savior, or they are fired. Oregon looks at coaches as able to be successful, and then how can they help them be successful. Most coaches don't seem to understand that difference, but they learn.

Sure seemed like Dilly was making, or thinking about making this call when we were up by 21 last Saturday. I only wish we had coaches who could show the focus Lanning had while still coaching at Georgia and taking over the Oregon job. Loved Dilly while he was here, but once his foot was one step out the door it seemed we didn't have the same OC.

The list of coaches who have struggled in their first year was telling. Not just Smart, but Saban at Alabama in his first year there, and Meyer at Florida. My take was always a Rose Bowl win would be the highest Lanning could rise in his first season. The key there is I want a bowl game win. That is still possible. The idea this young team should have gone to the playoff was wishful thinking. We would have been slaughtered 8-9 out of 10 times in a playoff game this season. The slow build is what we should expect, and we should support Coach Lanning on that journey. I know I am all in with where he is taking us. Failure is just part of the learning process.

Whoever Dan Lanning thinks will work, end of story.

Great point, but Nix was just part of the new qb equation. You recruit the 5* and bring in a transfer. The transfer and 5* battle it out and you have another strong qb. How many programs were successful with their qb recruit, and how many were successful on the back of a transfer? As much as I hate this trend, the new future, for the elite teams, is the bring in somebody else's qb who is ready to lead. My bet is next year, if we are successful, a couple of the important cogs to that success will be transfers. This will become the new normal in college football. The real difference in teams is their transfers.

I trust Lanning to make a very good choice here, and make any adjustments needed on the defensive side of the ball. We have seen how he can bring in some amazing coaches. The next OC will likely be have the same result, as long as he has good qb mentoring skills. I am more concerned, or interested in what he does with the defense. We haven't seen him deal with what seems like disfunction in a coaching group. Maybe he just needs his players, but the defense is the one I will be interested to see the moves within.

I am also interested in the fine OSU gets for letting fans on the field. If the beav program gets a free pass then the Pac-12 needs new leadership. This is a test for Lanning, and I am sure he will do just fine. He has these young mens best interest in mind, and under great guidance. This is also a player who has been a great team player, just made a big mistake. Not his first time losing his temper, once against WSU if I remember correctly. Does anyone remember what happened in that situation? Seems like Dan was going to review that one and deal with it internally? This is also a test of the Pac-12 and their leadership. I am not so sure about that leadership, we will see.

I think every team is just organized disarray. What we saw was some of that organization coming apart. I would also say Lanning is becoming head coach at Oregon at a time when the head coaches at our rivals have been upgraded in a major way. One team has an amazing qb, and the other just one of those teams they will have every 4-5 years. Bottomline each rival is going to be a major hurdle each year, not just an easy win. It should be fun to watch how Lanning deals with this chaos, his first really big challenge. What will he do about the defense? Also what will he do about Dilly leaving, and in my opinion Dilly's distraction from the program? The player discipline is minor, but another hurdle, and unfortunate, for a player who did so much, really anything, for Oregon during his time here.

Not sure, but Dilly doesn't seem to be able to run an offense when considering being a head coach. I would be very suspect leaving Oregon for ASU when he would be needing to actually be a head coach. We saw a similar scenario with our head coach leaving last year. MariØ started thinking about his next stop and the program went into a tailspin. His next stop has continued that disarray. Lanning on the other hand pulled off a beautiful ending to his assistant career, and then flourished until his recent difficulties. If I was a recruit, or player who was improving '1%' at a time, I would go to Oregon or stay put. My bet is those on the fringe might consider it, but most players are at Oregon for Dan Lanning and the program he is building.

I have been saying we are in the honeymoon period for a while. Lanning could do no wrong, and he brought back so much we had missed so dearly, longed for really. We could beat teams we were suppose too. The offense scored over 40 per game, the downfield pass was resurrected. Many were enamored with the trick play happening, once again! There wasn't havoc on defense, but we won with something familiar, the prevent defense, but the prevent offense is just a distant nightmare. These losses are like when the honeymoon is over and the significant other farts for the first time. 'You mean you aren't perfect?' We had forgotten we hired a coach who had only been head coach of a third grade basketball team, although he said they were, 'damn good.' He was bound to have these bumps in the road as he becomes more than a guy who had coached a bunch of third graders. I was thrilled he could beat BYU, pull of a win in Pullman, and reach so many other metrics we knew were part of Oregon's DNA. I do get it, beating the dawgs and the beavs are critical elements of Oregon's makeup too. Dan has to work on that and some other things. The big thing is he just stumbled, but he is ours, and hopefully we will stay his as long as possible. We recently found out Dan Lanning is human, but as you stated, the future is bright, just not a honeymoon forever, but what is.

Tennesse was fined $100,000 for allowing their fans storm to the field. OSU should be fined. My favorite player should have consequences too. I was actually surprised there wasn't more trouble with what I saw being said by the fans. There is a reason the fans need to stay off the field!

We loss to an underrated team, in a rivalry game, at their house. We didn't lose to a team we should have crushed. We also have a top recruiting class, along with a very good chance at winning a bowl game. If you had told me we would be 9-3, didn't lose to anyone we shouldn't have at the start of the season, I would have taken that. I am also excited to see many components of what I value as an Oregon fan. I think the future is extremely bright, as long as Lanning is our head coach. Tonight the better team won, congrats to the beavs.

Defense wins games, and defense loses games. Our defense was horrible! Special teams looked like an extension of our defense. We are going to run the ball, with our back-up RB, try and stop us.

'Let's keep beating this dead horse,' said no one, even respectively. The name of the game is like a mullet, it will go away, but some will still think it is cool. Much like a mullet everyone will still know what it is, nothing will truly replace it. As time goes on, like a mullet, some will be able to keep it going, and pull it off, but it will still be a mullet, not really cool.

Great article, I look for Lanning to, once again, be extremely involved in the defense. This beav team plays into our strengths, if Lanning can make sure the players unite on defense to bring down the vaunted beav running game. I also think this is another challenge for Dilly against a defense I hope he has spent enough time studying. A great coach like Dilly should be able to bring the beav defense down a few notches. I hope it happens before the start of the third quarter, but we need to get that two possession lead so Lanning can then flex his game clock management skills. This has been one of the most exciting new developments of the Lanning coaching era. We now have a coach who knows how to win a game going away. Nothing too cute, just execute!

Agree no need to throw group shade while keeping that a wonderful story, and tribute to a bygone era. Love to read more stories about those glory years. So much can be learned from competition and football specifically. This is a place where we should all be modest and unassuming. We all have something to contribute, share and build greater understanding off of, even if we don't happen to agree, actually most often because we don't agree. Great thread where we continue to learn about football and how it is done here.

Oregon's program seems to be working out, however it is put together. Agree with the assessment, interest in the program, and coaches needs to happen first. The Texas ATM method of money first is a colossal failure, so far. A play on Matayo might bring in some interesting dividends. Since we are connecting invisible lines, that possible connection might be the most intriguing. I also think bringing Gonzo paid off big. Going hard at elite talent from stumbling programs seems to warrant the price. You never know how talent, A SPARC number, translates to the football field. After a couple seasons coaches know who they don't want to face on the opposing side. I could see where players become targets when their college numbers rise above their programs success. Parents and student athletes know they could make more money and have more success if they hit the portal after a couple good years. This could be a positive of the transfer portal and NIL for college football, at least the elite schools and successful kids.

Not worried one bit if Dilly leaves. Lanning will bring in the next Dilly, and he might be even better. I mean who wouldn't want to take over the Oregon offense, and I am sure Lanning knows a couple guys on speed dial, is that still a thing, ready to go. I do wonder about Dilly, but everyone thinks this time will be different, and maybe it will be. My bet, Oregon will be better off in the end than Dilly. Not saying Dilly won't cash some good checks. For Dilly it has been over 25 years since ASU has lost less than 3 games. At the same time the program hasn't been too tolerant about losing seasons. Agree with most the challenge, home school, and of course the money will add up to a huge draw, too big to keep him at Oregon.

With MariØ's legendary thick skin he will be just fine. With how brilliant Phil Knight is I almost wonder if the contract he put in front of MariØ was just a good bye present. He knew MariØ was gone, and just wanted him to make a bit more money. Whatever happened Miami got what they wanted and deserved.