Had this been another Boise State escape, then the immediacy of the situation may have remained hidden until it was too late. The Mulligan is gone.

If this is what keeps us out of the playoffs, then we didn’t deserve to be in it.

They say you have to hit rock bottom before you can start to climb up again. If last week wasn't rock bottom, then please keep all sharp objects away from me.

Two weeks from now we will know what type of team we have.

PS: Don’t bet the house on this week's game. Not because it won’t be a rout. But because we will probably see a running clock in the 4th quarter.

We were 48-8 after 4 full seasons with coach Lanning.

4 of those losses were to that seasons eventual national champion. 2 others were to that seasons runner up.

That's 6 of 8 losses to teams in the Natty.

Not bad for a first time new head coach.

I agree losing may end up being the best thing to happen because we as people seem to learn best from adversity.

We fans have clearly become spoiled. It's hard not to with as much winning as we have experienced with coach Lanning.

A saying I like, "don't doubt in the dark what has been proven to be true in the light".

Lanning has hired 3 previous coordinators, all 3 are now head coaches of D1 programs. Pretty good percentage. I gotta believe he knows a thing or two about hiring.

So I need to trust the process and give our new OC and DC some room to prove him right.

Last week's game was a valuable wake up. Let's hope the coaches learn, the players learn, and this seasons team will reach their real potential.

I've been a Duck for 50 years. I gotta believe that this is our year.

(Or maybe next year 😉)

It would take a miracle to fix the O line.

30 minutes ago, 1Ducker1 said:

It would take a miracle to fix the O line.

I don't know if it would be a miracle.... it is going to take settling on a solid 5.

And then making sure those 5 can communicate and work in sync. Most of these players have been with the program for multiple years which means they have the vocabulary and they have the physical gifts. They need to learn to put it all together and work as a unit which won't be easy. But if this is also truly a player led team... Moore and his offensive line should be out there on their own time repping and getting that chemistry.

They need to be ok against PSU.

Then they get a week.

Then they need to show out against USC.

It is completely possible. The 2024 line was just as bad (or maybe worse) in two games. It is going to take work to fix and most of it won't be on the coaches.

36 minutes ago, 1Ducker1 said:

It would take a miracle to fix the O line.

Like so much written on the forum these days....I think the take above is exaggerated, and quite incomplete of any analysis.

Our starting left guard who came in to replace the newby starter, and subsequently played well against Boise State, Trent Ferguson, from West Salem, started this last game, and I was looking forward to watching his big blocks. But he was out in the first quarter, and I did not know why?

Turns out he got hurt, a season ending injury at that. So on the left side....we have two talented O-Linemen in Addison and Utu, but their experience last year was scant-to-nothing. They are athletic, but learning on the job....so you HAVE your inexperienced, but talented players already in there.

On offense, the key element you have is one of surprise on every play, as the defense has to react and try to stop the play. But what IF the quarterback effectively tells the defense right up front if the play is a pass or run? How much MORE does that make it harder for offensive linemen? Especially inexperienced ones?

That element alone would drag offensive performance by a massive percentage as the defense can pack the box when they know a run play is coming.

It makes me wonder how many people here will eat their hyperbolic words later when things get better? (I already know the answer to that)

51 minutes ago, 1Ducker1 said:

It would take a miracle to fix the O line.

We were really concerned about the o-line two years ago after they looked bad against Idaho and Boise State, but once they did some sorting they ended up being a solid unit.

Hoping this year is similar. The talent should be there...

I hope they get good as much as anybody. Time will tell. As was stated earlier the PSU game really wont tell us much.

Edited Wednesday at 10:58 PM2 days by 1Ducker1
left out a letter

Boise State has provoked a number of miracles out of us.

32 minutes ago, David Marsh said:

it is going to take settling on a solid 5

Plus, Dante. He needs to correctly read his pocket.

Without telegraphing it, how about some designed rollouts to both sides. I know a right-handed QB doesn't do as well rolling to the left, but he should have the skill to do it with the correct play calls.

Dante did not have his safety blanket TE, and the replacement players didn't step up, including a 5-star recruit. In today's college football, loss of key players is magnified. Ditto recruiting muffs on the O-line and elsewhere

On the D-line, Washington was injured, but the entire D-line played like it was injured. And Dan's in-game 4th down decisions? See baby on nipple.

And Ferguson and Davidson going down?

Even after the stumble at Tulsa, I knew OK State, playing its opening game in the Boone Pickens madhouse, was not going to be a layup.

I'm not happy with the way Oregon played in the opening games, but Oregon should have opened against Portland State and played the next two games at home against 'middle-class' G6 competition. You know? Like SC.

Glad Oregon lost? Heck no! Not with a 12-team PO and a selection committee that focuses on losses. Boise State provided a wake-up call, and OBD did not wake up in Week 2.

Get healthy this week, I hope, against an opponent who should have been in Autzen in Week 1. ESPN analytics give OBD a 38% chance to win at SC.

Flock ESPN!

I can’t support the idea of being glad we lost. However, I do see value in going through the rough patches early in the season, and making the proper adjustments.

2 hours ago, DanLduck said:

We fans have clearly become spoiled. It's hard not to with as much winning as we have experienced with coach Lanning.

Yes, we are spoiled. I realize also that these are not the scrappy amateurs with a puncher's chance anymore. This is a team with one of the highest payrolls in college football.

Watching Dante's press conference yesterday, I thought, "this guy is likely earning more than everyone else in that room combined". It is rarely ever healthy for men that young to have that much money available to them. And it's really hard to stay hungry.

Problem with this loss is we've lost one of our mulligans to get into the CFP. Lose two more I doubt we make the CFP.

Dante is 7.5 mil…Mastemaker at Ok. a reported 7mil.

On 9/16/2026 at 2:57 PM, 1Ducker1 said:

It would take a miracle to fix the O line.

I remember what World, Harkey and Pregnon looked like mauling people last year. This year's group does not pass the eye test.

They need to rethink what types of O linemen they want to recruit. This position group has taken a step down from what Mario Cristobal was doing with it.

Of course, I could be wrong. How they do vs USC will be telling. And maybe they just have a bunch of guys who need to play more to get better? Maybe the problem was play calling? Too many bodies to block. No mis-direction plays. But at some point, you would want to see some big holes open up.

If the O line does struggle vs USC, then the QB and receivers will have to make up for it. There will need to be play calling going beyond two runs up the middle that gets stuffed and now its 3rd and 7 all game long. The good news is that all the other position groups on offense look really good.

The better news is that even though the O line doesn't look that great at run blocking, they seem to do pretty good at pass blocking. The OC will have to call plays that will work with the O line that they have this season.

On 9/16/2026 at 6:52 PM, GODUCKS15 said:

Problem with this loss is we've lost one of our mulligans to get into the CFP. Lose two more I doubt we make the CFP.

I would be shocked if ANY 3 loss team made the playoffs. That’s why the USC game is a must win.

(I’m anticipating a loss at Ohio State.)

57 minutes ago, DUCKED said:

I would be shocked if ANY 3 loss team made the playoffs. That’s why the USC game is a must win.

(I’m anticipating a loss at Ohio State.)

A loss two games into the season in some bad heat and humidity can be overlooked if the rest of the season goes well.

A loss to someone you have been playing against for the last hundred years or so 4 games in and it being the second loss leading to a 2-2 record shows that you are probably not worthy of the playoffs. USC is not a top 5 team.

However, losing to USC and then running the table would probably get the Ducks into the playoffs. But if they can't beat USC, then winning out is highly unlikely.

This USC game will put the Ducks on a course for the season, either upward or downward.

On 9/16/2026 at 1:44 PM, Steven A said:

PS: Don’t bet the house on this week's game. Not because it won’t be a rout. But because we will probably see a running clock in the 4th quarter.

This is why betting is called gambling. I thought that Lanning would want to score a lot. I have no idea how the USC game is going to go. I see win / loss as 50-50. It is a toss up. Who ever wins that game has a good chance to make the playoffs.

I was expecting lots more sacks and TFLs against a terribly outmatched PDX team.

8 minutes ago, Utki said:

I was expecting lots more sacks and TFLs against a terribly outmatched PDX team.

The PSU QB was pretty good at getting rid of the ball quickly.