Fresh off of an incredible showing by his defense in the National Championship Game, Dan Lanning’s newest challenge is building a similarly dominant unit at Oregon. Elite defenses aren’t built overnight, and it will take months — or maybe even years — of expert-level coaching and top-tier recruiting for the Ducks to have a defense of Georgia’s caliber. But now …
“How do we fix college football?” That’s the prevailing question just a couple of days removed from yet another all-SEC title game. The 2021 season provided more parity than usual; Michigan and Cincinnati both made their College Football Playoff debuts. But if three particular teams continue to outpace the rest of the country in recruiting, this season will be an …
College football’s postseason is in a state of crisis. Bowl games have become almost entirely irrelevant due to opt outs, transfers and coaching changes. Even the most intriguing matchups on paper lose their luster, as the roster teams field in bowl games hardly resemble the ones they’ve fielded the rest of the season. In the past, today’s matchup between Oregon …
Kirby Smart is one of the best coaches in college football. He not only understands that championship programs are built by acquiring elite talent, but he also recruits better than just about anybody in the country, even rivaling Nick Saban. As a defensive mind, he’s second to none. His defenses are improving by the year, while just about every other …
The good news is the Oregon Ducks are three wins away from making their first trip to the College Football Playoff since 2014. The bad news is they’ll likely have to beat their biggest challenger for the conference crown — Utah — two times in three weeks. The Utes are one of the hottest teams in college football, winning six …
The College Football Playoff Committee loves stirring the pot, don’t they? Tuesday’s initial rankings once again raised more than a few eyebrows across the country. Some of the biggest surprises included Alabama debuting at No. 2, Oregon landing in the top four, and undefeated Cincinnati ranking at No. 6. The Committee made plenty of good calls this time around, but …
Oregon’s trip to Los Angeles was the perfect opportunity for all of the Mario Cristobal skeptics to say “I told you so.” Chip Kelly and his Bruins run one of the more creative offenses in the country, with wild run-blocking schemes, plenty of tempo and a wide variety of formations. Cristobal — on the other hand — has become infamous …
Mario Cristobal has led the Oregon Ducks to back-to-back Pac-12 Championships. He has accumulated more talent than any coach before him in Eugene. And this year, his Ducks are still very much alive in the College Football Playoff race. All of these statements are undeniable. So is this one: The Oregon Ducks are a massively disappointing football team right now. …
No matter how many top-five recruiting classes he signs, no matter how many high-profile coordinators he brings on staff, and no matter how many of his players would run through a wall for him, Mario Cristobal will not come close to winning a championship until he properly develops talent. Stanford’s upset of Oregon on The Farm wasn’t a fluke; it …
We need to have a conversation about Anthony Brown. The very mention of his name elicits a broad spectrum of opinions. On one hand, the sixth-year quarterback has clear limitations as a passer, as evidenced by his mediocre-at-best 59.7 percent completion percentage, and the fact that Oregon’s passing offense ranks in the bottom half of the country. When comparing his …
Mario Cristobal is not yet an elite head coach, and he might never be one. Contrary to what you might think, that might not stop him from getting Oregon its first-ever National Championship. This isn’t merely wishful thinking from a green-and-yellow homer. Cristobal is acquiring championship-level talent. Talent that — with one notable addition — will likely be enough to …
Oregon beating Ohio State this fall wouldn’t be David beating Goliath. Both teams will likely be ranked in the top 15 heading into the matchup, and both are the preseason favorites to win their respective conferences, after all. But don’t get it twisted, an Oregon victory in week two would undoubtedly be a shocker. Although the Ducks are serious playoff …
