We’ve covered quite a few aspects of the Georgia program over the last month that Coach Dan Lanning will be integrating into his version of the 2022 Oregon Ducks. Something came up often about the Bulldog program that I think Oregon fans need to be aware of due to implications in several directions. I refer to how even Dawg fans tell me, “this is a very hard program,” and it made me look a little closer to see how it ties into the other components we’ve addressed recently from the Bulldogs.
I usually like to do a little gaming action in the offseason at Bet Chan, but the way that Georgia fans were warning me–I figured I better take a closer look at just how tough this Bulldog program is!
While Mario Cristobal talked a good game, many of us noticed that the players were often gasping at the end of games, or when opposing teams ran tempo–the Ducks showed the fatigue much sooner than Oregon teams under previous coaches. The hands were on the hips much sooner than they should have, while the Bulldogs felt their conditioning paid off in the fourth quarter of the National Championship game. Even Nick Saban admitted that Georgia “gassed them out” at the end, and thus if Oregon is going to run up-tempo up to 80 plays?
The Ducks better be in shape!
Kenjon Barner, LaMichael James and Darron Thomas ran the offense quickly. Can the Ducks get that well conditioned again?
The coaches at Georgia push the players to their limit and make no apologies for it. I was warned that we will see a regular exodus of highly ranked players transfer out each year because they did not want to work that hard. One Bulldog fan explained, “it’s been said by some of our insiders here that Kirby Smart has at times been fine with being the raging a**hole that players can unite against as their common enemy. He also drives his staff extremely hard. Georgia isn’t for everyone.”
Another Georgia fan remarked, “UGA is a pressure cooker that either turns you into a diamond or spits you out.” Still another added, “This program is hard. Dan Lanning will be hard, but less intense than Kirby Smart.” An impression I receive is that Mario Cristobal pushed his staff extremely hard, but Lanning is going to push the players just as hard as they did at Georgia.
Coach Herb Brooks, “We WILL be the best conditioned…”
A major element were the conditioning runs of which sound to me like the 2021 version from the movie “Miracle,” (US Hockey Team Upset the Soviets) These Georgian conditioning runs were seemingly built to either break players, or create leaders who push and pull their teammates to the finish. It sometimes created an “us versus them” of the players against the coaches, which cemented the newly built player bonds that much more. Oregon fans will have to keep an ear out about what is reported concerning conditioning, as it too, is part of team-building.
It may be a gradual ascent, but I believe we will begin hearing this next fall the difference between the expectations placed on the players from coaches of last year compared to 2022. There will be rewards of watching players develop into contributors at game-time, but I do not doubt there will be some very disappointing defections from it as well. It will make watching the Spring Drills and hearing about summer conditioning all the more interesting because…
“Oh, how we love to ponder about Our Beloved Ducks!”
Charles Fischer (Mr. FishDuck)
Eugene, Oregon
Top Photo from Dawg Post Video
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Charles Fischer has been an intense fan of the Ducks, a season ticket holder at Autzen Stadium for 38 years and has written reports on football boards for over 26 years. Known as “FishDuck” on those boards, he is acknowledged for providing intense detail in his scrimmage reports, and in his Xs and Os play analyses. He is single, has a daughter Christine, and resides in Eugene Oregon where he was a Financial Advisor for 36 years.
He now focuses full-time on Charitable Planned Giving Workshops for churches and non-profit organizations in addition to managing his two Oregon Football Websites, of FishDuck.com and the Our Beloved Ducks forum. He is a busy man!
He does not profess to be a coach or analyst, but simply a “hack” that enjoys sharing what he has learned and invites others to correct or add to this body of Oregon Football! See More…