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| A healthy Justin Flowe could give the Oregon defense more energy and punch. |
Last fall Oregon fans witnessed the collapse of a culture and a thorough failure of leadership.
In mid-November the Ducks were ranked third in the country, 9-1 and in control of their own destiny for the College Football Playoff. Over the next six weeks they would lose three games on national television in embarrassing fashion, twice manhandled by Utah, 38-7 and 38-10, bludgeoned in the Alamo Bowl by Oklahoma 47-32. They fell to #22 in the final AP poll.
By the time of his messy exit Mario Cristobal had molded a broken, worn-out football team, loaded with talent by the measure of recruiting rankings, exhausted and ill-prepared on game day. November 20th they trailed Utah 28-0 at halftime, demolished in every phase of the game.
Two weeks later in the PAC-12 Championship, as rumors swirled of Cristobal's departure to the U., the Ducks were again flat and dispirited, pummeled at the half 23-0. There was no energy. Key players had to stay home with injuries.
They were beaten and demoralized. A rumor swirled that a star player stood up at halftime and angrily denounced the head coach. Helmet in hand, he pointed a finger toward his face. "You're a fucking fraud," he said.
If it didn't happen, it should have.
The bowl trip proved to be equally fruitless. The Sooners rolled, closely following the Utah script, building a 30-3 first half lead. Kennedy Brooks ran for three touchdowns, virtually uncontested. With ample time to throw Caleb Williams torched the Oregon secondary for 242 yards and three scores on 21-27 passing.
Cristobal's rebuild of Oregon as a national brand ended in disarray.
Enough of the old story. The Hurricane has returned home to work his schtick, and the Ducks are in a new era.
While it's still very early, watching Dan Lanning address the media and listening to his players talk about the program and his approach, it's evident that they are working for sounder and more resilient foundation.
Bradyn Swinson (@OfficialSwintt) says Dan Lanning has changed Oregon Football for the better.#GoDucks pic.twitter.com/dS6mxMgE1z
— Kate Rogerson (@KateRogersonTV) August 4, 2022
Swinson is right about the talent. According to Adam Gorney of Rivals, the Ducks have the sixth-most talented starting lineup in college football:
Based on star rankings of projected starters, this is how teams would be ranked:
Clemson - 92 (total stars among starters)
Texas A&M - 91
Ohio State - 89
Georgia - 88
Alabama - 85
Oregon - 84
Penn State - 83
Oklahoma - 81
Texas - 81
Florida - 80
Miami - 80
Notre Dame - 80
Cristobal could recruit, no doubt. Early indications are that Lanning and his staff can recruit as well. But was missing then, what Lanning recognizes and strives to create now is a level of realness and connection that sustains a team in the fourth quarter and late November.
Football is a game that demands toughness, the ability to come together and dig deep. That has to come from within. It has to be felt, and shared, found in each other. Empty mantras and cliches won't get it done.
There's a lot Dan Lanning has to master to become a great head football coach. At the outset, however, this commitment to core values and making football fun will go a long way toward building a team that reaches its phenomenal potential.
They will be less likely to lose games they should win, clunkers like Stanford in 2021 or Arizona State in 2019, inexplicable self-destructions that cost them a shot at the playoffs. They will be less susceptible to flat performances. They'll have a stronger rudder in clutch moments, more able to seize the momentum.
A team with a real center, genuine connection, plays with more heart. They don't fear challenges. They find strength in each other and rise to them.
Thanks Dale
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