Haywarduck

SC will have better scheme and better players. Oregon will undoubtedly have better scheme, kind of like limbo at 6', and it is looking like better players too. The bigger question is which program will have the culture to win big, and win when it should. Neither program has this culture established and it won't be a walk in the park to create this. Riley has proven he can get to the playoff, but not win it all. Lanning comes from a program which did it all. I would say the expectations at sc will be almost stifling from the start. With a qb who will be the favorite for the Heisman and Riley pulling in pretty much whoever he wants they have to win now. The trick will be establishing a culture which Riley has never done. Can he turn an ego playground into a winning unit. Also was the pattern of Williams putting in subpar performances at the end of the season a precursor to having the sophomore blues. Caleb was magic early in the season but then lost two games late. Might he be less than many think, and who is going to back him up? For Oregon it also comes down to the qb too. Might Nix be the veteran leader Oregon needs to lead the program to a culture change we all want to see. Suddenly Oregon is the disciplined scoring machine without the sophomore, freshman mistakes, or just underperformance seen with little talent behind center. Nix just might help indoctrinate this young team toward the winning direction only player leadership can. I tend to think it will come down to how these two leaders perform on and off the field. Don't forget Noah on the defensive side, a guy who Lanning has to be drooling over. So it is a little limbo party between these two programs. Which program is going to be able to continue to stand up as the bar is lowered on the programs week after week. SC has all the hype and really expectations. Oregon has a veteran in their back pocket who just might be the secret to making sure we don't fall down as the games get tougher and the season drags on. It all looks easy now, but as the season gets going the drama is going to become unmistakable, and measurable.

It sure seems like Coach Lanning has a plan and is putting it all together. I look forward to seeing more than just the outline of something special. He does seem to be putting together all the ingredients for a masterpiece, at least at this point. Now, how long before it all comes together?

A NFT is something people with lots of cryptocurrency buy. They buy something, which is actually nothing with something which is actually nothing. This is Haywarducks definition, which is worth less than cryptocurrency and NFTs, at least right now.

Steele seems like a very good assistant, well done Mario. Steele is also associated with one of the worst head coaching time management decision in the history of college football. This should cause Miami a little consternation, but it doesn't seem they are worried about game management, or really what the product is going to look like on the field.

Mario is an interesting one, he basically just communicates power and intensity. The intensity isn't over the top so he is a very compelling figure. His go to move is the clenched hand, intensity fist. I find it interesting because body language sometimes speaks louder than words, we are hardwired to see and read body language, although we don't often understand it's impact.

Great article!

Not to take anything away from your point, but Joey was born and raised in Oregon, his grandfather and father played qb at Oregon. Len Casanova Christened Joey into the Oregon faithful when he was born. Most Oregonians barely have Oregon plates on their cars when they start thinking their opinions matter more than those who were born and raised here. You then see groupthink based on too many people not understanding what makes Oregon great! Joey is reflecting many of our opinions about those who have moved here, and are going to make things even better. Many of the new Oregonians have made some improvements, but too many are like Cristobal all talk and know little about what makes Oregon special. I applaud Lanning for talking to somebody who has both feet firmly based in Oregon history. The first thing people need to do to become great Oregonians is the respect the past and try and improve upon the traditions and qualities we value. Lanning was getting it right by talking to Joey, even though Joey was giving him the skeptic sign. He just needs to prove he understands Oregon while enhancing the greatness which is Oregon! Until then Oregonians will question what is said, and applaud what is done.

I see Joey just being the skeptic. Oregonians aren't usually impressed with talk, or hype. That was one of the reasons Joey was so successful. He went into every situation ready to work and show how he could do it. I don't think Joey ever felt over his skis in any situation. So far I don't see Dan as being all hype. I think he is hyped up for the job, but he seems able and resilient. The body language is pretty funny, if you are into that kind of stuff.

If you had somebody analyze the body language that is exactly what they would say. Body language is an interesting thing to watch and read. Sometimes it is a better read than the words coming out of the mouth. I don't even want to begin to go over Mario's signals.

The hand sign Joey is giving Dan is called the 'handgun steeple.' It basically says screw you, and is an aggressive move. It can also be used in an effort to say I don't agree with you. Dan's hand signal is called the 'accordion player.' You see the a lot when people are speaking and trying to say 'this is deep.' Dan is trying to tell Joey this is good, deep stuff he is saying. Joey isn't buying it at all, if you believe what their hands signals are actually saying.

Aaron Donald was a wrestler, not a figure skater. I will agree a good wrestler moves extremely well, but I would never equate that to a figure skater. Figure skating is why I am not watching much tv right now. I would actually like to see more guys recruited on the line who have wrestling, jujitsu type training. We need big guys who know how to use leverage, and can get around guys. Remember the Fridge ran for a touchdown, because he knew how to, and could move.

I will be happy if he at least doesn't have to call a time out at the beginning of the game to micromanage. Actually I agree, I think Lanning knows how to delegate and manage outcomes, expectations. The coaches and players are going to enjoy the expectations and progression of outcomes created by the staff. They may struggle at times, but the great ones love the struggle. I also agree with Happytobe, the staff was mailing it in way before the Utah debacle. The micromanaging was killing more than the players. I have a feeling there were call being made out on the college circuit way before the season ended.

With a new coach, who has never coached, a new qb, who probably has maybe never started, along with a completely new coaching staff, Oregon has to be one of the biggest mysteries out there. It does beg the question, can you bet on next years game already?

Which would have more allure Oklahoma against USC or Oregon against Miami. Maybe this could be a double header, package deal? The college game needs to figure out how to market itself better. In the NFL games are adjusted all the time to get eyeballs on the games. Maybe a triple header Notre Dame against LSU? Passion on the sidelines, in the stands and with the tv ratings is what we all want to see!

Here's a coach O story about the lengths programs go to try to get 5* prospects. I have never heard of this kind of effort. Get out of jail card, I mean move to a different jail.

I have to believe, if Flowe is healthy, we will have a very strong pass rush. The D-line is only one part of the pass rush, and stunts and pressure will come from all over. Against tosu we had 2 sacks without Thibs on the field. We didn't have too much pressure otherwise, but that could change with a different scheme and more blitzes called. I do think there is the talent to bring pressure, it will just take a coach being creative while making that a priority. Hopefully Lanning sees the benefits of a rattled qb!

Miami was suppose to play WSU, good catch. I have no problem watching that program from afar.

I bet you there would be coaches who could sway an elite recruit considering moving to Oregon with a few tidbits about Oregon. With our history on race, and the name of that game, a good recruiter could put more than doubt in a recruits mind. Having Black Americans play in the Civil War is like asking Native Americans to play in the Bear River Massacre. They may not know what that is, but they would learn about it, and never want to play for any school associated with making a game of it. Maybe we are crossing over into taboo subjects, but I can agree to disagree on this one.

Great point and something we all need to be better with. It is one thing to say something isn't offensive to oneself, but to apply that to others isn't showing much enlightenment. Playing cowboys and Indians use to be fun as a kid, but when you start playing with Native Americans, not so much, especially when you understand history.

There's listening, talking and doing. So far I like how Lanning is doing all three. The previous coach had the second one down, but didn't seem too good at the other two. I'm not too worried about him listening to Harrington. Now if Harrington had any eligibility left then he could definitely show Lanning how it is done at Oregon. I do hope he extends the listening to Bellotti. He might impart some pearls of wisdom about how it is done at Oregon. I could imagine there is some pretty shrewd knowledge about how to play in the Pac-12 Bellotti could share.

It's almost a home game, in distance, for the hurricane program, right?

I don't get it, we are undefeated right, but don't know who the starters will be. We don't know how the first game will go, nor how the team will react to that outcome. The injuries haven't started, nor the replacements had their chance to step in. The coaches haven't had a real opportunity to really coach or put their schemes into action. I say we wait until November where we will know more, and the real rankings come out for the College Football Playoffs. This is the one that matters, and the one we should focus on. Way too early to even begin to think about outcomes.

Where does creativity start and the integrity of the program end. Do you recruit the girlfriend, best friend, brother, high school teammate, dad as a coach, high school coach as a coach, tell him he can play on the basketball team, choose the uniform, hold a uniform number celebration on his arrival, houses, cars, money, or just name a shoe after him? I ask which of these haven't been tried? When does a package deal begin to smell?

At least 6, it's Dana time!

I could see many recruits coming to Oregon, and seeing the facilities, could come away thinking it is just one big candy store. All the shoes, uniforms, hot tubs, food and then the reality sets in. The coaches need to see which recruits see it as an opportunity, and which ones see it as something they earned already. I like the story of the Shakleton's trip to the south pole. The advertisement for sailors didn't aggrandize the allure of the adventure. It was very straight forward about the expected difficulties. The crew all made it and there were no transfers or medical redshirts, or real difficulties with the team for this arduous journey. College football seems to do the opposite in their advertisements for their crew. The honor and recognition is definitely highlighted, but the rest seems to be hidden by the appeal of being part of something special built just for them. "Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in event of success." Again I am extremely curious just how Lanning is going to develop the winning culture while developing talent, and keeping egos in check and healthy. This is the magic of an elite coach, because it is a team of players willing to fight through hazards, with low individual recognition, sometimes bitter situations all the while being in what seems like darkness about the end result. We can't have any who just want a safe return, only those working toward honor and eventual success.