mikethehiker

There's a lot of reasons I've stopped watching all professional sports, but entitlement and showboating are at the top of that list. It's gotten pretty bad at the college football level, but I reserve Oregon Ducks as my sports outlet. Drexler era and brief Pippen/Wallace/Sabonis era gave us hope, but there hasn't been any hope since the NBA stars started joining forces and assembling super teams instead of committing themselves to beat their rivals. There is more parity now, and it would be the perfect time for the Blazers to finally be good, but they're not. I have no hope or expectation that they'll contend for a championship again.

Eight conferences of 10 teams each to crown an 8-team tournament champion is absolutely perfect!! And that's why it will never happen. Bracket should also be predetermined, not based on rank. Remove all judging and guesswork. I don't care about at-large bids or second place conference finishers. Results matter. In general, the best teams win tournaments, but not always. It's exactly what makes following sports so compelling. If David slays Goliath, Goliath shouldn't get a second shot. However, I am open to allowing 2nd place conference finishers their own tournament as it's own compelling twist to highlight conference strength or "what could have been." Like a consolation bracket. College presidents would never back moving up and down divisions based on W/L results. This should remain standard Division I requirements over the course of a number of years. With transfers, graduations, recruiting, football rosters are too volatile to move teams around based on one year's on field performance. Scheduling also becomes an issue. If conferences need more than 10 teams to accommodate all Division I teams, they can go back to divisions if necessary. Figure it out. You only get to send one champion to the playoff. The SEC has been gaming the system for years with 8 conference games and 14 teams. They don't care about a true conference champion as much as they want two playoff teams - minimum.

This statement from Drake perfectly summarizes the end result if current trends are not reversed. The equity and logic are simply not sustainable. I've maintained this from the beginning - athletes need the stage that college football provides to achieve their dreams, and as long as no other minor league exists, colleges have a monopoly on amateur athletes. There is a reason athletes choose college football over other non-NFL pro and semi-pro leagues - the opportunities and rewards are far greater! Imagine these dominoes falling: -if players are employees, they must be compensated (wages and benefits and insurance) -if some football players are employees, all football players are employees -if all football players are employees, all student athletes are employees -if student athletes are employees, then they are not student athletes thus no student requirements -if there are no student requirements, there should be no limit on the number of years an athlete can play at a college -now you're stepping on the NFL's toes as several star athletes choose to stay at college (on field coaches) vs. grinding against pros for similar pay -now the cost of maintaining an employee base for both revenue and non-revenue sports is so prohibitive, colleges begin dropping some or all sports programs OR colleges elect to join true amateur conferences (if still permitted by law) where there is absolutely no student-athlete compensation permitted outside of standard books/tuition/room/board/equipment. If college football was smart, they would walk all of this back. Once insurance and laws get involved, they may end up killing their golden goose.

Husky success over the past two seasons ends up being their demise. This is going to be a tough recovery. On the other hand, I was hoping Alabama would leave at least one void at the top of the CFB pecking order. Unfortunately, I think KDB is a freaking good coach and the best option available to Alabama. If he can solve recruiting, he may be better than Kirby Smart and far better than Sark or Kiffin. I have a feeling we'll be butting heads with KDB and Alabama soon and often in a 12 team playoff.

This is an interesting point. Our loyalty to the Ducks and Lanning's loyalty to the Ducks are likely two different things. Maybe Lanning's loyalty is more commitment. I think the following can all be true at the same time: 1. Alabama reached out and showed interest in hiring DL to replace Saban as their next head coach. 2. Oregon proactively sweetened the pot and did everything they could to entice DL to stay at Oregon. 3. DL was already committed to stay at Oregon and finish the work he, his staff, and his players have started. 4. DL may develop a loyalty to Oregon over time that will keep him in Eugene for as long as Oregon will have him. #3 is the very rare and commendable part of this sequence - a coach keeping his word to the program and his players. What a tremendous example that is to young men in the program and across the country! It should be applauded and frankly, I hope it catches on.

No sooner did I post this thread and Saban retired and the rumor mills started! My gut told me Lanning was different than our last two coaches. DL said it perfectly this morning at the team meeting, "A lot of starters, but the world doesn't have a lot of finishers." The first of many more blessings in 2024 - great call!

All great insights KCDuck1! Thank you for sharing those observations.

I feel like very insecure coaches make the jump "while the iron is hot" and while their stock is high. When they know they won't be able to maintain their current level of success. There will always be an "Alabama" job in the future for Dan Lanning who is one of the youngest, most successful coaches in the game. If he believes in what he's building in Eugene, then he will stay and see it through. There is no upside for the next Alabama coach and Lanning is smart enough to remain patient for his time - which could always be Eugene. He wants to go through the process of becoming a champion like he's preached to his players. I don't think he's looking for a shortcut.

Time for Jimbo to land another contract!

I know a lot of us have mixed feelings about our 2023 football campaign, because we fell short of winning the last Pac-12 title and a playoff spot. We had a special quarterback with a lot of experience compared to the traditional powers (Georgia, Alabama, Ohio St., & Clemson) which gave us a window of opportunity. Michigan and Washington were two exceptions who could match us with quarterback experience (McCarthy more for playoff experience) and Washington was just a bit better than us on two occasions. It's easy to compare ourselves to the very best team(s) in college football each year amongst a sea of 130+ teams full of phenomenal athletes and coaches. This can be a frustrating exercise, but definitely something we all strive for our Ducks to become. However, looking back, we have a lot to be thankful for. Here are the blessings I counted: Won 12 games for only 6th time in program history. Dominated a NY6 Bowl Game 45-6. Enjoyed national championship aspirations through the Pac-12 title game. 1st Heisman Trophy Finalist since Marcus Mariota in 2014. Scoring defense improved from 77th to 11th (17.3 ppg in 2023 vs 27.4 ppg in 2022). Total defense improved from 75th to 22nd (320.3 ypg in 2023 vs 386.1 ypg in 2022). Scoring offense improved from 10th to 2nd (44.2 ppg in 2023 vs 38.8 ppg in 2022). Total offense improved from 6th to 2nd (531.4 ypg in 2023 vs 500.5 ypg in 2022). 1st in all of FBS in total passing yards per game (346.9 ypg). Still in a power conference (B1G vs. Pac-2/MWC). 2024 schedule is packed with intriguing matchups against (Michigan, Ohio St., Michigan St., Wisconsin, Washington, & UCLA) Top 5 Recruiting Class Landed key portal additions for next season (including a Heisman trophy front runner). Most starters opting to return where possible (especially on defense) Coaching staff remains intact for the first time since _______(?). If I would have seen the above back in July without knowing the results of the Pac-12 title game or the national championship, I would have been ecstatic about the upcoming season. What other blessings did I miss from 2023 or current state of the program?

It's my observation that Penix was playing hurt most of the 2nd half of the season after the 1st Duck game. There was a clear drop in performance after the initial injury. He held it together for Oregon and Texas, but it doesn't take much to get hit the right way to aggravate a serious injury. Penix looked and played as if the next hit he took could have been his last play which would have gave the game to Michigan. Agree that our Nix was more effective under pressure this year and has proven to be more durable, but Penix has been the better pure passer making the more difficult throws all season. Unfortunately for him, the long list of injuries may affect his draft position a bit.

What Washington has that most college teams do not are experienced, NFL-caliber playmakers. Playmakers vs great offensive/defensive systems. And KDB is wise enough to let his guys go out and make those NFL level plays (Oregon should have forced the ball up the field to Franklin more against Washington). The Husky running game may struggle, especially without DJ, but if anyone can use a short passing game in lieu of running the ball, Penix and co. can. Washington receivers manhandled our DBs in the screen game. Look for Washington to stretch Michigan sideline to sideline to open up those running lanes later on. It should be a good game. I do agree with the sentiment that great defenses nearly always put a lid on great offensive systems, but only great playmakers can shut down other great playmakers. Does Michigan have enough of them?

Interesting that Washington beat Michigan to finish the 1991 season and win their co-national championship. The Pac-12 got their first playoff win since the very first playoff game when Mariota and co. creamed Florida St. in the Rose Bowl. I'm intrigued to see what DeBoer and the staff come up with, especially if Dillon Johnson is hurt. Washington has some real special playmakers on offense and Trice is having one of the best defensive seasons I've seen in the Pac in a very long time. What Michigan accomplished against Alabama seems really impressive. However, this is the same Alabama team that can beat Georgia, but also lose at home to Texas by 10 and should have lost to Auburn.

With Brooks, Dorsey, Bell, and Boucher, the Ducks needed very little from Pritchard his freshman year. If Shelstad is this good this early, that’s a wonderful sign. I pray that he is as durable as PP. It would be a breath of fresh air if we could finally put a healthy roster together.

At this point, why not just drop the whole student part of "student athlete"? Really! Why even make the athletes attend classes? College football is now a marketing arm for the university to raise millions to offer other sports. Maybe that's the way we should be looking at this.

Personally - I don't like what the game is turning into and it all started with greedy coaches jumping from job to job and raiding university coffers along the way. I guess it's fun when you're on top, but this is as far from the amateur sport we enjoyed growing up and there is little to no loyalty anymore - not from coaches, not from athletes, not from conferences, not from television partners. If I wasn't such a Duck fan, I would be done with this. Practically - The trend is clear: where you start is not where you'll end. It makes absolutely no sense for 99% of high school athletes to sign with a top school because you will never see the field. Go to a school where you will get playing time and earn yourself a $1M-$2M deal to transfer somewhere else.

This has to be devastating to FSU players, coaches, and fans. Can you imagine this happening to the Ducks with Nix injured? If I was Florida State I would boycott the bowl game.

I’d love to see analysis on the contrast of defensive back play throughout the game which I saw as a huge disadvantage for us mostly in the screen game. Duck DB’s simply couldn’t get off blocks, waited vs attacking ball carriers, and consistently took wrong angles in 2 on 2 or 3 on 3 situations. Conversely, Washington DB’s attacked our screen game running and tackling downhill like no one else has this year. WRs and TEs missing blocks. Tight coverage and Nix throwing across Troy Franklin and not letting him go up. Husky DB’s came to play and our DB’s were physically no match.

Well, that sucked. Same play, pulling guards, over and over.

Lanning had enthusiastic praise for Cam Ward with the sideline reporter following the Washington State game.

Ducks 38-13 3 Turnovers 4 Sacks 325 passing yards Penix is hurt in the 1st half, tries to tough it out lending to more turnovers, backup comes in and leads to more sacks.

That hit by Evan Williams turned the whole Stanford game around. Woke up the entire Ducks' sideline.

I think the key to this game is going to be containing Dillon Johnson. It will be feast or famine between Penix and Odunze, but the Ducks cannot let Dillon Johnson get started. Washington's ground game is vastly improved since our first meeting, likely due to the injury to Penix. Let Penix and Odunze connect a few times, but don't let Johnson, Polk, or the tight end get any rhythm going.

This is how I watch every game. Start it one hour late and catch up by the end (ideally).

There was a bit of mystique with Washington the first time. They looked untouchable. I wasn’t terribly worried about losing the first game because I knew we’d get a second chance with one loss since we scrapped divisions. Oregon lost, but we proved they were beatable and left a blueprint for others. It’s like when Rocky finally hit Drago in Rocky IV - “he’s cut, the Russian’s been cut and it’s a bad one.” Now we go in and finish it.