It seems to me that he does have control of the team if he is kicking a player off the team..we lost to Ohio St because they were the better team..we pretty much overachieved considering how many players we lost during the year.people like yourself have been knocking us now for 15 years..We keep coming back with the players to compete at a high level..You're forgetting that Oregon is now a destination school. Why all of a sudden will that change ?
RE, Oregon is fine recruiting offense. They need to land some tough DT's and DE's (I know the two DE's they had this year are good, but they need to stack the roster w/ those types of players). Teams like Ohio State and Alabama build their entire team around the O & D line's. Team's like Oregone seem to build off the QB. That's a good strategy until you come up against a team that can dominate in the trenches. Oregon did a good job vs. FSU's talent. FSU was young this year (losing a lot of talent off of last year's team). But Oregon isn't too far from having the same formula that the Meyer & Saban use. They are literally a few players away. When that happens it's a matter of luck after that (look at Ohio State for instance; they should have never even made the playoff after getting blown out at home by a 6-6 ACC team....and they lost 2 QBs along the way!). But a big part of it is simply getting to the playoffs...and Oregon can do that. I'm curious to see if USC or Washington can dethrone Oregon.
Oregon has a great program for the Pac 12. I like Stanford this season but Arizona State, Oregon and Southern Cal will be in the mix.
The coach who is still relatively inexperienced as a head coach will play a "huge" role in how the Ducks fare this season and in the future. MONEY is no problem for Oregon....just need some players and coaching to keep things rolling.
Got a hunch Oregon will be around for awhile...........
The coach who is still relatively inexperienced as a head coach will play a "huge" role in how the Ducks fare this season and in the future. MONEY is no problem for Oregon....just need some players and coaching to keep things rolling.
Got a hunch Oregon will be around for awhile...........
Oregon had their chance and blew it. When USC gets fully stocked up (after NEXT year's draft) if they do not start winning Pac 12 Championships, then Sark will be gone. USC has way moere talent than a team like Oregon can ever hope of having. They will have no excuses, just like Oregon had no excuses for last season's fiasco in Dallas. I love the way Oregon fans try to hide the truth about their team. There is simply NO EXCUSE for Oregon not winning the NCAA Championshp last season. Helfrich was made to loook like a fool by Urban Meyer. Oregon had the better players. They had the better talent. What they did not have, and have never had, was the discipline to win a game of that stature. Red Eye, there is nothing you can say to disporve that statement. Facts are facts. Oregon just choked. Do you really think, that Oregon will be around to represent the Pac 12 in the Playoffs again this season?
Ask my good friend Clover, or GOSooner about winning traditions. It is very important to have it. Oregon does not. The ONLY way to ahieve it is to win National Championships. That has been proven over and over again, and was proven again this past season. The difference is this. THE Ohio State University played Oregon. It was not THE University of Oregon playing Ohio State. I hope you can understand that. That is the difference between good programs and Championship winning programs. No one is saying that Oregon is NOT a very good program. I am saying that they are NOT a Championship program and proved why this past season.
Ask my good friend Clover, or GOSooner about winning traditions. It is very important to have it. Oregon does not. The ONLY way to ahieve it is to win National Championships. That has been proven over and over again, and was proven again this past season. The difference is this. THE Ohio State University played Oregon. It was not THE University of Oregon playing Ohio State. I hope you can understand that. That is the difference between good programs and Championship winning programs. No one is saying that Oregon is NOT a very good program. I am saying that they are NOT a Championship program and proved why this past season.
BD, you probably didn't even watch the game in Dallas to say it was a fiasco... If you watched the game you could see that we were outmanned... We didn't have any WR's left that could get any seperation downfield...MM was pretty much handcuffed..To many players lost by injury or suspension in the case of Carrington... We did great just to get there imo... Ohio St was better just like they were better then Bama...whats important here is this... This wasn't our best team that went to that championship game..Best QB yes, but not overall team.. we'll keep knocking on the door till it opens.. confident that the players will keep coming.. BTW, USC had more talent then us for the most part and we were still beating them..... Do I see us in the playoffs every year ? no...but that goes for every team..
That was a very true observation. and a spot on comment.
Somewhat exaggerated but accurate.
The important thing to understand is that tradition sets a team up to win a championship better than many realize. I also agree that Helfrich was out-coached ay Meyer but I wouldn't go so far to say he was made to look like a fool. That may have been the case in the Rose Bowl where Florida St. was humiliated by the Ducks. Now there's a lopsided game with no excuses. There was even a cause to be comparing quarterbacks.
The other thing to realize is that tradition by its very meaning takes time to happen. Eventually Oregon will prevail after losing the big one wears itself thin.
If I may I'd like to add my observation.... The teams that have defeated Oregon all had some things in common. They were all very physical, moreso than the Ducks who are known more as a finesse team. Also, the teams that beat Oregon had very disciplined defenses. That's good coaching. Auburn, Stanford, Ohio State... all of them fit the mold. All of them beat the Ducks, somewhat convincingly in terms of game flow.
It's true that Oregon has improved in the "physical" department, but not enough. Nor have they achieved the level of team discipline that it would take to beat that type of opponent on a first chance encounter. The coaching might be below the level of Urban Meyer but I think Helfrich is a very smart learner and isn't afraid to learn a few things, even if it's the hard way. You can see that in him by his willingness to speak honestly.
You can't say Oregon won't be there in the near future again. It's safe to say that what is significant here is how far they've come along in the last 6 or 7 years. (They also have been building an overall tradition of quality quarterbacks.) Why would anyone think that their progress has come to an end?
PS. I have just returned from 6 weeks in the hospital. I never knew that too much sleepless could be fatal. In my case there was a buildup of CO2 that eventually led to heart failure. I have given up up smoking, this time for good.
Damn Conan! Glad you made it. And please give up smoking for good! I was a professional firefighter/paramedic for 18 years on a big city fire department. I'd say 75% of the patients I went to were primarily the result of smoking (difficulty breathing, heart attacks, stroke, CHF, etc).
Now back to football! You're right about Oregon being beaten by physical teams. I like to screw w/ RE...but I've honestly stated that I think Oregon is just a few players away from being the same team that Ohio State, Alabama, Auburn, Stanford, etc are (as far as physical defenses). Once they get over that hill and build the depth they need to be just as physical of a team it will all come down to timing and lady luck. The stars have to align to win an NC.
Now back to football! You're right about Oregon being beaten by physical teams. I like to screw w/ RE...but I've honestly stated that I think Oregon is just a few players away from being the same team that Ohio State, Alabama, Auburn, Stanford, etc are (as far as physical defenses). Once they get over that hill and build the depth they need to be just as physical of a team it will all come down to timing and lady luck. The stars have to align to win an NC.
Oregon does well, really well consider their recruiting isn't elite level............So yeah they get alot out of their talent, but eventually it catches up to you in the really big games (especially now in back-to-back big games with new playoff system) as Kansas State has proved that for decades as Bill Snyder gets more out of his talent than anyone, but is usually in the middle of the pack as far as recruiting...........Southern California looks like they are on their way back to taking over the conference and UCLA is on the rise as well......
On another note................Glad to see you healthy Conan........Best of luck.
On another note................Glad to see you healthy Conan........Best of luck.
unique offensive system = gimmick that defenses learn to play. you mention GT and the service academies who are never national contenders? I'm not sure why that would be a great example not to mention the HUNH offense is hardly unique anymore.
This is exactly what I'm saying...now that UW, UCLA, USC, and the Zonas are back on track there is more than just Stanford that will keep the Ducks from playing for the title. My personal opinion is that without top 10 recruiting classes the Oregon ship has sailed. They had their chance while the rest of the P12 was down, especially UCLA and USC, but they didn't get it done. They haven't recruited horribly but I believe USC and UCLA will pass them up in pretty short order
Agree 100% about Oregon. A friend of mine who is co-owner of our website is a big Pac-12 guy, has been saying for years that when USC gets their scholarships back, it's game over. No one can out-recruit USC. They have too much location and tradition. I think Oregon will still be relevant. But EVERYTHING in college football is cyclical. The UW's, UCLA's and a few others aren't going to stay down forever. When somebody rises, somebody else has to fall. It will work the same in the Big 12. When OU and/or Texas rise again, somebody will fall. Either Baylor or TCU or both more than likely.
Recruiting is another example of of how the Oregon program has improved greatly compared to past seasons. Just 5 years ago they weren't even ranked in the top 25, now they are comfortably within the top 20. (16) Again I wish to point out that it makes no sense to think that their program will stop improving. IMHO they are here to stay. True that teams such as USC are on the rise but it took Oregon years to rise to the occasion to beat them too. it will be a war when they play each other but at this time the Ducks have thee upper hand. That needs to change and that falls on Sarkisian who I have never regarded as blue chip material. He''s never done anything to impress me over the years with decent talent or otherwise. I would suggest that USC fans brace themselves for more disappointment before things improve as they would like it to be. By then, Oregon should rate in the top 10 in recruiting. I can see no reason why the continuing rise in their football program would go slack. Steeady as she goes makes a lot more sense.
PS: Thank you for all the well wishes guys.
PS: Thank you for all the well wishes guys.
nothing is guaranteed in coll football......but I'm still optimistic.. It looks like we are getting the same players that we have had for the last 15 years..so in that regard we should be able to field good teams.. Is other teams getting stronger going to make things tougher ? hell yes.. But the Ducks program is strong, just because UCLA, AZ schools & Washington want to overtake Oregon doesn't mean its going to happen. They need more stability with there programs to take such a leap... kind of a ridiculous comment that we haven't got it done with other schools being down and us not taking advantage of it...We did get it done... a few Pac 12 titles, BCS wins, getting to 2 championship games... Not to many teams can say that..
One of our best teams was in 07... Think we could have won it that year if Dennis Dixon didn't go down....great team and that also was when USC was at full strength... We beat Pete a couple more times....So it can be done...
One of our best teams was in 07... Think we could have won it that year if Dennis Dixon didn't go down....great team and that also was when USC was at full strength... We beat Pete a couple more times....So it can be done...
RedEye I agree to an extent. Oregon may be just as good in the years to come, but it may not show in the win column. For example the difference between teams like Arizona State wanting to beat Oregon and being capable of doing it are two different things. But two top 20 recruiting classes in a row 2014-15 tells me they will now be capable of beating them going forward. It's just another roadblock the Ducks will have to negotiate that they didn't have to before. Eventually coaches like Mora and Graham are going to get very comfortable in their programs and will have a stable system like Oregon. UCLA is especially dangerous right now because of their top 15 recruiting classes the last few years. If Mora is worth his weight, eventually they are going to start playing up to their recruiting.
Oregon is a great team, don't get me wrong but they have become the Peyton Manning of college football. When have they won a big game in the post season? Yeah they beat Fla St. but that team was not championship caliber. To me it seems like they are too finesse and won't hold up to the SEC's best or now Urban Meyer's Buckeyes.
