Rumors are swirling about Kirby Smart becoming the next head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. This, of course, would almost certainly put Dan Lanning at the very top of the list of candidates to replace Smart. I would not be surprised if “Dan Lanning” is the only person on that list.
Georgia would come fast and furious and hot and heavy after Lanning. There really could not be a more perfect candidate than Lanning, who won a national championship at Georgia as defensive coordinator and is simply the hottest young coach in the land. He inspires, he recruits, and he runs a first-rate program. (The in-game management will get there.)
This, my friends, is why the Ducks had to join the B1G. Being in one of the Power-2 conferences is almost a must if a program wants to remain top-tier. Potential poachers cannot use the “Power 2” argument against Oregon as it is almost a certainty that the ACC and Big 12 will serve as stepping stone jobs for coaches looking to get to the top of the sport. Coaching in the big leagues carries a lot of weight; just ask Jonathan Smith.
While many of us would have liked the Pac-12 to stay intact and to keep the many traditions of college football alive, the reality is that you have to change with the times or get left behind. Like it or not, the B1G allows the Ducks a massive boost in poacher prevention and to stay on as one of the top programs in the sport.
Who knows, maybe Lanning might take the Georgia job if it opened. But, joining the B1G might just be the one thing that keeps him at Oregon.
Early Signing Day, December 20th
The early signing day was yesterday. As of Wednesday afternoon when I finished this article, here are the rankings for Oregon and its top B1G competitors:
(Team: Rivals ranking and 247sports ranking)
Ohio State: 4th and 3rd
Oregon: 7th and 4th
Michigan: 12th and 16th
Penn State: 25th and 14th
USC: 21st and 17th
UW: 45th and 34th
(See up-to-date team rankings at Rivals and 247sports.) I pulled Mr. FishDuck away from his new fun at safe Canadian casinos on PlaySafeCasino to check the recruiting standings and cheer as I have.
Finally, you have to love Oregon recruit OL Jac’Qawn McRoy’s trolling of Colorado and Coach Prime. Some will say it was in poor taste and that he should regret it. Well, I say to all you uptight folks out there (Oregon fans included) to relax and let the kid have a little fun. Let us not need to get butthurt by everything.
(Also, watch McRoy in action in the above video.)
Besides, could you imagine the theatrics if an 18-year-old Coach Prime was making his announcement in today’s day and age? Holy crap, it would probably have the budget of a Hollywood action movie with humble plot points such as “Look at me,” and “I’m the best.”
Coach Prime got primed.
Darren Perkins
Spokane, WA
Top photo credit: Georgia-Football-YouTube
Natalie Liebhaber, the FishDuck.com Volunteer Editor for this article, works in technology in SLC, Utah.
Darren Perkins is a sales professional and 1997 Oregon graduate. After finishing school, he escaped the rain and moved to sunny Southern California where he studied screenwriting for two years at UCLA. Darren grew up in Eugene and in 1980, at the tender age of five, he attended his first Oregon football game. His lasting memory from that experience was an enthusiastic Don Essig announcing to the crowd: “Reggie Ogburn, completes a pass to… Reggie Ogburn.” Captivated by such a thrilling play, Darren’s been hooked on Oregon football ever since. Currently living in Spokane, Darren enjoys flaunting his yellow and green superiority complex over friends and family in Cougar country.
