Those all sound like good picks to me.

It seems like every year one of the best Pac teams loses down in the dessert to a far inferior team. We've been there before.

As much as I dislike the fuskies they look like they be one of the best teams in the Pac right now. I almost think they would have a better chance of beating USC.

bedupivi wrote:

Now that the dust has settled on this football season, here is my two cents worth of Oregon football. Most satisfying victory: Utah, most bitter defeat: Washington, most disappointing loss: Oregon State. And speaking of the Huskies, how in the world did they lose to Arizona State?! OK, Duck fans, let me know if you agree with me on my choices or if you have other thoughts of the season and how the games turned out.

Agree with your assessment...I only saw the first half. My lovely wife had made dinner reservations so God bless her!! I taped the second half but could not stand it, had to peek at the final score, so I saved a lot of heartache not watching the second half!

I would cut some slack to Lanning...the defense was horrible all year except for Utah. Yes he has to reassess his assistants on the D side. It is a 4 year project as someone stated earlier. The quarterback position is scary for next year unless we get a notable transfer in. (as I forecast, maybe Uiagalelei). I don't think Nix will stick around as the offensive line will be depleted. The receiving corps and running backs look good for next year. 9-3 is not the worst record, but I sense we will see improvement next year as DL gets used to running the show. 

I, too, said 9-3, looking at the personnel we had in August, and the way we finished 2021. I expected losses to UGA, Utes, and then maybe BYU or UCLA. did not expect November's losses to be to UW or OS.

Lanning is taking all the heat, but you can make a case for his risky decisions (that backfired). our defense (and now special teams) proved consistently unreliable with the game on the line. only reason we beat the Utes is that Rising had a bad game, missing open receivers to move the chains. and yesterday--can't stop a one-dimensional high school offense that completed six passes. 4 possessions, 4 TDs.
so . . . I think Lanning decided to put all his chips on the team's strengths; offensive line, run game, a QB who can pick up short-yardage. and without failures of execution (high snap on 2nd & 5 in red zone, tailback slipping in backfield on 4th & 1, bad decision by Bo yesterday to keep) it works, and we're 11-1 or 10-2 and destined for the Rose Bowl or a NYD game. such is the life of a HC.

my biggest gripe (and I don't complain much) is the failure all year to develop a reliable red-zone strategy. this is the college game today; offense rules, the teams march up & down the field, and the team that settles for FGs or gives it up on downs loses the shootout. if you don't make the most of your opportunities, you let the other team hang around.
so what was our red-zone strategy this year? 'let Bo run' worked, for 10 games. then he got hurt, and we didn't have anything else. 1st & goal from the 5 yesterday, couldn't get it done. fly-sweep to Franklin on 4th & goal? no chance. had to settle for a FG at end of Q3 when a TD would have made it 35-10 and sealed the W. and so on.
for whatever reason, coaching staff did not trust Bo to make reads and throw the ball into the end zone, something NFL scouts surely notice. because that's the bread-and-butter req at the next level; something Herbs did consistently w a squad full of less talented receivers (Jaylon Redd?). where was the corner fade to our tall WRs? finding our talented TEs in space? quick slants (like the TD Franklin caught yesterday)? some kind of option package as a change-up? and so on.

will be an interesting next few weeks. what if SC wins Friday and advances to the CFB playoff? would the Rose Bowl committee reach past UW and take Oregon, knowing that UO w a healthy Bo is the better team, that Duck fans travel and spend money, and that a national TV audience would love UO-tOSU or UO-Penn St?
stay tuned. 

@org
been hearing for a coupla months now that a group of boosters is putting together an NIL 'offer' for Nix. I don't think he's got an NFL skill-set; maybe he gets drafted in the late rounds and holds a clipboard for a few years. or he could hang around Eugene for another year, earn $2-3 mill, and run an NFL-style offense next year to buff his resume.
who knows? but UO to the Rose Bowl is not that far-fetched.

Last edited by OldMacManaic (11/27/2022 12:16 pm)

My biggest frustration is repeating last seasons’ finish. Flying high, maybe beyond realistic expectations, then crash landing in last three games. It’s one thing to play well and still lose to a good team that simply out plays you. It’s a completely different animal when both coaches and players seem to freeze like deer in the headlights in the 4th quarter. I would have rather been down 21 to the Beavs and just missed the comeback than being so (too) comfortable in the lead and let it slip away. I’m more pissed off about how this season happened than the end result.

Then, not unlike last seasons punch in the gut finish, we end up in another round of coaching carousel. I’d rather win, but I’ll accept loss if it’s honorable. Seems like we got cheated again this year. For whatever complicated set of reasons. 😔

OldMacManaic wrote:

@org
been hearing for a coupla months now that a group of boosters is putting together an NIL 'offer' for Nix. I don't think he's got an NFL skill-set; maybe he gets drafted in the late rounds and holds a clipboard for a few years. or he could hang around Eugene for another year, earn $2-3 mill, and run an NFL-style offense next year to buff his resume.
who knows? but UO to the Rose Bowl is not that far-fetched.

I agree concerning his NFL skillset, and maybe that kind of offer will give him second thoughts. It would be good for Dante to have Bo as a mentor also. I'm hoping OC gets done fast, and no more coaches leaving, in order to keep this recruiting class together.