Yeah, I think the Pac-12 was a bit overrated this year and bit underrated last year. So it pretty much all evens out. Most of it is about matchups when it comes to these bowls. The Pac didn't have quite as many favorable matchups this year. And a couple played in bowls that they didn't really care about, like ASU having to play Duke in the Sun Bowl after being a potential final four team just a few weeks earlier.
I would like to see Oregon get more blue chip recruits for their defensive line. This is the area where I've always thought they were lacking a little. I can't remember the kids name, but I remember reading earlier this year about a 5 star recruit defensive lineman from Texas that Oregon was close to getting last year. But when he flew up there from Texas with his mother, they had several flight delays and getting stuck in an airport for hours before finally getting to Eugene after 7 hours. Well, the kid's mother said that she couldn't go through those kinds of problems again in going to see her son play, so she talked him in to staying closer to home and he ended up at LSU. This is the main problem that Oregon has in getting the kinds of players that it takes to get them over the hump. They are a far outpost type of school that has few in-state players on their team compared to an Ohio State, who can get just about anybody they want from a heavily populated state. And that doesn't even include the southern states that Meyer dips into for the rest. So geography is the biggest hump that Oregon has to overcome.
You would be surprised though at how much the proximity to home for a recruits mother or parents that goes into their decision to play for a school. Many are poor and can't afford to even fly. Especially from some of the prospects down south. That's why it's hard to get the really good 4 and 5 star recruits to leave the SEC regions. Urban Meyer is basically the only coach that I've seen have great success down south. But he is a proven winner. If he didn't have any national championships under his belt, he couldn't get those kids. If they have to go up north and freeze their asses off, they want to be guaranteed a title!
Oregon has speed. But Ohio State showed itself to have speed and power. If there ever was a year for the Ducks, this was it with basically the best player in the game. I've always thought recruiting limits "can" be overcome, of course development has to be top-notch. I watched Nebraska have one of the greatest 5 year runs with basically the same recruiting disadvantages as Oregon right now, distance, 20ish rated classes, etc. But last night I finally bought into that combination of recruiting-disadvantages and style of offense as just a dollar short of getting it done. As much as I like Oregon, they are the Atlanta Braves of cfb. Unless, they do get some more dudes in the trenches, I can't see them winning a title with the spread. What Ohio State ran last night was power football. You saw linemen pulling, power, counter and iso. There might be some spread principles to the OSU offense, but it's a heavy dose of old school football. I fear the window may have closed up on Oregon. With the way recruiting is, this 2nd title game loss just became a tool to recruit against them. I'm not saying they are going away. They should stay very much on the national scene. But we know the SEC isn't going anywhere and now the Big Ten East making a splash with a title winner and a major coach hire, the pack just got more crowded for Oregon.
Nebraska in the 90s consistently got top 10ish classes, a couple of top 5. The 1996 class was #2 in the nation . Their average class ranking was closer to Ohio states us now than Oregons...
I'd compare Oregons run to Butler under Brad Stevens. Bobby Cox won like 20 straight division titles...Oregon has just been lucky USC and UCLA were down the past 5 years.
I'd compare Oregons run to Butler under Brad Stevens. Bobby Cox won like 20 straight division titles...Oregon has just been lucky USC and UCLA were down the past 5 years.
Buffalo Bills made it to four SUPER BOWLS...lost all four. Would it have been better for the team not to have make that accomplishment?
Oregon had a great season...didn't win the big one....my Alabama team who I thought would dominate Oregon didn't even get there.
My take is Oregon deserves a lot of credit for what they have accomplished the past few years. OK, they lost twice in the BIG GAME. Hell, why AIN'T your team playing for the national title.
Rather than worry about the Oregon Ducks....tell the forum about you're fine team and when they will be at the "Big One".
Oregon had a great season...didn't win the big one....my Alabama team who I thought would dominate Oregon didn't even get there.
My take is Oregon deserves a lot of credit for what they have accomplished the past few years. OK, they lost twice in the BIG GAME. Hell, why AIN'T your team playing for the national title.
Rather than worry about the Oregon Ducks....tell the forum about you're fine team and when they will be at the "Big One".
Not quite true. Before 1994, NU's first title, Nebraska was very volatile in classes. The 1987-1994 classes averaged 18th. After they won a few titles, they did experience the typical success boost. (EDIT: these rankings are a composite of, per the article link: ESPN, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, Emfinger, Lemming, SuperPrep, Prep Star, Blue Chip Report, and the National Recruiting Advisor.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF HUSKER RECRUITING RANKINGS
Not quite true. Before 1994, NU's first title, Nebraska was very volatile in classes. The 1987-1994 classes averaged 18th. After they won a few titles, they did experience the typical success boost. (EDIT: these rankings are a composite of, per the article link: ESPN, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, Emfinger, Lemming, SuperPrep, Prep Star, Blue Chip Report, and the National Recruiting Advisor.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF HUSKER RECRUITING RANKINGS
So that's 5 composite top 10 classes over a 10 year period for Nebraska. Has Oregon ever had a top 10 class? Even once?
