Haywarduck

I would add these coaches are creating expectations, not just matching them. I will also add Oregon is a coach maker, not a coach breaker. These coaches are seizing the opportunity and running with it. I expect great things with tempered enthusiasm.

The whole idea of NIL is players are getting something for the use of their Name, Image or Likeness in marketing or promotional income. If they don't play NIL will mean Nest In Line, and they will get the money for their use in the bowl game. I doubt a Thibs type player is going to be influenced by putting his body at risk for bowl NIL money in comparison to NFL money unless there is a massive insurance policy. I would think the answer to get these guys to play is the insurance the NFL money will still be there. NIL money will only go so far. I will say 80% have made a decision before entering the transfer portal, most of them a poor decision.

The mystery begins! We don't know what this coaching staff is doing or the real indication of this. We are like data scientists putting together numbers trying to come to conclusions based on sound scientific methods. We need more data, but I will say I like seeing new data!

We got Dont'e Thorton at 6' 5" 205 lbs. with a 4.43, and finally a coaching staff who will know how to use him. Back in the day the coaching staff knew how to use Devon and DAT. We now have a legit speedster with height. If I was a coach, qb or fan I would be very excited. Last season I also saw him move after the catch like a defensive nightmare. He is the most exciting player on the roster in my opinion. I wouldn't ever pick anyone who has played at Oregon over DAT. His football speed was worth the price of admission. That was also back when Oregon Football was fun, hopefully we can bring that back!

'IF' this group of young men buy into Dana's plan, it could be a special year. Another amazing recruit!

And the opposing team on film, relented! Runningbacks stop hitting the holes full speed, receivers arms become alligatored, qb tucks and runs after seeing shadows. The new Oregon Defense!

Agree with Mr. Whitty and Charles, we can all get off our porches and enjoy Oregon Football for a few more years. We can pine for the past and lament about the future, but as the spring game nears it is time to renew our excitement about the now! We still have talent on the field such as Noah on defense and Ryan Walk on offense who deserve our respect and admiration. There are also many more on the roster working towards our esteem. With a new coaching staff, and solid support from the alumni there is great hope amongst this group of young men, and they deserve our attention. While we may still want to threaten some programs with a boycott of that attention, the Oregon Football Program deserves our approbation and appreciation. Well written and thought out post, thanks!

All for the glory of being in a high rent district, absurdity defined!

The whole west coast is a white hot real estate market. I would love to buy a new office building for my business, but it doesn't make too much economic sense right now. The reason prices are going up now, is because people think they are going to continue going up. There isn't a real good economic justification in my opinion. When this is the sentiment, it often doesn't end well for those last in, or those who push their envelope of ability to buy. When I invest in real estate it is because I can make money, or save money. Building has to make economic sense, it is cheaper to build than to rent. Even the idea building costs are cheap, rates are cheap, and you have a plan to pay off the building might push me to build or buy. I think it would be prudent for the Pac-12 to rent in a business friendly location and figure out what is necessary going forward. I am just happy GK got away from lavish larry's mentality.

Exactly, and now start making more for the Pac-12 and you can have the job for life!

He has rumored speed, but I like your statement about his football speed. I love it when I see football instincts, intelligence, but we definitely need football speed!

Should be posted on the front door of every prospective recruits front door on their recruiting visit for every program.

Married once, for a long time. It hasn't always been easy, but it was better. I get always looking for something better, but I don't play, nor respect that game. I work for myself so maybe it is easier, but I am loyal to my customers, maybe to a fault. I am a karma guy, you get what you put out there, and I feel like the luckiest guy there is.

You bring up a great point. I do have a hard time accepting transfers. AB took away from our guys on the bench. I appreciated his effort and willingness to put his body in harms way, but never accepted him as a true Duck. The only guy I have seen elevate himself is DJ Johnson. He came I and did whatever was needed. He only played one season at another school, and who in their right mind wouldn't want to transfer from Miami to Oregon?

Does anyone play a real spring game? Not that the NCAA could stop a caterpillar from crossing the street, but there might be rules about real games. I know some teams have traveled during spring practice. Michigan has gone to Europe a couple times. Maybe Oregon could travel to Samoa and ensure any athlete worthy of a D1 scholarship will want to go to school in Eugene. At least they could go to Diamond Lake and have a fishing derby! I get it the spring game could be a bigger event for the fans. Spring practices could also be a bigger bonding experience for the players. Maybe Lannings planning could include another event in the future? What would a bonding experience look like to you?

'it remains to be seen what the NCAA does to combat this issue."

I will add if there is a Travis in the backfield for sc on December 2nd, I hope we pound him! I would love to see Noah lay him out, offer a hand up, wait and say nothing.

Travis who? The only Dye to ever play at Oregon was Troy, and he is a legend. Maybe after this season I will read about the family again, not now.

Doesn't matter the ranking, we are number 1, and always will be. With Nike and a little Tinkering no one can come close. The uniforms, shoes along with fabrics and gear will always be way ahead of any competition.

Hayward in the morning, lunch, and then a 1:00 start, what a day! Longing for the old days of 1:00 kickoffs! This is brilliant by the way, just brilliant!

I agree with Charles and Mr. Joseph, with an even rosier outlook for some programs. I would argue many programs have been playing the NIL type game for a while. Most have suffered, and the ones doing it right have, mostly, succeeded. This is my basic philosophy of life, I think there will always be good and evil. Trying to put down all evil is like playing whack a mole, it will always rise up somewhere else. In college football there has always been the programs which go after the Reggie Bush's and Cam Newton's and some succeed. Others go after the student athletes who want an education and the best opportunity to get the NFL. I think Oregon can really make a name for itself if they continue to be a program that enables players to make the NFL while expanding their educational opportunities. What Oregon needs to do is to get ahead of educating these student athletes on how to manage money and the opportunities which present themselves. We already lead on academic help with the Jaqua Center. We now need another element to teach them how to deal with these new opportunities. If we fall into the same group as the A&M's and just give massive money to student athletes we will fail like many entering this new era. I think we will position ourselves uniquely as we have many times in the past. I look forward to Oregon staying above the fray, for the most part. We can knock down all the negative impacts, but we can become one of the success stories and create even more capable student athletes in this new transfer, NIL era. I can hope so, can't I?

I think it wall add another wrinkle in analyzing recruits. Is this recruit worth the effort based on talent and based on attitude within the new structure of college football. Teams miss all the time with their recruits. Missing based on the attitude of a player might be even more devastating for a program. If you miss on the talent of a player you usually have a back-up plan, maybe even a walk-on who adds to the program. If you miss on the attitude of a player you may have a hole in the program or even worse. The attitude of the team is going to be an even harder component of a program to develop and keep on the healthy side. How long before a player runs off the field like Antonio Brown did as a Bucc? Playing time, playing up their egos, and making sure they have enough NIL money is going to potentially add a hole, not just a wrinkle. I just hope it doesn't also add a large sucking sound on the field, sideline and locker room.

Agree the RB group, and coaching of that group may be the surprise of the season. While our qb play was subpar in comparison to the past starters, the RB position has also faltered. With a proven RB coach and a new speedster we may just see a renewed threat in our running game. I think what will be interesting is which coach is able to instill his scheme and player development into the program first, and best. We have a qb, and rb transfer who their position coaches wanted. Which coach can get their group playing up to the level we expect, and functionally into the scheme they want? I would say our RB coach is the one who is most proven and under the radar. I look for the RB group to have a large impact this season. No more repeated runs up the gut will help. I think the coaching ability will be an even larger factor.

Great discussion, but it will always be the last one. Proud to see the old teams defended, but when a team wins it all it will be the greatest. All the teams which made it possible, will most likely, be forgotten. One item we have always been weak at is depth. When Dixon went down it was over. In 2014 we didn't have receiver depth. Even in 2001 we didn't have the depth in program history. I think we just might be beginning to have the depth of players and program history to make a real run. The powers that be may just let us in. Once there we just might have the depth in players and win it all. Once that happens I hope we don't forget the greats of the past. Much like Brooks who doesn't look so great because of his record, we can't forget those who got us here. This is another defining element of the Oregon Program and it's fans. We are proud of every part of our program. From the Brooks program, to even recently the hiring outsiders, we have built a program we can be proud of. A program moving towards being the greatest of all time!

The problem with AB was teams figured him out. He was like a pitcher who baffled teams with one pitch, but then once they figured there was only one pitch he was easy to hit. AB was a running qb with limited passing ability. I was actually startled more teams didn't pick off his sideline throws after Stanford figured out that was one of the few passes he could complete. The Stanford LB almost picked off two of them. That was a pass AB made way too many times if I was a DC of the opposing team. AB did his best and gave it his all. For that we should all be grateful. The fact that the guys underneath him didn't get any playing time would seem to have been unjust. We will see in the coming years.