Log Haulin

Meh, the world is small and shrinking with every tick and tock. The only thing in the way of Oregon recruiting like tOSU, Bama or UGA is time and decision. Oregon has made a decision to be the "best of the best" years ago. They grabbed another gear a few years ago and as the clock ticks year to year, they are now one of the leading programs with one of the most talented rosters. Oregon has no excuses for failure at this point, imo. They definitely don't seem to be a program looking for excuses either. In today's world, geographic location is one of the weakest excuses. I hear people say "I want my parents to be able to watch me play" is a real issue for top recruits. We live in a world of NIL and kickbacks. There isn't a top recruit in the country that can't get their folks to the game. "Get me to the league" is the base. It starts there. So do that and Ducks will be top 5 every year. The rest is just excuses.

I think Fusky will struggle. 8-9 wins. The Wisky game is the one that has my attention. That could be a make or break game for UO with the playoff committee. If Ducks drop tOSU and Mich games, Wisky game is super sketchy.

I have to agree. Football rarely has a Cinderella win it all. Especially college football. The paring down of conferences and ultimately teams able to compete for top talent will expand the number of programs with a legit shot at a title. But those teams will basically be compressed into two conferences. It will be like the old AFL/NFL.

Going undefeated no longer matters, 10 wins in the B1G gets a playoff birth. "Every game matters" mantra no longer applies. At Wiskey in late Nov? At the Big House? V. tOSU? B1G champ game? Ducks could go undefeated... sure Odds are greater for a 9 win season than a 12 win season. DL needs to show more with in game coaching to get to 12 wins. I no longer care about an undefeated season. Ten or eleven gets the job done. The rest is just bragging rights.

Oregon has done well. They have positioned themselves near the top of college football in the minds of highschool recruits and portal transfers. The leadership at UO and Nike have been brilliant at maneuvering in this rapidly changing landscape driven by money and power. There are so many layers to the college game outside of fall saturdays. Oregon has played this game as well as any other program in the country. From NIL to conference realignment to portal transfers, Oregon is at the top of the game. Now they just need it to translate on the field. With the massive changes in the game there will be a ton of losers and a few winners. Looks like Oregon is in the winners bracket. With the culling of the herd and Oregon leaderships ability to see around corners of an ever changing landscape, Oregon will continue to attract a high level of blue chip talent. In the end, there will be only two conferences elite talent will be looking to. Oregon, so it seems, is perceived as one of the elites of the Big 2 in the minds of recruits. Oregon is in position to become the elite program of the west. That is a huge advantage over Trojan and Fusky. It appears soon Oregon will be on equal footing as UGA, tOSU, Bama, Mich... So these visits and increasing commitments of elite talent, to me, isn't surprising. I said it months ago, Lanning and the Ducks will simply reload every year. Soon, instead of me saying at the end of seasons "we are losing this guy or that", I will be saying "ok... who's next". And that's pretty cool!

I don't mind spending a couple/few hundred to go see a big game once or twice a year. These prices, in my mind, can't be justified. Television coverage is excellent these days and UO is a primetime attraction. College football, a stretch calling it that these days, is rapidly becoming unrecognizable. We will see where the college game ends up but I will not be spending thousands to watch a game that, to me, is becoming increasingly unattractive. That's just me though. I have no opinion on those who are willing to spend that kind of money. Many will. I can see many occasional attendees and season ticket holders being priced out of a seat.

Not a big risk to make the statement Dillon Gabriel "feels like... most likely...". Not a serious article imo. Gabriel is in a much better position than Nix when Bo showed up. Gabriel has the support of a majority of Oregons fan base and arguably better tallent around him. Something Nix did not enjoy and had to earn in year one. Also, more continuity in the coaching staff than when Nix showed up.

Ok... Bucket list check off: Cordon Blue cooking lesson... check.

Yea, I don't know how to cook neither but my waste removal skills are blueblood for sure.

Ops! Posted this on wrong thread. My two rescues, Sunday and Shadow.

Lol, not at all. Someone has to put the helmut on the bears. Might need your help with the shoulder pads though.

No worries, I am used to doing the heavy lifting for others. Someone has to stand in the gap.

Not a lot, but when they do fan sure seem to love them.

High density living? Never heard of it.

My wife can take a cube steak, fry it in a pan and blow your mind. I don't know how she does it but the woman can cook. I buy a cow every year. Grass feed with a little corn feed and you get some of the best tasting meat on planet earth. Haven't eaten pink slime in years. Living life the way life was intended.

Unless you have NFL calibure secondary. Ducks were down a solid corner and an absolute Dude in the box. But it was the safety position that was exploited the most. Laulea should be a huge help.

Oregon is capable. Ducks have the staff, infrastructure and talent. A lot of that talent is young. Lanning has seemed to have reloaded this team for 24' with another TP window in the spring. Back to back top 10 classes is a big deal. If Lanning can continue with what is becoming a trend, Oregon will reload year to year. Is it probable? The only thing I can base an opinion on is the fact that they never have won the NC. I would have to say mostly improbable. Many here, including me, thought this would be the year. The word special was often used to describe the 23' Ducks. Oregon had a good season but didn't win the conference or make the CFP. Lanning needs to prove he can win big games before I jump on the "probable" bandwagon. So far he hasn't won one. Hopefully Lanning sticks around and becomes a Kirby, Sabin, DeBoer type of coach. I definitely think he has that type of ceiling. Ducks need to start with winning that elusive first big game imo.

Right! And your earlier post is valid and needs to be taken seriously as well. It is essentially the off season. And with it came toughts and feelings I didn't anticipate. Many more of us will come to these same feelings on the subject. I agree this thread topic is layered far beyond recruiting alone. I immediately went there almost involuntarily. I didn't expect that. Thanks for your thoughtfulness with your posts. Very well done and your insights have a unique quality to them that helps me fully form my thoughts and insights even when we disagree.

We can celebrate the fact that Lanning is doing a great job acquiring talent. We can also celebrate that players are profiting off NIL, wich they themselves own. We can celebrate more parity across the board with TP. Mike makes great points for sure. But there doesn't seem to be any guidance in any of this. Anything goes free for all never ends well. This won't either unless some adults step up and set some boundaries. More 100+ year old conferences will be disolved. womens college athletics will be put at risk. Non-revenu sports will be put at risk. Players will be pushed out with nothing to show for it, promises of an education from the university that pitched these players to commit will be broken. And on and on. All for what? Power and wealth. Sorry to rain on anyones happy day but we as fans have skin in this game as well. I have purchased tickets, bought merch and cheered this sport for almost a half a century. I have a lifetime invested and it's foolish to discount that. I am not the only fan that feels this way. A lot of people are going to be hurt in this trasition to profesional football. And if they destroy it... then what? Everyone loses imo.

Yea, I feel this way. I try not too but finding it difficult. Two years ago it seemed all I heard was "We don't want him, play our guy!". Now what I hear is " our guy is a bum, throw him out!". I admit it probably isn't an accurate depiction of what is said. But it is what I hear, what translates from ear to brain. It sucks and is a huge turn off to me. I fight it but can't seem to shake it. I love college football. Been a fan for over 40 years. Since a few weeks ago and "throw the bum out", I have struggled being passionate about the game I have loved for years. Connection it appears, is being severed. Thanks for bringing this up. I have been trying to say the same things and have been pushed back on pretty hard. This is just my thoughts and opinions. It's how it feels to me and I don't like it. In no way is it an attack on anyone on OBDF or OBD. I can't be alone and I think a lot of folks are going to walk away from college football. I am really struggling not to. Sad!

If UGA has to replace Kirby? Lanning is probably taking that job imo

Congratulations on signing the best recruiting class in the B1G Dan.

https://highschool.si.com/recruiting/2023/12/19/jordan-seaton-to-colorado-in-doubt-nations-no-1-offensive-tackle-indicates-hes-torn

I often wonder about this. I question weather coaches know better. Sure they have a ton more information. Gives them the advantage. But there are folks like you and many others here that have huge football brains. Places like this attract such people. It's probably true that coaches know more/better just from the volume of information. But man I question it at times