Dan Lanning and company are the best recruiters in the country right now. Now, anyone who wants to go ahead and look at recruiting rankings will note that Oregon did not finish first in 2024, but the reality is that there are three parts to recruiting, and no single ranking encompasses them all. These three parts are high school recruitment, …
Does Oregon Finally Have Depth at Quarterback?
Quarterback depth at Oregon has been fleeting and has often led to lost seasons for the Ducks. In 2007, Dennis Dixon was on the verge of winning the Heisman and the Ducks were on the road to the National Championship game, until Dixon blew out his knee and the entire season fell apart. In 2013, Marcus Mariota and Oregon were …
The Pac-12 is Dead; Let Chaos Reign
The Pac-12 was the conference of cannibals and usually the most chaotic conference in the country. It was certainly one of the most interesting and entertaining to watch because, on any given week, anyone could beat anyone. Mr. FishDuck took some away from studying odds to win the Super Bowl, and enjoying Super Bowl Props to agree with my contention …
End the Lie: No School Recruits Itself
Let’s do away with the myth that any blue blood school simply recruits itself. It’s a lie — especially in the era of the transfer portal and NIL that we are living in today. While it is absolutely true that having an established brand makes it a whole lot easier to recruit (just look at how Oregon State is recruiting …
Putting Lanning’s Second Year into Perspective
This football season was a success for Oregon football. Now, it doesn’t feel that way because it was just a few points short of being so much more, but we have to remember that this is only Dan Lanning’s second year as a head coach, anywhere. In his first two seasons at Oregon he has put together a 22-5 record …
Lanning Will Need to be B1G in Year 3
Dan Lanning has put together two good seasons in his first two years as a head coach, and as fans we have seen him grow. For the 2024 recruiting cycle, he brought in the best prep recruiting class in Oregon history while also landing a major quarterback transfer in Dillon Gabriel. The offense is efficient and the defense will continue …
The Fiesta Bowl is a Must-Win Game for Lanning
Oregon is set to play Liberty in the Fiesta Bowl on January 1st. For many Oregon fans, this game isn’t all that interesting or exciting for a couple of reasons. One, it’s not a playoff game and it feels like a consolation prize for a season that could have been something really special. Two, it’s against No. 20 Liberty, a …
How Oregon Can Optimize Dillon Gabriel
Dillon Gabriel transferring to Oregon for the 2024 season is a big deal, as it gives Oregon a top-tier quarterback right away. Gabriel is going to have a loaded roster, even with some key contributors in Jackson Powers-Johnson, Bucky Irving and Troy Franklin leaving for the NFL. With the addition of Gabriel, the Ducks will be a contender for the B1G …
The Pain of Being a Superfan
This last loss has hurt more than any other loss I can recall, and when I came to write this article I reflected on a video from It’s OK to be Smart entitled The Strange Psychology of Superfans. I highly suggest that everyone watches it, because it is telling in just what makes us tick. During the video they go …
Has Pac-12 Cannibalism Struck Again?
The Pac-12 started this season with a whopping six teams ranked in the AP poll, and peaked at Week 4 with eight. This didn’t last, as Week 4 was the beginning of conference play, and though the Pac-12 may not be the best conference, it surely is the most competitive from top to bottom. The football season is long and …
Oregon’s Strange Red Zone Problem
Down the stretch this season, Oregon’s offense has been on an absolute tear. Heisman hopeful Bo Nix has put up ridiculous numbers. Perhaps the most telling is his 78-percent completion rate, which is the best in college football history. However, Oregon does have a strange problem in the red zone — and it isn’t the kicking game. When the Ducks …
Lanning’s Culture Is Paying Dividends in November
Football is a hard sport. It takes its toll on players and teams both mentally and physically. This season, we have seen Colorado and USC crumble as their seasons have gone on. Their morale was sucked out of them from devastating losses. But Oregon bounced back from their one loss in triumphant fashion, and that is a testament to the …