Oregon program building versatile roster, can win anywhere
On3’s J.D. PicKell continued his evaluation of the Oregon Ducks football program in preparation for the 2023 season. The college football expert has raved about the hiring of head coach Dan Lanning since the Ducks made the move to him last offseason. And he believes that move, along with several others the institution has made, has put them in a prime position for not only the long term but also their intermediate future as well.
“In the more immediate future, the playoffs are expanding,” said PicKell. “Why does that matter? No longer are the days where you can recruit your three-stars, your guys that fit your system, and you can just roll out there, play who you got to play, go undefeated through the regular season, and play in the BCS title game. And you make it there, and you got one shot like Eminem. Like that was what Chip Kelly was able to do at Oregon and get them to that title game against Auburn.”
Not too long ago, the Pac-12 had a ton of cachet in the college football world. From USC in the early 2000s to Kelly’s reign at Oregon shortly after, the conference was always the favorite to compete for the BCS national championship. Unfortunately, since the transition into the College Football Playoff in 2014, only Oregon and Washington have represented the conference in the College Football Playoff. Oregon would lose in the 2014 national championship game to the Ohio State Buckeyes 42-20.
“I don’t think those days are here anymore, and here’s why. In an expanded playoff, you gotta win multiple games. You may have to win three games in a row to be able to play for a national title. And to do that, you’re going to go against teams that are tough physically, that have talented rosters. You have to be able to win different styles of games.”
While times have changed, Oregon has adapted to that change. According to PcKell’s analysis, the Ducks are building an operation that can compete with just about anyone in college football:
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“So for Oregon, to put it simply, they’re building an operation out there in Eugene that can go anywhere. They are building a roster, talent-wise, that can win anywhere. (If) you want to go play in Big 12 country, line up against Oklahoma and Texas; we’ll do it. Gotta play the SEC and play up against Alabama and Georgia in the trenches, we’re gonna get there.
“With that being said, Oregon is building a monster on the West Coast. The resources that they have in place, the branding they have in place, (and) the leader they have in place is all trending in the right direction. And the recruiting trail is a microcosm of the reflection of Oregon football and where it’s headed.”
Oregon is indeed repositioning itself to be a power in the college football world once again. They still have the brand and the resources, but adding Lanning to the equation was another huge step in the right direction. Now all the Ducks must do is take all their work from the offseason and put together a finished product on the field in 2023 and the years to follow.