Haywarduck

Lets look on the bright side, the hurricanes are undefeated in Virginia this year, 2-0 actually, well done! Maybe they can get that new stadium built in Virginia? Hurricanes are 2-4 at their home turf, A Rock and a Hard Place Stadium.

A Rose Bowl win would be a pretty amazing season. I am not sure this team is ready for the playoffs, but, if we make it, I would be proud of this team and you never know. I mean I have my lottery ticket, but haven't spent it yet, but I am always thinking....

The next three games are going to be tough, but only one will be on the road, against the rodents. Utah, and the dawgs have to come to Autzen and that will be an added layer of difficulty. I would say Georgia better keep their head in the game. They have two tough road games ahead. Oregon has two home games. My bet is Georgia struggles more than Oregon. I will agree none of the next three games will be gimmes. The best scenario may be to have another tight game to sharpen the coaches and players for the probable 4th game.

I suppose this begs the question what would be the ideal job Lanning may want to take? Right now that is Oregon, and all we can do is make sure it stays that way. We can stay his preferred coaching choice by being able to compete for a National Title. We have already proven that we can, but we can't bungle the conference realignment decision. I would also say a continuation of Larry type decisions by the Pac could also send Lanning packing. He wants to compete at the highest level and incompetence at the top may nudge him in the wrong direction. The other way we can keep Coach Lanning is continue to provide unparalleled coaching support. The indoor training center can't be a lot of hot air like the stadium on campus talked about for our ex coach in south beach. I have no doubt our facility will be completed by 2024 as planned. Most importantly Coach Lanning needs to have the support staff where he can feel like he has personal time. I would hope the Halloween party the team celebrated was an idea of Lanning, but he just left it to his trusted support staff. There was no micromanagement needed, that type of trust in support staff is critical. As long as Dan Lanning can compete at the highest level and have some semblance of a life he will be our coach. By the way, if we continue to create that atmosphere there will be another awesome coach just begging to take the job, like last time. If I was a coach I would treasure the knowledge I have everything I need at Oregon. I would also be conscious of the outcomes of the coaches who listened to the siren calls and left. Keep your head down Dan, and don't get distracted!

We can agree to disagree on that one. He managed that poorly. Maybe we can agree his assistant Scott Frost managed this poorly. Maybe Scott Frost was the guy who we can blame for the shift away from Helfrich's prowess as a qb guy.

Another indicator of how he wasn't a great recruiter as head coach. He didn't manage the recruiting of Tua too well. Remember the Ryan Kelly fiasco, while the old Nebraska head coach was our OC, Helfrich head coach. He took over a Ferrari and forgot to keep it filled up. There was plenty of talent just waiting to keep the engine going. I think David's point about the move by Helfrich to head coach, and losing the connection to the qb position has a lot of validity to it. Helfrich was a very good position coach, just didn't have what it took to be a head coach, or sustain it. How far did Helfrich have to go to sign Herbert, and how long did it take? Herbert wanted to be a Duck, his dream school, basically right across the street, every connection you could ask for and he was an afterthought. Another one of those Helrich, Frost mismanaged situations at qb. I can give Helfrich some credit, but let's not put him on a pedestal. I would bet if he wasn't the head coach, Alliotti was, Helfrich signs Herbert, and he wins the Heisman. As head coach, he didn't have it.

I think the problems at Cal aren't the X's and O's, it's the Jimmy's and Joe's. I suppose if there is a coach who can help shore up a talent deficit it is Greatwood. One does have to wonder why a coach would want to continue with the grind of college football after making lots of money and dealing with all the difficulties for decades. I suppose the analyst position might be the sweet spot for a coach who wants to stay part of football. Looked through his twitter feed, maybe after vacations, and burning man he got an itch to be with the guys again? I could see a wife giving the ok for a month of coaching, and away from all day football on the TV on the weekends.

They have gotten even more high profile because there is immediate eligibility. Justin Fields is an interesting story on that one. Losing transfers when you have to sit out a year back in Helf's time made it more of a head scratcher. Maybe Marcus was just a qb destroyer, Johnny football left before he even signed, didn't want to compete. I'll agree to disagree on my point. I still think a head coach either thrives or dies by how they recruit, and develop, and use qb's. Helfrich died because he couldn't recruit and develop qb's. Maybe that is why they all left? MariØ will die as a head coach because he can't develop, or scheme for a qb. He can recruit them, he can even keep them as back-ups unlike Helfrich. He just doesn't know how to use them. Also Helfrich recruited Marcus, Vernon was a transfer, no development, and Justin was an afterthought, almost didn't get a scholarship. If merely recruiting is the bar then MariØ wins the contest, if that is the bar you are setting.

He failed, you need a good back-up. I will agree he recruited well, but you have to develop and keep back-ups. The reason we lost the Alamo bowl was because,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,we didn't have a back-up,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,center. Helfrich had a guy who was going to redshirt take all the second string snaps at center. When our center went down he wouldn't burn the guys redshirt and put in a guy who had little or no experience as a center at the college level. The nightmare unfolded. MariØ and Lanning have been able to keep two highly touted back-ups at qb. I will agree with Marsh's take he left that management to others, and that is where we suffered. I am not saying Helfrich was all bad, but his management of many elements of a program was severely lacking. I will give you he recruited some good qb's, that isn't enough as we saw with the previous regime.

From Rich Brooks to Mike Bellotti, and then Chip Kelly they almost always had an elite qb. This didn't, actually seldom did it, come from recruiting 5* talent. It came from picking the right guy and developing him. Is the lack of picking the right guy and developing him the best indicator of a coaches ability? Helfrich was the guy who pushed the program to get Mariota so he had, has an eye for talent. He also failed repeatedly after that, and then had to bring in a transfer to try and keep the program going. Finally Helfrich didn't continue the picking and development of the qb position, and that may have been is real downfall? We don't know how good slick would have been with the qb, but indicators don't seem to be too good. MariØ definitely failed with his handling of every qb he touched, so maybe there is something to hiring a qb whisperer. So far we have to give Lanning a passing grade on the qb position, but that isn't a given. Maybe the qb position will continue to be a trouble spot after our superb run at the position. Or maybe Lanning will be able to pick right up where Chip left off. I suppose this weekend will be another indicator. Is the qb position the best indicator for how well a coach will do, at least at Oregon?

Dominating the schools in LA on the field will help greatly in keeping the smart talent coming up north. There isn't much one can do to turn those who are under the spell of the trojans, and or the bruins allure. Those who question staying in LA and want to get away from the many distractions are prime targets this weekend. It is amazing to see how much better Hufanga became once he got away from the University of Southern Compton. We need to keep helping student athletes not make mistakes like Talanoa did. He was first round talent, picked in the 5th, held down by that program.

Makes me wonder how much love this program can take before there is a let down? These are student athletes who have emotions and distractions. Lanning will truly be a magician if we don't see the players come out flat at some point. The next challenge is finding that inspiration when you are a bit too full of yourself. I tend to think it is when not if as the kudos begins to roll in thick.

Agree with much of what you question, but these bruins won't know what hit them when the step into Autzen. It won't be 70 degrees, quiet, with just mom and dad in the stands cheering for them when they screw up or play well.

The most important thing is the real fans are happy again!

Love it, welcome back Chip, watch the door on the way out. Our new guy is fun and lethal. We can't wait for you to meet him.

It isn't a new phenomena that Pac-12 refs get a calls wrong for the road team. This has been happening for a long time, anyone remember the Stanford game last year? We lost that game and the refs never should have been given a chance to help the smart guys. The problem is teams are letting the refs impact the outcome. You have to expect the worst, plan for the worst and can't be a whining pathetic spoiled brat program. Blame the refs or give the other team credit, it looks the same in the standings. It does sound a lot worse when a coach mentions the refs when talking about the outcome, man up, there are refs, and the ball isn't round, live with it.

Agree the answer to the posed question is if there are multiple turnovers, and a score by the defense, then the defense can help determine the outcome more directly. It is going to take a complete game, offense, defense, special teams firing on all cylinders. Oh and you too Oregon Faithful, loud and proud, and maybe some weather, but then again it never rains at Autzen.

Agree, change is difficult, I wouldn't change anything. I would add some twists in specific situations. I won't get into how that would work specifically, because I have no clue, but I am sure the coaches see tendencies and can take advantage of specific offensive tendencies. I think our previous staff seldom added twists, even when playing the same team they lost too. That was a big mistake. It is a mistake not to have some adjustments, but no need for full change. This may be why our offense is more successful as Nix has been in Dilly's offense before. Our defense top to bottom is learning expectations, language and basically everything new from this years staff on defense. Adding too much change in this scenario isn't wise, and we have a young, but wise staff.

I agree many may turn on him, but he has earned our respect as did AB last year. The story has been printed yet so there is plenty of chapters to be written. All I know is he has earned my respect and gratitude.

I am still puzzled when I watched our defenders try to take down WSU's Cameron Ward, as compared to the beavs. We just haven't to cracked the code on how to blitz, catch a qb and bring him down. I think this might be one of the keys this weekend, actually disrupt DTR with sacks, not just containment and pressure. Agree Flowe seems like the guy who can get there with speed and follow through. I look forward to the day when he has a complete game, that will be fun to watch, from the Ducks perspective at least. We need to see crazy plays, not just crazy eyes!

Good for you, Nix had to earn my praise, but he has proved a warrior for his team, and therefore the Oregon faithfull should embrace him. I always thought it was a shrewd move by Dilly and Lanning to bring Nix in the fold, but felt he had to earn the starting job, and he has. I do look forward for Oregon, too once again, bringing one of their own into the starting position. This season, however, is Bo Nix's to make something special happen, and it is happening so far.

We know the Ducks are tough at home, but we seem to be especially tough when playing at home against top 10 teams. Another test for Lanning, and one of the more compelling storylines in college football. Seeing what the two offenses do this Saturday will be interesting, no actually fascinating, actually riveting. Not sure if the rest of the nation sees what I see happening this weekend, but I won't miss this one.

I stick by my prediction, he will have to win the tight games. I would say this will be the second tight game he needs to win. I also think the season sets up pretty nice for him. He plays most tough games at home, and then the Pac-12 Championship game. The good news is the Pac-12 championship game would be the final item on his Heisman resume. The Heisman is awarded early December. The Oregon schedule sets up very nicely for Nix to make a strong run at a seat at the show. Bo should at least start thinking about what he would wear. He has done more than enough to be in the discussion and for that we should all be grateful!

I do think a big question is can Dan Lanning beat a top ten program, UCLA can fix that. I also think winning a conference championship is also unanswered. First he needs to beat our big rivals, the dawgs and the beavs. These are two important games for the program. Winning a bowl game is also a line he needs to cross. If he was to win the Rose Bowl he just might be given Duck Sainthood, I think many may have already given it to him. Putting together a top 10 recruiting class is also something he needs to do. He has a nice start, but the depth of the class needs to be deep. Lastly he needs to develop talent. A concept I have been thinking about is how coaches who can't develop qb's don't last too long. Going the transfer route doesn't count either. We need another coach who can both pick qb talent and develop it, again. Winning the recruiting battle is only the start.

Not sure at all, just an emotional response, as usual. I would just as soon see the LA schools lose the rest of their games, but that probably won't happen as my emotional radar skews everything. I am pretty sure Oregon will win out, that I know!