The Ducks have proven themselves to be one of the Top 10 programs in all of college football. Money, marketing, Nike, and carefully-crafted branding have taken Oregon into the echelon of elite. But, to truly get into that unquestioned “blue-blood” status, the Ducks have to win a championship.
Perspective
Like a 16-year-old, upset that rich mommy and daddy “only” bought him a new Honda for his birthday and not a BMW, Oregon fans are spoiled. Oregon made the Final Four this year, yet fans are feeling the pain of extreme disappointment. There are a hundred programs that would love to be in Oregon’s shoes (and not just because they are Nikes).
If you look at the championship teams of the past decade or so — Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Michigan — the Ducks are not there, yet. There is a huge final step to be maneuvered to win it all. Even Mr. FishDuck paused from his gaming fun at Pinco to reflect with me upon the steps Oregon has achieved, and the ones remaining.
Currently, the Ducks are like an AFC Super Bowl team from the ’80s, the decade of NFC dominance and Super Bowl blowouts. Good enough to get to the big stage, but not good enough to keep from getting blown off the field. John Elway experienced three blowouts in that era, so when you see his pure joy in 1997, you know exactly why.
Not to make anyone’s stomach churn with an old, eye-rolling cliché, but as they say, “It is the journey, not the destination.”
And, when the Ducks reach that destination — and they will — it will be all the sweeter.
Whether fair or not, Tosh Lupoi was not considered a great X’s and O’s coach. (photo by craig strobeck)
Will the New Coordinators Get it Done?
I am nervous about Lanning promoting two position coaches into the coordinator roles, Chris Hampton to defensive coordinator and Drew Mehringer as offensive coordinator.
I think back to 2014. Long-time assistant Don Pellum took over for the legendary Nick Aliotti. Riding the coattails of Aliotti’s success worked in the 2014 national runner-up season, but in 2015, the Oregon defense took a major step backwards — capped off by the Alamo Bowl meltdown against TCU serving as the icing on the cake.
The opportunistic, disciplined “bend but don’t break” defenses from the Aliotti era simply became the “break” defense. And, of course, in 2016 the Helfrich era came crashing down. A book could be written about the folly of promoting Helfrich in the first place, with the idea of preserving program “continuity.” But, today, I am sticking with the coordinators.
Hired For the Right Reasons?
Time will tell if promoting from within was the right way to go. I just hope they were promoted for the right reasons and not because they are “yes men.” I know that sounds harsh. Lanning does not strike me as the type who would intentionally hire yes men. Still, sometimes a boss gets along very well with subordinates and promotes them while not considering whether that person will challenge him enough.
Say what you want about Chip Kelly at this point in his career, but something tells me that the man who revolutionized the modern-day offense is not going to concede a point to Ryan Day if he knows he’s right. Lanning is a young head coach; it is dangerous to be surrounded by “yes men” when perhaps you need a grizzled old SOB who will not back down and is willing to go to the mat with the head coach.
Oregon obviously has the money to go out and buy the best coordinator out there. There is something to be said about having an older, more experienced coordinator who will not tell you what you want to hear, but what you need to hear. And, based on Oregon’s Peach Bowl performance, a set of fresh eyes would not necessarily be the worst thing.
The agony of defeat sets in on Dante Moore. (Photo by Craig Strobeck)
Georgia On My Mind
It would seem Lupoi, while a world-class recruiter, might not have been the best at scheme and in-game adjustments. My previous thinking was that Lanning, with his defensive background, could fill the void of X’s and O’s that Lupoi lacked. But, it does not seem to be the case, which makes me wonder if the great defenses that Georgia had under Lanning were actually just the Kirby Smart show.
Do we question Lanning’s defensive acumen? Was it Smart who was sage at Georgia? Was Lanning the Lupoi of Georgia?
I’m not questioning Lanning as the head of a major program. At that, he is elite, but the X’s and O’s have to match the Jimmys and the Joes if a team wants to win it all. Promoting a guy who was learning under a guy who was seemingly not the best at that seems risky.
Even in the playoffs, you can win a couple of games with only the Jimmys and the Joes. Obviously, that was the case against JMU. And, while the defense played well against Texas Tech, it was fool’s gold as Tech’s pretender (not contender) of an offense was not a challenge. Oregon’s offense was not good in that game. Sure, Tech has a good defense, but we were all thinking, “The Oregon offense has to do way better than this against Indiana.”
Unfortunately, on the first play from scrimmage, the Ducks found out the hard way it was not meant to be.
One. Last. Step.
Can the Ducks take it?
Darren Perkins
Spokane, WA
Top photo credit: Craig Strobeck
Natalie Liebhaber, the FishDuck.com Volunteer Editor for this article, works in financial technology in SLC, Utah
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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.