Oregon
B1G Thoughts: The Bigger Ten went 17-1 in Week 1, but not all wins were created equally
Every week after the Big Ten games, I will bring you some B1G thoughts on everything that happened! This will include analysis, stats, key players, moments, and more.
Ryan Day and Ohio State are all in for the 2024 season. Is Oregon a national championship contender or will they stumble in their first Big Ten season? How do the former members of the Big Ten West fair in the new division-less format?
Here we will track all these storylines and more as the Big Ten hopes to win back-to-back national championships. Check out the I-80 Football Show for more in-depth analysis and to preview the next week of B1G games.
Week 2 has come and gone. After five straight days of college football, we fans can do what we do best: overreact to everything we’ve seen in 60 minutes of game time.
If you’re one of the lucky few, mainly Ohio State and Penn State fans, you may already be making plans for how to celebrate your national championship. The unlucky few, Michigan and Oregon fans, it’s time to cope.
Depending on your level of angst, either Week 1 means nothing and you will bounce back, or your team sucks and it’s a wasted season already. No matter what side of the fence you sit on, we can all agree that we’re happy football is back.
With that, I have some thoughts from Week 1…
USC learned how to tackle… but have you seen their schedule?
USC beat LSU this weekend, which I did not think would be possible, and they deserve credit for that. They took a first-time quarterback and a new defense and did what many of us thought was impossible.
That being said, we need to take several steps back from the USC hype. The Trojans learned how to tackle (welcome to college football), but finally being able to tackle doesn’t immediately make them a national championship contender. Defense is more than finally learning the fundamentals, and despite many people’s expectations, I don’t think LSU has a very good offense.
You may think I’m being crotchety, but LSU lost that game more than USC won it by coaching not to lose and putting their defense in horrible positions with its constant blitzing, leaving a poor secondary in man-coverage.
I predicted USC to go 7-5. They may be better than that on the backs of this win alone, and I still believe they’ll beat Michigan, but this is not a national championship contender and they most likely won’t make the playoffs. In my opinion, the most underrated part of joining the Big Ten is the upgrade in talent and coaching from the middle-class teams. This is still a USC team that lost five of its last six games last year.
Yes, their defense may be improved, but their quarterback is worse — no offense, but he’s not Caleb Williams. USC still has a five-game stretch of Michigan, Wisconsin, Penn State, Maryland and Rutgers. All five of those teams are expected to win eight or more games, and they also have to play a tough Nebraska defense and end the season against Notre Dame.
Maybe I’ll be wrong, but I’d be surprised if USC wins more than eight games this season. At least they can tackle, though.
It’s time to delete your “Oregon is going to run the Big Ten” tweets
Entering the season almost everyone, myself included, thought that Oregon was easily a top-five team in the country. When you talk about which teams are guaranteed to make the playoffs, that list starts with Georgia, Ohio State, and Oregon.
Oregon’s spot in Indianapolis felt preordained, and even die-hard Ohio State fans have thought of a scenario where the Buckeyes lose to Oregon in the regular season but win the rematch in the Big Ten Championship game. All of that may still come to pass, but after one game Oregon may want to lower its sights.
Oregon beat FCS Idaho 24-14 in a game where they gave up three sacks and seven tackles for loss. One of Oregon’s strengths was supposed to be its offensive line, and it looked overmatched against Idaho.
Many people will look at the stats and say they’ll be fine. Expected Heisman contender Dillon Gabriel threw for 357 yards and two touchdowns on 41 completions, and sure that looks great. The problem is you needed to throw the ball 51 times to beat Idaho.
After struggling in Week 1, now Oregon has an unexpected test in Boise State who ran for 357 yards and seven touchdowns against Georgia Southern. I have more belief that Oregon may have just stumbled in Week 1 and will fix their issues, but it would be a lie to say that the opener wasn’t concerning for an expected national championship contender.
Wow, Michigan, that was worse than even I expected
In the new college football game, you start a season with impact players based on ratings and whatever else the EA Sports team used in their formula. You do not necessarily get to pick which players are impact players, but if you had the choice I’d bet my next paycheck you wouldn’t choose defensive tackle and tight end.
That is where Michigan sits. They have four potential first-round picks on their team, but outside of star corner Will Johnson, it’s two defensive tackles and a tight end. All four of those players are dynamic, and they will have long NFL careers. But for good teams, and maybe even bad teams, it’s possible to neutralize players at those positions.
After struggling to move the ball consistently against Fresno State and needing a pick-six to seal the game, Michigan has serious problems for the 2024 season. Their defense is going to be excellent, for the most part, as it was in their last game. But with Texas, USC, Oregon, and Ohio State on the schedule, having a bad offense dramatically lowers your ceiling — just ask Iowa.
I entered this season thinking Michigan would struggle and have a step back, but seeing the product they put on their field, it may be worse than even I could imagine. Readjust your expectations. The championship hangover is going to be a tough one.
We have an answer to the quarterback recruiting question.
There is a debate in college football around what is the best way to recruit quarterbacks. For the schools that can recruit high-level quarterbacks, there are two main ideals:
One, used by Ryan Day, is to bring in the best quarterback you can every season and constantly compete for starting reps. At Ohio State, being the starting quarterback is earned, and can be taken from you at any point, a la Kyle McCord.
The other, used a lot by Dabo Swiney and Lincoln Riley, is to recruit a stud quarterback every other year so your QB feels safe and is less likely to transfer. If you’re Riley, this system probably works for you because if your quarterback isn’t good enough, you can just go into the portal. For Swinney, who doesn’t use the portal, it can be a death wish.
It’s great when you land a Trevor Lawrence type, but after back-to-back misses, Clemson has had below-average quarterback play for four straight seasons with no clear hope that it will change. Michigan, which has not recruited highly-ranked quarterbacks yearly and chose not to pursue the transfer portal, is feeling the effects of this as well. It’s great when you land JJ McCarthy, but now Michigan is stuck with Alex Orji, Davis Warren, and an injured Jack Tuttle.
Unless you’re Riley, who can grab almost any quarterback he wants out of the portal, it’s safe to assume it’s better to have a room full of highly rated quarterbacks than to have to choose your quarterback like you choose dirty laundry — a quick sniff and hope it doesn’t stink too badly before laundry day.
Marvin Harrison Jr., who needs him?
When asked who was the best wide receiver in Ohio State history, Marvin Harrison Jr. didn’t miss a beat before answering that in his opinion, he is the best wide receiver to ever play at Ohio State. A bold claim for a college that produced David Boston, Cris Carter, Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Ted Ginn Jr., and so many more talented wide receivers.
Despite the bold claim, I agree with Maserati Marv, but his reign may be short-lived. It’s been one game, but I am not afraid to say that Jeremiah Smith has the inside track to be the best wide recoverer to every walk through the Woody Hayes Center.
As a true freshman, he started despite a deep Ohio State WR room, but that was only the beginning. Smith is already Ohio State quarterback Will Howard’s go-to target. After a slow start to the game, Howard threw a 50/50 ball to a freshman on third-and-6 in the red zone. If that pass isn’t completed, you are forced to settle for a field goal and Akron wins that moment.
In multiple key moments on third down or the red zone, it was clear who Howard was looking for, and that’s an unheard-of amount of faith in a true freshman. Smith rewarded him with six catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns. The sky may not even be the limit for Smith — he may be limitless.
Let’s just hope for three healthy seasons before he walks into the NFL as a top-five draft pick.
Iowa isn’t the only team that can score on defense!
Ohio State was one of the top five defenses in the country last season, but defensive coordinator Jim Knowles had one major complaint. Outside of the fact Ohio State didn’t win all its games, Knowles was unhappy with the Buckeye’s inability to force turnovers.
They also did not sack the quarterback a lot. The Buckeyes ranked 60th in the country with 28 sacks on the year and 81st with 11 total takeaways.
The Buckeyes came out hot this season with five sacks, three takeaways, and two defensive touchdowns. For Ohio State to reach its goals, it can’t just hold teams to field goals. They need to create havoc with sacks and forced turnovers.
If game one was a look at what this season holds, they should be a scary defense in 2024.
Gabe Powers to the House!
I don’t smell anything (“Holes” reference).
Sniff sniff, I don’t smell anything. No, seriously, the Scott Frost stench may finally be out of the Nebraska program.
Over the past few years, Nebraska has been one of the most frustrating teams to follow, as they were legitimately the best non-bowl team in the country. For years, Nebraska would lose three or more games a season by less than a touchdown. Last year, in Matt Rhule’s first year in the program, they lost all four November games by seven points or less.
Nebraska was a team that for many reasons couldn’t get out of its way, but most of it was due to quarterbacks who couldn’t help but give away possession with ridiculous turnovers in the worst moments possible. Enter Dylan Raiola, a former five-star quarterback with Nebraska ties who may be the quarterback to finally lead Nebraska to bowl eligibility — and dare I say win eight or nine games.
In his first collegiate game, Raiola looked comfortable leading the offense, completing 19 of 27 passes for 238 yards, two touchdowns, and most importantly no turnovers. Their defense will still lead Nebraska for most of 2024, but the game doesn’t look too fast for Raiola. If he can live up to his five-star billing, then Nebraska will be fun to watch for at least the next three seasons.
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BLUE RIVER, Ore. (KATU) — The founder of a former disaster relief nonprofit is being sued for allegedly diverting nearly $837,000 in donations and grants for personal gain.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield filed the lawsuit Thursday against the founder and executive director of Cascade Relief Team (CRT), Marcus Brooks. In the complaint, Rayfield calls CRT “a sham.”
Brooks is accused of stealing donations and government grants meant for disaster relief following wildfires and flooding in 2020, and using it for personal expenses including casino visits, travel, vehicles, and more.
CRT was founded in 2020 and was hired for cleanup and relief services following the Labor Day Wildfires that burned over 1 million acres across Oregon.
In Blue River, an unincorporated community in the McKenzie River Valley, the 2020 Holiday Farm Fire destroyed nearly 800 homes and burned more than 173,000 acres.
I am angry that my community was taken advantage of
Just months after the fire, long-time Blue River resident Melanie Stanley said CRT stepped in and promised help to the community.
“For us, it was…like a savior at that point,” Stanley said.
Stanley was the manager for the Blue River Resource Center and worked for Brooks to help facilitate recovery efforts. She said CRT operations slowly became questionable.
“None of us knew the level at which all of this stuff that finally came out was at,” Stanley said. “We knew that there was some stuff that had started to look hinky or feel hinky, or there was just some lack of communication that was happening. There were some other things that were happening, and so we just all were kind of guarded.”
In fall of 2023 the nonprofit was reported to have run out of money, and Brooks allegedly fired staff without disclosing the organization’s financial conditions and did not notify donors or beneficiaries. Stanley was one of those people fired.
The state now claims the funds that were meant to go towards communities like Blue River, never made it out of Brooks’ hands, including donations given by Blue River neighbors.
“I am angry that my community was taken advantage of, and I am angry that they now have to worry about trusting when something else happens, because we know something else is going to happen,” Stanley said. “We hope to God it’s never anything as big or as bad as what has happened, but you know, we also have learned that groups like Locals Helping Locals…they are our foundation, and they are because they’re us.”
The state is seeking to recover the money, permanently bar Brooks from serving in a leadership role at a charitable organization and dissolve the nonprofit.
Stanley said Brooks’ actions have tainted reputations.
“We as a community and as the people from the community who helped kind of put all of these things together, we did what was asked of us,” Stanley said. “We did help clean things, and we did help get things to provide, you know, more progress and get things moving forward, and we did good work, and so I just really hope that this is not overshadowed.”
According to Stanley, Blue River’s recovery now stands at 50%.
“We will be very picky from here on out about who and what groups gets let in to help with anything,” Stanley said. “And sadly, it may be to our detriment, but he did more damage now, as far as reputations go, and for that I’m angry. I’m very angry.”
The Oregon Ducks have been progressing through the class of 2027 with hopes of landing some of their top target’s commitment on both the offense and the defense.
With many names left on the board, the Ducks have started to receive some great news, including some news from someone they have been targeting since they offered back in January of 2025.
Darius Johnson Releases His Top Four Schools
One of the Ducks top targets’ in the 2027 class at the cornerback position is Darius Johnson. Johnson recently released his top schools with Hayes Fawcett, as he is entering a crucial part of his recruitment. The four schools he has listed at the top include the California Golden Bears, Michigan Wolverines, UCLA Bruins, and the Oregon Ducks.
Johnson is one of the better cornerbacks in the country. He currently ranks as the nation’s No. 178 prospect in the country, No. 20 player at the position, and the No. 14 player in the state of California, according to Rivals. Landing his commitment would be major for any of the schools, as he is someone who could see the field early due to his size, and his growing ability to lockdown a side of the field all by himself.
More About Darius Johnson
Johnson currently measures in at 6-1 and 155 pounds, and will be someone who continues to add weight through his high school program, and will eventually have the chance to really improve his frame when he gets to college. As of now, each of the four schools has a solid chance to win its recruiting battle, but there seems to be a clear leader at this moment.
The leader for the Ducks target seems to be the Michigan Wolverines, who have the only scheduled official visit at this moment. It seems likely that the talented prospect will schedule his other official visits sooner rather than later now that he has officially cut down his list. If the Ducks want to land his commitment, they will need to get him on an official visit because they are likely trailing at this point.
What If He Committed to Oregon Today?
If he were to commit to the Ducks today, he would be the ninth commitment for the Ducks in the class of 2027. He would also be the third cornerback commit for the Ducks in the class of 2027, which is a position they have been recruiting heavily. The cornerbacks the Ducks have at this moment are four-star Ai’King Hall from the state of Alabama and four-star Josiah Molden from the state of Oregon.
Some of their other commits at this moment include four-star EDGE Rashad Streets, four-star defensive linemen Zane Rowe, and four-star EDGE Cameron Pritchett. This class is shaping up to be another top-five class if the pieces continue to fall into place for Oregon coach Dan Lanning and his staff.
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Oregon tight end Jamari Johnson, after an impressive 2025 season with the Ducks, now becomes the leader at his position following the departure of star Kenyon Sadiq to the NFL.
With an Oregon offense set to return several top stars and bring in two talents at the tight end position, Johnson looks to not only improve as a leader but build off his impressive 2025 season, in which he recorded 32 receptions for 510 yards and three touchdowns.
Here’s everything Johnson had to say during his media appearance following Oregon’s scrimmage on Saturday, with the spring game on the horizon.
Everything Tight End Jamari Johnson Said After Spring Scrimmage
What He Learned From Playing With Tight End Kenyon Sadiq:
“So many, but one is training. Everybody in this facility harps on it, and it’s just a standard here. It’s like him from last year, that man strained his guts out almost every play. I just feel like I got to do the exact same thing or even more to uphold the standard.”
Stepping Up At Tight End:
“It just changed because obviously Kenyon leaving somebody has to step up and be a leader in the room, and me being one of the older guys, it just happens to be me. I just accepted that role, and I actually kind of like it, getting these young guys going, getting them in the playbook and getting them used to college football.”
Participating Again In Spring Practice:
“It feels good coming back. Feels like I have something to prove for me personally, I feel like I haven’t really done anything in college football. I feel like this year is that year for me to show everybody what I’m about.”
On Tight Ends Kendre Harrison and Andrew Olesh:
“Both good dudes, they both got that dog in them. Andrew, he came from Penn State. He’s been coming along well, getting in the playbook. Kendre, he’s a big, tall guy, getting in the playbook too. They’ve been getting after it, man. It’s been good taking them under my wing. Hopefully, we just get going this year.”
Goals and Expectations Ahead of Spring Game:
“I’ll say one expectation that we really try to harp on in the room is just going 100 percent. That’s with your effort, that’s with knowing the plays and just giving it your all. A goal is just to get in that endzone. That’s one of the goals for the tight end room right there.”
Why He Returned to Oregon:
“Like I said earlier, to me, I felt like I haven’t really done anything in college football. That was one of the reasons, and another is I wouldn’t say I’m not ready for the NFL, but like that’s pretty much what I’m getting at, is just like I have a lot of stuff to work on that’s within footwork and hand placement, block in the run game, and route details. Getting to the right depth and just touching up everything I can so when I get to the NFL, there’s none of those problems, it’s just the big problems I have to fix.”
How Reps Helped Him Improve:
“It really helped me. Last year, we ran a lot of twelve personnel at the end of the season because we had a couple of injuries, but that really helped me. This year, I feel like I’m coming in rolling off the ground. It’s just so much more fluent, and those reps really helped me with the playbook. Playbook is way easier now, and I’m getting a good feel for it.”
His Leadership Traits:
“I like to get the guys going. I have a real voice on the field, and if y’all hear me on the field, I get the guys going. I wouldn’t say I’m a vocal leader, but I lead by example. Vocal leader, probably something I need to work on.”
On New Offensive Coordinator Drew Mehringer:
“It’s been different. They’re two different people, coach (Will) Stein and coach Drew. My guy’s getting us going. I’m excited for this season.”
Supporting Dakorien Moore At Track Meet:
“Yesterday, that touched my heart, man. Just all of us going out there, and it wasn’t even just for Dakorien. It was really for Oregon. It was just more for Dakorien because we see him every day. That really touched my heart, and the connection is just unbelievable. I don’t think many people are doing that for their teammates.”
Quarterback Dante Moore’s Growth:
“That guy has his head on his shoulders at all times. He’s been growing consistently, but it’s a couple of different things. I probably can’t name them right now, but he’s been having his head on his shoulders. He’s just been on the climb.”
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