Tag: Oregon Ducks Football

Pregame talk sets stage for Oregon’s beatdown of Oklahoma State

The result on the field speaks louder to the ever-changing landscape of college sports.

There are cases where people say “the more things change, the more they stay the same.” That in and of itself sounds contradictory, but there are a few items that stay consistent through all of the additions and subtractions. In other cases, if an individual isn’t willing to evolve with the times, they will get left behind, and eventually, become obsolete. Just like many things in life, college sports (football specifically) is an example of this, and there was a game that directly speaks to a case where one team is moving with the times, while the other is stuck in the 2010s. The contest (if anyone wants to call it that) under the spotlight was between Oklahoma State and Oregon, played last Saturday afternoon in the Pacific Northwest.

The Ducks demolished the Cowboys 69-3, and even with that score, the game might not have been that close. Not many should be surprised at the result, as Oregon is a national title contender ranked fourth in the country, while Oklahoma State is careening off a cliff to uncertain times. What sparked more conversation than the actual game were pregame comments made by Cowboys head coach Mike Gundy, in regard to how much money Oregon has spent to assemble their roster. Gundy made reference to his program spending “around $7 million over the last three years,” and Oregon spending “close to $40 (million) last year alone.” Apparently, the Ducks took those comments as a shot at their coach, Dan Lanning, and they were ready to administer a blasting of epic proportions.

After a little analysis, it’s logical to believe Gundy’s comments added fuel to the Ducks’ fire, but listening to what he said points to something much bigger than just this game. As mentioned earlier, college sports is evolving at a daily rate, and the items leading constant change are name, image and likeness (NIL), and the transfer portal. Once NIL kicked in during the summer of 2021, the college sports landscape went through (and is still absorbing) a seismic shift. Now, the players are allowed to build income through third parties, and the evolution has reached the point where athletes can negotiate NIL deals with the university itself (House settlement). Combine this with the transfer portal, where players can essentially enter a glorified free agent pool, and the influence head coaches have on a program isn’t nearly as large as it once was. In other words, the days of amateurism can be declared a distant memory.

This brings us back to Gundy and his program at Oklahoma State. While there is still a lot to be said about the recruitment of high school athletes, NIL and the transfer portal is here to stay, and if a coach can’t evolve with the times (just like anything else in life), he or she will drift into irrelevancy. Money will have to be spent if a school wants to stay competitive, and this is something Lanning and Oregon clearly understands. Even with the money that’s spent, it’s the coach’s responsibility to have the team ready to play week after week, and there have been performances in the last couple of years where one could wonder if Gundy has lost touch with the current athlete. Sure, the Ducks have the better team, but the Cowboys came in uninspired and lethargic, basically defeated before the game even kicked off. When Gundy made those comments (and try to clarify after the fact), they sounded more like built-in excuses for the ensuing beatdown.

From the outside looking in, it appears the time for Gundy to step down from his position is overdue. The stubbornness to stick with tools that worked in 2015 is showing they won’t work in 2025 and beyond. The head coach doesn’t have all of the power anymore, and there’s a need to understand players could potentially make as much money as they do. It’s no coincidence Nick Saban, who apparently didn’t want much to do with the changing dynamics, decided to retire from Alabama after the 2023 season. For Gundy, there’s two choices to pick from. Either move aside for someone with a fresher mind, or get with the evolution. If his answer is the former, housings like the one Oklahoma State received from Oregon will become the norm, and the choice for Gundy to stay will be made for him.

Coach Prime and Colorado gets humbled, and so does the media hype

One can only be blinded by the glitz and glamour for so long, and Oregon made that clear Saturday

Before diving into the sound defeat No. 9 (as of the latest Associated Press poll) Oregon gave Colorado (now unranked), it’s time to give disclaimers. The first are about the feelings I have towards Deion Sanders and what he’s doing at Colorado’s program. I actually like what Sanders has brought (and is bringing) to the squad. Let’s remember this is a team that was 1-11 last season. The fact they already have three wins to begin the year shows the Buffaloes are significantly better than they were at any point in 2022. Secondly, this isn’t me necessarily coming to the defense of “Coach Prime” and Colorado, nor is it me trying to pile on after they caught this humbling loss to the Ducks. This is an attempt to bring reality to a situation that went way too far into fantasy world. It’s understood what’s about to be said will probably fall on deaf ears, and many will continue to ignore what’s actually there. Even with knowing that, there’s no denying what happened Saturday, and what to look for as more games are played.

Let’s start with the events on the field, where things really matter in this case. Oregon won 42-6 at Autzen Stadium, in a contest where the score probably could have been worse than it was. Every game tells its own story, and one word explains what happened in this one, domination. The Ducks outgained the Buffaloes 522-199 in total yardage. On defense, the pressure they brought to Sanders’ son, Shedeur, was relentless, sacking the quarterback seven times. There are many more stats that could explain how much of a mismatch this was, but those are the two that stick out. The main point to take out of this game is Colorado has potential to rise to prominence with “Coach Prime” going forward, but understand they have a long way to go before that happens. They will head to the Big 12 after this season, but as they navigate through the Pac-12 in that conference’s final days, don’t be surprised if this is the first of multiple losses looming for the Buffaloes.

That’s the reality, and it’s been there all along, The problem is many weren’t (and never are) willing to look into the details, allowing themselves to be infatuated with the shiny new toys. Colorado is the latest example of the flashy car, and the media did all they could to have everyone blinded by the hype. The hot take machines started this months ago, when ESPN decided the Buffaloes’ spring football game was the only one worthy of being on their main station. The hype train continued to gain steam, and when Colorado defeated TCU (who went to last season’s national championship game) on the road in their first game, it was a forgone conclusion Neon Deion and the Buffs were going to be the hottest topic on everyone’s airwaves. Fox Sports’ Big Noon Kickoff pregame show spent the first three weeks of the season around Colorado, and will be back in Boulder when eighth-ranked USC comes to town Saturday. Of course, ESPN had to bring College GameDay to town, and the network’s other shows, such as First Take and The Pat McAfee Show, were right there with them. Even CBS News’ 60 Minutes came to interview Sanders. With all of the glitz and glamour comes a bullseye, and if anyone was wondering how Oregon head coach Dan Lanning was feeling before and after the contest with Colorado, Lanning left no doubts, with colorful quotes such as “Rooted in substance, not flash, rooted in substance,” among others. It’s a certainty the Ducks won’t be the only team with this attitude. As for the hype and hot take machines, consider them humbled just like the Buffs, at least for the time being.

Now, the question is what happens from here. Yes, the style and lights shining all over the Colorado program says this is a speed bump on the way to a College Football Playoff berth, but realistically, expectations should be far less than that. At the risk of repeating myself, this program is coming off of a 1-11 campaign. It was beyond time to clean house, move furniture, pressure wash the floors and walls, and bring the people with the hazmat suits in. The squad has a new coach, and practically a whole new team, thanks to the transfer portal. For the people who had tunnel vision and only saw the flash, seeing what Oregon did came as a shock. All Oregon did was reinforce the truth, which is the Buffs’ roster isn’t on par with what the Ducks, and other teams in the Pac-12, have in their’s. In other words, this season is all about building a foundation where growth happens, and any sniff of a decent bowl game is looked at as gravy. Winning seven or eight games should be considered a successful season for Colorado. It’s not competing for a conference title, but coming from where they were a year ago, a participation trophy would be in order. This is my way of saying more losses are coming this season, and with each one, the shine will continue to wear off.

In closing, I want to reiterate I’m rooting for Coach Prime, and I wouldn’t mind seeing the dream scenario of the Buffs winning the conference. In reality, middle-of-the-pack is probably where they’ll end up, then it’s on to the Big 12 come 2024. If all of those people who are in the media, or work for the networks as “experts,” were being truthful, they would realize the same. Instead, it’s about what’s hot, and where the most money and eyes can be accumulated. I won’t say Sanders and Colorado are playing for clicks, but they have become the favorites to win that particular battle. The lesson that should be taken from Oregon’s housing of the Buffs is be willing to open the hood of the car to make sure it’s running properly, instead of assuming it does because it looks nice. Hype and glitz only go so far, and substance is what ultimately proves what’s real. Who knows? Colorado might be able to put the Oregon loss behind them, and put themselves in the conference race, but I doubt it. Right now, the players aren’t there to compete with top competition, and that’s okay. The choice we have to make as fans is between doing homework and research, or continuing to let shiny things influence us. I choose to stay optimistic, but realistic. The feeling is I’ll be part of the minority if I ask who’s coming with me.