There could not be more anticipation for No. 10-ranked Oregon's showdown with No. 9 UCLA in Autzen Stadium on Saturday.
From ESPN's College GameDay broadcasting from campus in the morning to the first top-10 matchup in Autzen Stadium in eight years to all the Pac-12/College Football Playoff implications at stake, add in that it involves Chip Kelly on the opposing sideline, and there is not a more intriguing matchup on the entire college football slate this weekend.
So the Duck Sports Authority team went deep on the weekly staff roundtable discussion/debate, trading thoughts and perspective on the matchup, which team has the QB advantage, how we rate the Dan Lanning Era so far on a 1-10 scale and our predictions for the game.
Longtime DSA mainstays Scott Reed, A.J. Jacobson and Brandon Gibson are joined by new site publisher Ryan Young as the staff sets the stage for Saturday.
What is your satisfaction level with the start of the Dan Lanning Era on a scale of 1-10?
Scott Reed: "I am what would be called a ‘tough grader’ especially when it comes to coaches. I think I would go with an 8 on this scale; not because I think Lanning has been bad, but the main thing is it would be really difficult to give anyone a perfect 10 six games into a tenure. The biggest flaw I have seen so far is the area in which Lanning has excelled in the past – defense. Given the things we had heard all through the summer and early part of fall camp, I expected the defense to be much better than it has been. There are two key areas where I think that the defense needs to improve: creating pressure and improving in pass defense. Some of those flaws could be things which were masked by now departed players, but I just expected the defense to be ahead of the offense early in his tenure. Which brings me to why the grade is as high as it is: offense, offense, offense. The hire of Kenny Dillingham, Junior Adams, Carlos Locklyn and Adrian Klemm were all strong moves and the offense looks elite. What they have been able to do with Bo Nix and the players who were all mostly here last season is nothing short of incredible."
Brandon Gibson: "I must first start with the caveat that satisfaction level is much different than just grading the performance of a head coach vs. the field. If we are only looking at the results, the first game of Lanning’s tenure was a stinker. At the same time, you could see strengths in the foundation during that storm of a first game. What looked like a rocky start gave us the ability to see a team that didn’t quit, and the response from that day forward has the Ducks heading into this weekend with a shot at sole possession of first place in the league. Have there been imperfections in the first chapters? Sure. Penalty issues have popped up, the Ducks have missed out on some big talents they thought they were going to land, and you could probably nitpick other small things as well. I think greater satisfaction comes when you see response and growth in a coach and team, because that is based on culture and character. Did the Ducks do a 180 in the penalty department the following game? Yes. Did recruiting recover despite those misses? Check. Beyond everything else, Lanning has orchestrated this group through the tragic loss of Spencer Webb and has constantly looked to improve on the existing strengths he inherited. I think in the category of clock and game management, Duck fans would give him an 11 on the 1 to 10 scale, in what has been a huge 180 from the previous staff. Overall, I’d give Lanning a 9, because he is one that would always be looking for something to improve on, and a 10 doesn’t allow that."
A.J. Jacobson: "The Georgia game was a bit of a wake-up call, and it seems that the Ducks have woken up. Winners of their last five in a row against good competition, Lanning has the Ducks ranked No. 10 in the nation in his first season as head coach. Overall, I would rate the first six games of his era a 9 out of 10. Here are a few of my reasons.
"In game coaching: The Ducks have improved in this area versus the last few years. Clock management has been good, play-calling on both sides of the ball has been solid overall, and the team has played with passion.
"Team development: It’s a little too early to know how good he is going to be as a developer of talent. But what he has done in his first year is integrate a bevy of transfers, adding to the existing talent and turned them into to a very good football team.
"Game prep: Throw out the Georgia game (oh how I wish we could) and his players have been ready to play from the opening kickoff. Even with practices closed it is still clear that the staff has prepared the players for the challenge at hand each week.
"Recruiting: So far, so good. Ranked No. 12 in the nation with 20 commits including the nation’s No. 2 overall prospect is a respectable position to be in for October. The Dan Lanning era at Oregon started with a whimper but now seems to be roaring."
Ryan Young: "I'd say this is about the best possible six-game start anyone could have imagined. Let's be honest, Georgia was expected to win that first game in Atlanta -- while the 49-3 score is what became the storyline, the result itself wasn't a major surprise going against the reigning national champs in their home state. And given how the Ducks have responded from that point, there's no need to dwell now on the margin of that first game. As for the five-game winning streak, the 8th-ranked offense, the dominant rushing attack, the play of Bo Nix, a pass rush that has improved through the season, a run defense that has been steadily stout (12th best in the country), there is really not much to pick apart.
"Sure, the pass defense and play in the secondary needs to improve, and no, the Ducks' overall 62nd-ranked defense is maybe not what one would expect given Lanning's track record on that side of the ball. But I don't think anyone should have had visions of him recreating the Georgia defense in Year 1 here. That can be judged in time based on how the unit progresses from one year to the next to the next. It's too early to identify a clear trajectory.
"Honestly, what has impressed me most to this point is his ability to assemble an offensive staff. That's always the question when a defensive coordinator becomes a head coach (or vice versa when an offensive coordinator takes over a program). Kenny Dillingham wasn't the most obvious pick to be a breakout offensive coordinator and yet he's been so impressive so far that the Ducks may have to worry about him getting serious head coaching looks (like, say, at Arizona State) this offseason. Certainly, Locklyn deserves credit for maximizing a talented group of RBs, Adams deserves credit for the development of Troy Franklin, Klemm has maintained the standard along the offensive line, etc. But all of that starts with Lanning identifying what he wanted on that side of the ball and then putting it together. That's the mark of a very capable head coach. I'll give the start of the Dan Lanning Era a firm 9 out of 10."
