2016 Opponent Previews: Oregon

[Scratchtown]

The second thing he talked about and something I've read a lot of lately... is the fan and media unhappiness with the Oregon program... because the current coaching staff does not appear to be living up to the standard set by Chip Kelly. Sound familiar? That's pretty much the exact same thing that Nebraska fans have been going through for 18 years and it's the exact same reaction of Alabama fans... Ohio State fans and the fans of any and all programs that had former great success. So the claim that only Nebraska fans act that way is nonsense and that only Nebraska fans expect "too much" is also nonsense. It's the nature of sports and fans. It's the natural way for fans to react.

It's pretty damn absurd.

Kelly first 3 years

10-3

12-1

12-2

3 conference championships, 1 national championship game appearance, 1 rose bowl win, 1 rose bowl loss

wins over (at the time, and in order) the #18, #6, #4, #13, #9, #24, #21, #18, #3, and #9 ranked teams.

Helfrich first 3 years

11-2

13-2

9-4

1 conference championship, 1 national championship game appearance, 1 alamo bowl win, 1 alamo bowl loss

wins over (at the time, and in order) the #16, #12, #7, #18, #17, #8, #2, and #22 ranked teams.

It's not as good, certainly, but if the expectation is a conference championship, title game appearance or rose bowl appearance every single year then Oregon will throw itself back into mediocrity by not knowing how good they have it.

Kelly first three years recruiting: 13th...9th...16th...

Helfrich first three years recruiting: 23rd...17th... 28th...

What I've read from many Oregon fans is.... it's the momentum thing. A slip in recruiting and a 9-4 record has fans and media feeling the Big Mo slipping away. Momentum is a very strong beast.

Pretty much like many Nebraska fans felt with Solich. All typical fan reactions. We'll just have to see if the sentiment is right or wrong.

Kelly's recruiting was better, yes. However of all the 4 and 5 stars recruited.

In 2010 there were four 4 stars (out of 10) that didn't make it, and the lone 5 star that transferred to Baylor (Lache Seastrunk)

2011 there were again four 4 stars (out of 11) that didn't make it or didn't contribute at all and 1 (out of 2) 5 stars left the team in 2013 (Colt Lyerla) (Tra Carson also left for TAMU but was a 3 star)

2012 there were ten 4 stars and 2 of them left the team or didn't make it, and another 2 missed at least 1 season with ACL or Broken Leg's (Bralon Addison, and Pharaoh Brown)

Attrition was above average in those classes if you count the entire class (not just the 4 and 5 stars)

For Helfrich 2013 was mostly a class of Chip Kelly's doing.

Attrition is much lower. Just by eyeballing it I can see the attrition rate is much lower.

Kelly did recruit better but he lost more kids or kids never showed up more under him than they do for Helfrich. What does that mean? Pshh, I don't know if it means anything 100 percent. I would think though that it would be sort of an equalizer though.

So really, I think Helf is working with the same or better talent actually than what Kelly was. Following them for more than 10-12 years the skill position talent is better at a whole than they have ever had. The biggest difference between the 2 era's comes down to another coaching position and it's not Head Coach, or Offensive Coordinator.

Nick Aliotti retiring was a much BIGGER reason for the Duck's "struggles" under Helfrich, than Kelly leaving. Oregon has an offensive identity that has stayed consistent since his departure. Don Pellum the defensive coordinator the last 2 seasons was a huge reason for the struggle. Along side with Frost's inability to develop QB's

A lot of Oregon people are upbeat about bringing in Brady Hoke because of the stats of his defenses at Michigan, and other places he has been. The addition of renown QB coach David Yost, who many people around the country think he's one of the best QB coaches, should help the young QB's develop.

 

[Husker Psycho]

The second thing he talked about and something I've read a lot of lately... is the fan and media unhappiness with the Oregon program... because the current coaching staff does not appear to be living up to the standard set by Chip Kelly. Sound familiar? That's pretty much the exact same thing that Nebraska fans have been going through for 18 years and it's the exact same reaction of Alabama fans... Ohio State fans and the fans of any and all programs that had former great success. So the claim that only Nebraska fans act that way is nonsense and that only Nebraska fans expect "too much" is also nonsense. It's the nature of sports and fans. It's the natural way for fans to react.

It's pretty damn absurd.

Kelly first 3 years

10-3

12-1

12-2

3 conference championships, 1 national championship game appearance, 1 rose bowl win, 1 rose bowl loss

wins over (at the time, and in order) the #18, #6, #4, #13, #9, #24, #21, #18, #3, and #9 ranked teams.

Helfrich first 3 years

11-2

13-2

9-4

1 conference championship, 1 national championship game appearance, 1 alamo bowl win, 1 alamo bowl loss

wins over (at the time, and in order) the #16, #12, #7, #18, #17, #8, #2, and #22 ranked teams.

It's not as good, certainly, but if the expectation is a conference championship, title game appearance or rose bowl appearance every single year then Oregon will throw itself back into mediocrity by not knowing how good they have it.

Kelly first three years recruiting: 13th...9th...16th...

Helfrich first three years recruiting: 23rd...17th... 28th...

What I've read from many Oregon fans is.... it's the momentum thing. A slip in recruiting and a 9-4 record has fans and media feeling the Big Mo slipping away. Momentum is a very strong beast.

Pretty much like many Nebraska fans felt with Solich. All typical fan reactions. We'll just have to see if the sentiment is right or wrong.

Kelly's recruiting was better, yes. However of all the 4 and 5 stars recruited.

In 2010 there were four 4 stars (out of 10) that didn't make it, and the lone 5 star that transferred to Baylor (Lache Seastrunk)

2011 there were again four 4 stars (out of 11) that didn't make it or didn't contribute at all and 1 (out of 2) 5 stars left the team in 2013 (Colt Lyerla) (Tra Carson also left for TAMU but was a 3 star)

2012 there were ten 4 stars and 2 of them left the team or didn't make it, and another 2 missed at least 1 season with ACL or Broken Leg's (Bralon Addison, and Pharaoh Brown)

Attrition was above average in those classes if you count the entire class (not just the 4 and 5 stars)

For Helfrich 2013 was mostly a class of Chip Kelly's doing.

Attrition is much lower. Just by eyeballing it I can see the attrition rate is much lower.

Kelly did recruit better but he lost more kids or kids never showed up more under him than they do for Helfrich. What does that mean? Pshh, I don't know if it means anything 100 percent. I would think though that it would be sort of an equalizer though.

So really, I think Helf is working with the same or better talent actually than what Kelly was. Following them for more than 10-12 years the skill position talent is better at a whole than they have ever had. The biggest difference between the 2 era's comes down to another coaching position and it's not Head Coach, or Offensive Coordinator.

Nick Aliotti retiring was a much BIGGER reason for the Duck's "struggles" under Helfrich, than Kelly leaving. Oregon has an offensive identity that has stayed consistent since his departure. Don Pellum the defensive coordinator the last 2 seasons was a huge reason for the struggle. Along side with Frost's inability to develop QB's

A lot of Oregon people are upbeat about bringing in Brady Hoke because of the stats of his defenses at Michigan, and other places he has been. The addition of renown QB coach David Yost, who many people around the country think he's one of the best QB coaches, should help the young QB's develop.

Coach Power'T

Thanks for your reply. You're a smart football fan. Always good to read your comments.

I've generally never cared for the preseason prediction thing although the level of research now is better than it's ever been. I prefer to wait for the season to begin and then analyze the teams performance from that perspective. Looks like Oregon like many teams is a "head scratcher". We'll know soon enough.

Should be a great game this year. The build up to the game will be intense.

 

[Scratchtown]

The second thing he talked about and something I've read a lot of lately... is the fan and media unhappiness with the Oregon program... because the current coaching staff does not appear to be living up to the standard set by Chip Kelly. Sound familiar? That's pretty much the exact same thing that Nebraska fans have been going through for 18 years and it's the exact same reaction of Alabama fans... Ohio State fans and the fans of any and all programs that had former great success. So the claim that only Nebraska fans act that way is nonsense and that only Nebraska fans expect "too much" is also nonsense. It's the nature of sports and fans. It's the natural way for fans to react.

It's pretty damn absurd.

Kelly first 3 years

10-3

12-1

12-2

3 conference championships, 1 national championship game appearance, 1 rose bowl win, 1 rose bowl loss

wins over (at the time, and in order) the #18, #6, #4, #13, #9, #24, #21, #18, #3, and #9 ranked teams.

Helfrich first 3 years

11-2

13-2

9-4

1 conference championship, 1 national championship game appearance, 1 alamo bowl win, 1 alamo bowl loss

wins over (at the time, and in order) the #16, #12, #7, #18, #17, #8, #2, and #22 ranked teams.

It's not as good, certainly, but if the expectation is a conference championship, title game appearance or rose bowl appearance every single year then Oregon will throw itself back into mediocrity by not knowing how good they have it.

Kelly first three years recruiting: 13th...9th...16th...

Helfrich first three years recruiting: 23rd...17th... 28th...

What I've read from many Oregon fans is.... it's the momentum thing. A slip in recruiting and a 9-4 record has fans and media feeling the Big Mo slipping away. Momentum is a very strong beast.

Pretty much like many Nebraska fans felt with Solich. All typical fan reactions. We'll just have to see if the sentiment is right or wrong.

Kelly's recruiting was better, yes. However of all the 4 and 5 stars recruited.

In 2010 there were four 4 stars (out of 10) that didn't make it, and the lone 5 star that transferred to Baylor (Lache Seastrunk)

2011 there were again four 4 stars (out of 11) that didn't make it or didn't contribute at all and 1 (out of 2) 5 stars left the team in 2013 (Colt Lyerla) (Tra Carson also left for TAMU but was a 3 star)

2012 there were ten 4 stars and 2 of them left the team or didn't make it, and another 2 missed at least 1 season with ACL or Broken Leg's (Bralon Addison, and Pharaoh Brown)

Attrition was above average in those classes if you count the entire class (not just the 4 and 5 stars)

For Helfrich 2013 was mostly a class of Chip Kelly's doing.

Attrition is much lower. Just by eyeballing it I can see the attrition rate is much lower.

Kelly did recruit better but he lost more kids or kids never showed up more under him than they do for Helfrich. What does that mean? Pshh, I don't know if it means anything 100 percent. I would think though that it would be sort of an equalizer though.

So really, I think Helf is working with the same or better talent actually than what Kelly was. Following them for more than 10-12 years the skill position talent is better at a whole than they have ever had. The biggest difference between the 2 era's comes down to another coaching position and it's not Head Coach, or Offensive Coordinator.

Nick Aliotti retiring was a much BIGGER reason for the Duck's "struggles" under Helfrich, than Kelly leaving. Oregon has an offensive identity that has stayed consistent since his departure. Don Pellum the defensive coordinator the last 2 seasons was a huge reason for the struggle. Along side with Frost's inability to develop QB's

A lot of Oregon people are upbeat about bringing in Brady Hoke because of the stats of his defenses at Michigan, and other places he has been. The addition of renown QB coach David Yost, who many people around the country think he's one of the best QB coaches, should help the young QB's develop.

Coach Power'T

Thanks for your reply. You're a smart football fan. Always good to read your comments.

I've generally never cared for the preseason prediction thing although the level of research now is better than it's ever been. I prefer to wait for the season to begin and then analyze the teams performance from that perspective. Looks like Oregon like many teams is a "head scratcher". We'll know soon enough.

Should be a great game this year. The build up to the game will be intense.

Thanks for the compliment. I'm just a regular guy who loves football and has the privilege to contribute to developing young men in our great state of Nebraska.

I'm looking forward to the game for sure! I only dread it, and I've dreaded it since it was scheduled, because I know that there are going to be some nasty interactions with me and my friends after the game regardless of the outcome. I'm honestly prepping my mind for it and don't want to react badly to, or troll anyone. I have been known to react quickly and sometimes nastily when I feel like I have to be on defense (even when I don't need to be)

 

[Husker Psycho]

The second thing he talked about and something I've read a lot of lately... is the fan and media unhappiness with the Oregon program... because the current coaching staff does not appear to be living up to the standard set by Chip Kelly. Sound familiar? That's pretty much the exact same thing that Nebraska fans have been going through for 18 years and it's the exact same reaction of Alabama fans... Ohio State fans and the fans of any and all programs that had former great success. So the claim that only Nebraska fans act that way is nonsense and that only Nebraska fans expect "too much" is also nonsense. It's the nature of sports and fans. It's the natural way for fans to react.

It's pretty damn absurd.

Kelly first 3 years

10-3

12-1

12-2

3 conference championships, 1 national championship game appearance, 1 rose bowl win, 1 rose bowl loss

wins over (at the time, and in order) the #18, #6, #4, #13, #9, #24, #21, #18, #3, and #9 ranked teams.

Helfrich first 3 years

11-2

13-2

9-4

1 conference championship, 1 national championship game appearance, 1 alamo bowl win, 1 alamo bowl loss

wins over (at the time, and in order) the #16, #12, #7, #18, #17, #8, #2, and #22 ranked teams.

It's not as good, certainly, but if the expectation is a conference championship, title game appearance or rose bowl appearance every single year then Oregon will throw itself back into mediocrity by not knowing how good they have it.

Kelly first three years recruiting: 13th...9th...16th...

Helfrich first three years recruiting: 23rd...17th... 28th...

What I've read from many Oregon fans is.... it's the momentum thing. A slip in recruiting and a 9-4 record has fans and media feeling the Big Mo slipping away. Momentum is a very strong beast.

Pretty much like many Nebraska fans felt with Solich. All typical fan reactions. We'll just have to see if the sentiment is right or wrong.

Kelly's recruiting was better, yes. However of all the 4 and 5 stars recruited.

In 2010 there were four 4 stars (out of 10) that didn't make it, and the lone 5 star that transferred to Baylor (Lache Seastrunk)

2011 there were again four 4 stars (out of 11) that didn't make it or didn't contribute at all and 1 (out of 2) 5 stars left the team in 2013 (Colt Lyerla) (Tra Carson also left for TAMU but was a 3 star)

2012 there were ten 4 stars and 2 of them left the team or didn't make it, and another 2 missed at least 1 season with ACL or Broken Leg's (Bralon Addison, and Pharaoh Brown)

Attrition was above average in those classes if you count the entire class (not just the 4 and 5 stars)

For Helfrich 2013 was mostly a class of Chip Kelly's doing.

Attrition is much lower. Just by eyeballing it I can see the attrition rate is much lower.

Kelly did recruit better but he lost more kids or kids never showed up more under him than they do for Helfrich. What does that mean? Pshh, I don't know if it means anything 100 percent. I would think though that it would be sort of an equalizer though.

So really, I think Helf is working with the same or better talent actually than what Kelly was. Following them for more than 10-12 years the skill position talent is better at a whole than they have ever had. The biggest difference between the 2 era's comes down to another coaching position and it's not Head Coach, or Offensive Coordinator.

Nick Aliotti retiring was a much BIGGER reason for the Duck's "struggles" under Helfrich, than Kelly leaving. Oregon has an offensive identity that has stayed consistent since his departure. Don Pellum the defensive coordinator the last 2 seasons was a huge reason for the struggle. Along side with Frost's inability to develop QB's

A lot of Oregon people are upbeat about bringing in Brady Hoke because of the stats of his defenses at Michigan, and other places he has been. The addition of renown QB coach David Yost, who many people around the country think he's one of the best QB coaches, should help the young QB's develop.

Coach Power'T

Thanks for your reply. You're a smart football fan. Always good to read your comments.

I've generally never cared for the preseason prediction thing although the level of research now is better than it's ever been. I prefer to wait for the season to begin and then analyze the teams performance from that perspective. Looks like Oregon like many teams is a "head scratcher". We'll know soon enough.

Should be a great game this year. The build up to the game will be intense.

Thanks for the compliment. I'm just a regular guy who loves football and has the privilege to contribute to developing young men in our great state of Nebraska.

I'm looking forward to the game for sure! I only dread it, and I've dreaded it since it was scheduled, because I know that there are going to be some nasty interactions with me and my friends after the game regardless of the outcome. I'm honestly prepping my mind for it and don't want to react badly to, or troll anyone. I have been known to react quickly and sometimes nastily when I feel like I have to be on defense (even when I don't need to be)

Now that's the type of comment I enjoy most. Real, from a real person. Your a smart Nebraska fan and a smart football fan.

Not the cookie cutter " hey look at me I'm a loyal Nebraska fan" kind of stuff.

With that said... if you're at the game or at a sports bar or whatever, stay cool. Too many people "carrying" these days. It's just not worth it.

If you're on net... well, let it rip. LOL I can hardly wait. LOL

 

[Scratchtown]

Here's an interesting preview/take from rival Washington on the Oregon 2016 season. The truth about the season is somewhere between any sunshine pumping I've done and this preview here.

http://www.uwdawgpound.com/2016/7/14/12138046/the-gekko-files-previewing-oregon-ducks-football-in-2016-uniforms-mariota-chip-kelly

You catch my drift. Falls from grace happen all the time. Sometimes it happens in the form of a grand ball of fire. Sometimes it is a more a gradual state of decay. But it happens with remarkable regularity in all facets of normal life.The question facing the University of Oregon in 2016 is whether or not they are facing such a decline. The evidence is mounting that this Oregon team is becoming less of what it once was. The recruiting rankings are down. The defense has gone from great to good to bad in a span of just a few years. Coaching turnover has accelerated on what was once the most stable coaching staff in the nation. The roster has evolved to become an all-star team of the best that the graduate and FCS waiver wires have to offer in any given year.

 

[Scratchtown]

Oregon picked up a JUCO DT that is eligible to play immediately. Originally committed to them in 2014 but didn't make grades. Not sure how this impacts the DL, but moving to a 4-3 I'm sure it helps. Had offers from Bama, and USC...initially committed to TAMU till Oregon finally offered again.

Ratu Mafileo 6'3 285.

Not sure if he'll be on the 2 deep or not.

 

[NUance]

Oregon picked up a JUCO DT that is eligible to play immediately. Originally committed to them in 2014 but didn't make grades. Not sure how this impacts the DL, but moving to a 4-3 I'm sure it helps. Had offers from Bama, and USC...initially committed to TAMU till Oregon finally offered again.

Ratu Mafileo 6'3 285.

Not sure if he'll be on the 2 deep or not.

Sounds Samoan. And with a name like Rat, he's got to be mean. Ruh-roh.

 

[NUance]

Here's an interesting preview/take from rival Washington on the Oregon 2016 season. The truth about the season is somewhere between any sunshine pumping I've done and this preview here.

http://www.uwdawgpound.com/2016/7/14/12138046/the-gekko-files-previewing-oregon-ducks-football-in-2016-uniforms-mariota-chip-kelly

You catch my drift. Falls from grace happen all the time. Sometimes it happens in the form of a grand ball of fire. Sometimes it is a more a gradual state of decay. But it happens with remarkable regularity in all facets of normal life.The question facing the University of Oregon in 2016 is whether or not they are facing such a decline. The evidence is mounting that this Oregon team is becoming less of what it once was. The recruiting rankings are down. The defense has gone from great to good to bad in a span of just a few years. Coaching turnover has accelerated on what was once the most stable coaching staff in the nation. The roster has evolved to become an all-star team of the best that the graduate and FCS waiver wires have to offer in any given year.

Wow. That quote fits us as well since the heyday of our Osborne years in the 90s.

 

[Mavric]

One-time Husker commit:

 

[NUinID]

Here's an interesting preview/take from rival Washington on the Oregon 2016 season. The truth about the season is somewhere between any sunshine pumping I've done and this preview here.

http://www.uwdawgpound.com/2016/7/14/12138046/the-gekko-files-previewing-oregon-ducks-football-in-2016-uniforms-mariota-chip-kelly

You catch my drift. Falls from grace happen all the time. Sometimes it happens in the form of a grand ball of fire. Sometimes it is a more a gradual state of decay. But it happens with remarkable regularity in all facets of normal life.The question facing the University of Oregon in 2016 is whether or not they are facing such a decline. The evidence is mounting that this Oregon team is becoming less of what it once was. The recruiting rankings are down. The defense has gone from great to good to bad in a span of just a few years. Coaching turnover has accelerated on what was once the most stable coaching staff in the nation. The roster has evolved to become an all-star team of the best that the graduate and FCS waiver wires have to offer in any given year.

I would actually say that is a pretty good preview. Take out the humor and IMO it is pretty spot on. He basically says Oregon goes 5-4 in conference, I think that is completely plausable. Going 6-3 in conference is also a possibility as well as something worse than 5-4. Combine that with a NU loss and it might not look too good. I said in an earlier post they really only have about 3 games that are gimmies. The rest are toss ups or losses.

I don't think it is that Oregon is going to be bad, I just don't think they are going to be significantly better than a lot of their opponents. They still have the mystique on their side which does count for something, but there are a lot of PAC 12 teams that would love to put a beat down on Oregon and will do it if they get the chance.

 

[Scratchtown]

Yea there was a comment in the spring game saying that Prukop was the starter as of then but Helfrich gave no indication the distance between him and Jonsen/Wilson. In my HONEST opinion. I think Jonsen will end up starting. Oregon is in a good situation at QB for the foreseeable future with Jonsen and Wilson being in the program considering Yost being there to develop them rather than Frost. Frost was great but with his departure and the bringing in of Yost. Oregon's QB's are in much better hands now.

Yost developed Brad Smith, Chase Daniel, and Blaine Gabbert while at Missouri from 2001-2012.

Was at Washington St from 2013-2016. WSU ain't what it was 5 years ago. They are pretty solid nowadays. I don't think that was a coincidence with Yost being there.

Time will tell if Yost develops Wilson/Jonsen into a QB like he did with the Mizzou QB's

 

[Scratchtown]

Here's an interesting preview/take from rival Washington on the Oregon 2016 season. The truth about the season is somewhere between any sunshine pumping I've done and this preview here.

http://www.uwdawgpound.com/2016/7/14/12138046/the-gekko-files-previewing-oregon-ducks-football-in-2016-uniforms-mariota-chip-kelly

You catch my drift. Falls from grace happen all the time. Sometimes it happens in the form of a grand ball of fire. Sometimes it is a more a gradual state of decay. But it happens with remarkable regularity in all facets of normal life.The question facing the University of Oregon in 2016 is whether or not they are facing such a decline. The evidence is mounting that this Oregon team is becoming less of what it once was. The recruiting rankings are down. The defense has gone from great to good to bad in a span of just a few years. Coaching turnover has accelerated on what was once the most stable coaching staff in the nation. The roster has evolved to become an all-star team of the best that the graduate and FCS waiver wires have to offer in any given year.

I would actually say that is a pretty good preview. Take out the humor and IMO it is pretty spot on. He basically says Oregon goes 5-4 in conference, I think that is completely plausable. Going 6-3 in conference is also a possibility as well as something worse than 5-4. Combine that with a NU loss and it might not look too good. I said in an earlier post they really only have about 3 games that are gimmies. The rest are toss ups or losses.

I don't think it is that Oregon is going to be bad, I just don't think they are going to be significantly better than a lot of their opponents. They still have the mystique on their side which does count for something, but there are a lot of PAC 12 teams that would love to put a beat down on Oregon and will do it if they get the chance.

It's interesting how the Pac12 is in a total upswing as a whole compared to 2010 when Oregon dominated a pretty weak conference in all honesty. It's a whole lot more competitive than it was.

 

[NUinID]

Here's an interesting preview/take from rival Washington on the Oregon 2016 season. The truth about the season is somewhere between any sunshine pumping I've done and this preview here.

http://www.uwdawgpound.com/2016/7/14/12138046/the-gekko-files-previewing-oregon-ducks-football-in-2016-uniforms-mariota-chip-kelly

You catch my drift. Falls from grace happen all the time. Sometimes it happens in the form of a grand ball of fire. Sometimes it is a more a gradual state of decay. But it happens with remarkable regularity in all facets of normal life.The question facing the University of Oregon in 2016 is whether or not they are facing such a decline. The evidence is mounting that this Oregon team is becoming less of what it once was. The recruiting rankings are down. The defense has gone from great to good to bad in a span of just a few years. Coaching turnover has accelerated on what was once the most stable coaching staff in the nation. The roster has evolved to become an all-star team of the best that the graduate and FCS waiver wires have to offer in any given year.

I would actually say that is a pretty good preview. Take out the humor and IMO it is pretty spot on. He basically says Oregon goes 5-4 in conference, I think that is completely plausable. Going 6-3 in conference is also a possibility as well as something worse than 5-4. Combine that with a NU loss and it might not look too good. I said in an earlier post they really only have about 3 games that are gimmies. The rest are toss ups or losses.

I don't think it is that Oregon is going to be bad, I just don't think they are going to be significantly better than a lot of their opponents. They still have the mystique on their side which does count for something, but there are a lot of PAC 12 teams that would love to put a beat down on Oregon and will do it if they get the chance.

It's interesting how the Pac12 is in a total upswing as a whole compared to 2010 when Oregon dominated a pretty weak conference in all honesty. It's a whole lot more competitive than it was.

In a lot of instances it is about coaching. ASU, AU, and UCLA have always had decent athletes, it took an upgrade in coaching to get them going in the right direction. Shaw IMO is the best coach in the PAC 12 right now and Peterson is not far behind. Oregon has to play them every year. The Pirate over at Wassu will always be dangerous. Dykes is good at Cal, Wittingham is good at Utah. but I do think Anderson will stuggle at OSU.

Chip Kelly was a great coach for Oregon, I would put Helfridge at about 8 in the PAC 12 right now.

 

[Scratchtown]

Here's an interesting preview/take from rival Washington on the Oregon 2016 season. The truth about the season is somewhere between any sunshine pumping I've done and this preview here.

http://www.uwdawgpound.com/2016/7/14/12138046/the-gekko-files-previewing-oregon-ducks-football-in-2016-uniforms-mariota-chip-kelly

You catch my drift. Falls from grace happen all the time. Sometimes it happens in the form of a grand ball of fire. Sometimes it is a more a gradual state of decay. But it happens with remarkable regularity in all facets of normal life.The question facing the University of Oregon in 2016 is whether or not they are facing such a decline. The evidence is mounting that this Oregon team is becoming less of what it once was. The recruiting rankings are down. The defense has gone from great to good to bad in a span of just a few years. Coaching turnover has accelerated on what was once the most stable coaching staff in the nation. The roster has evolved to become an all-star team of the best that the graduate and FCS waiver wires have to offer in any given year.

I would actually say that is a pretty good preview. Take out the humor and IMO it is pretty spot on. He basically says Oregon goes 5-4 in conference, I think that is completely plausable. Going 6-3 in conference is also a possibility as well as something worse than 5-4. Combine that with a NU loss and it might not look too good. I said in an earlier post they really only have about 3 games that are gimmies. The rest are toss ups or losses.

I don't think it is that Oregon is going to be bad, I just don't think they are going to be significantly better than a lot of their opponents. They still have the mystique on their side which does count for something, but there are a lot of PAC 12 teams that would love to put a beat down on Oregon and will do it if they get the chance.

It's interesting how the Pac12 is in a total upswing as a whole compared to 2010 when Oregon dominated a pretty weak conference in all honesty. It's a whole lot more competitive than it was.

In a lot of instances it is about coaching. ASU, AU, and UCLA have always had decent athletes, it took an upgrade in coaching to get them going in the right direction. Shaw IMO is the best coach in the PAC 12 right now and Peterson is not far behind. Oregon has to play them every year. The Pirate over at Wassu will always be dangerous. Dykes is good at Cal, Wittingham is good at Utah. but I do think Anderson will stuggle at OSU.

Chip Kelly was a great coach for Oregon, I would put Helfridge at about 8 in the PAC 12 right now.

Don't disagree.

I'm holding out hope for Herman to hang on to Houston long enough for Oregon to go get him after Helfrich peters out to the expectations at Oregon. Grandpa Phil isn't going to be happy if Oregon continues to slide.

 

[NUinID]

Here's an interesting preview/take from rival Washington on the Oregon 2016 season. The truth about the season is somewhere between any sunshine pumping I've done and this preview here.

http://www.uwdawgpound.com/2016/7/14/12138046/the-gekko-files-previewing-oregon-ducks-football-in-2016-uniforms-mariota-chip-kelly

You catch my drift. Falls from grace happen all the time. Sometimes it happens in the form of a grand ball of fire. Sometimes it is a more a gradual state of decay. But it happens with remarkable regularity in all facets of normal life.The question facing the University of Oregon in 2016 is whether or not they are facing such a decline. The evidence is mounting that this Oregon team is becoming less of what it once was. The recruiting rankings are down. The defense has gone from great to good to bad in a span of just a few years. Coaching turnover has accelerated on what was once the most stable coaching staff in the nation. The roster has evolved to become an all-star team of the best that the graduate and FCS waiver wires have to offer in any given year.

I would actually say that is a pretty good preview. Take out the humor and IMO it is pretty spot on. He basically says Oregon goes 5-4 in conference, I think that is completely plausable. Going 6-3 in conference is also a possibility as well as something worse than 5-4. Combine that with a NU loss and it might not look too good. I said in an earlier post they really only have about 3 games that are gimmies. The rest are toss ups or losses.

I don't think it is that Oregon is going to be bad, I just don't think they are going to be significantly better than a lot of their opponents. They still have the mystique on their side which does count for something, but there are a lot of PAC 12 teams that would love to put a beat down on Oregon and will do it if they get the chance.

It's interesting how the Pac12 is in a total upswing as a whole compared to 2010 when Oregon dominated a pretty weak conference in all honesty. It's a whole lot more competitive than it was.

In a lot of instances it is about coaching. ASU, AU, and UCLA have always had decent athletes, it took an upgrade in coaching to get them going in the right direction. Shaw IMO is the best coach in the PAC 12 right now and Peterson is not far behind. Oregon has to play them every year. The Pirate over at Wassu will always be dangerous. Dykes is good at Cal, Wittingham is good at Utah. but I do think Anderson will stuggle at OSU.

Chip Kelly was a great coach for Oregon, I would put Helfridge at about 8 in the PAC 12 right now.

Don't disagree.

I'm holding out hope for Herman to hang on to Houston long enough for Oregon to go get him after Helfrich peters out to the expectations at Oregon. Grandpa Phil isn't going to be happy if Oregon continues to slide.

It really isn't that much different than when TO retired and FS took over, except TO was at NU a lot longer and the level of sustained excellence was a lot longer. You can do everything the same, but it doesn't always come out the same way. I was pretty learly of the FS hire, because I knew the chances of having business as usually at NU were pretty slim. Too many people thought it was the system that made NU so great. I think we found out it had a lot more to do with the HC than we wanted to admit.

The fact that NU hit lightnig in a bottle with TO after Bob retired is a lot of luck and the fact that college football was a much different game. The really good teams, which NU was in 1973, really were that much better than the rest of the teams. The margin for error is a lot slimmer now.