Is it time to hit the PANIC button on Oregon?

You can't really run a college team like a pro team. It just doesn't translate well.

You can't just "show up" at championships; you need to get a qualifier--every season. Qualifiers from seasons past or last year don't count. So, it makes sense to get out there and compete. Especially for young athletes who are inexperienced racers, getting reps in at big invites is worth way more than uber-hard workouts secluded at hayward. This works OK for pros, because they've already proven their salt as racers (hopefully).

Another reason for NCAA athletes to race earlier and more often is the shortness of their season. The vast majority do not expect to make it beyond NCAAs if they even make it there, so racing through April and May should be expected and encouraged. We are basically halfway through the NCAA outdoor season and have had no big showing from U of O. So yes, there is reason to wonder when they're finally going to show.

If I were a top HS recruit right now, I'm not sure why I would be considering Oregon as a contender program for me. There are plenty of solid programs putting up better numbers than them. I'd also want to consider how those programs are using their freshman. If a coach isn't redshirting me through my 1st year, then I wanna race hard and often. Not just 1 or 2 meets a season. That is frankly a waste of eligibility.

There must be a lot of money going into recruitment at Oregon, because I can't really explain why so much talent continues to commit there. It feels like every year I hear "next year's freshman class at Oregon is going to be crazy" and it never pans out.

Ask any U of O student and they’ll talk about the school’s academics like they’re going to an Ivy League. It’s maddening.

Well, for the type of person who goes there, just registering for a class is a major academic achievment.

The profs at Oregon are similar to profs at other state schools, so don't exaggerate. The reason Oregon's doing well in the throws is that they brought in a top throws guy when Jerry was hired. I made a big deal about it and nobody else noticed. There are a lot of points to be had in the throws and you can often use guys with football scholarships for those spots.

That’s what we’re saying. The academics aren’t anything special, but the students seem to think so. As sports fans they think they are special and worthy because they have 300 jersey combo’s. As students they think they are special and worthy because ivy grows on their buildings.

100%. Just read the man's bio.

goducks.com

Brian Blutreich - Track and Field Coach

Brian Blutreich, 1992 Olympian and a two-time USTFCCCA National Assistant Coach of the Year, is the new Ducks’ throws coach as announced August 3, 2022, by head

Open link

Everyone noticed they hired a great throws coach, you aren't special. The problem is that you can't win NCAA titles with just throwers.

Jerry is pretty strict that athletes without a regional mark by the end of their sophomore year (or second year there) will be cut from the team. Couple of Ben Thomas guys have already gotten the axe ex: Barclay (thank God) and Holland (sub 4 true freshman).

Hopefully guys like Mestler who throw themselves a pity party because you think your family are the modern day Mcchesney's of Eugene will get the axe too. Obviously Jerry didn't get hired at Oregon to coach guys to run 4:05 or 4:11 1500.

Oregon has had a culture of business for 20+ years, potential recruits that are attracted to that will be great as long as they are running well. Recruits that are anti business culture will stray away.

Where did Holland end up? Seemed like a great local guy that was super excited to be a Duck

Terrible policy.

You have a 19-20 year old that has already been in the system for ONLY TWO years and you cut them?

This ignores everything we know about training and development.

Insane.

I get maybe reducing their scholarship but Oregon has unlimited resources and very good assistants. If they train hard and have a good attitude keep them around. If I was Oregon I would have a roster of 40+ guys and have an assistant responsible for them. Again these are not pros, they are very very young men with unexplored potential.

A top HS recruit runs 4:05. Jerry still has to develop those guys. If he didn't want to do that he should have not become a college coach.

98% of the time a moderately talented, 22 year old 4th or 5th year senior, with years of development and growth will beat a top high school recruits.

I doubt it is this cut and dry but if you look at the top tier programs, the athletes make the first round. BYU Texas A&M have like 30 per gender. If you can’t make the first round you for sure aren’t scoring at Pac12’s

I agree with this point. My argument is more being patient with the development and growth.

It takes years to develop in running and get used to a system. Only a year or two is way too short. Especially for how young and inexperienced a freshman and sophomore are.

The average U of O student had the PAC-12 academics jokes fly over their head and think PAC 12 academics is a reference to stanford.

Dude, how are you going to be good with only half your team contributing? Assume these young athletes are on scholarship, go try to win an outdoor conference meet 20ish events with 6 scholarships worth of dudes.

Also I believe the brojo’s did some study that especially in cross, after your redshirt soph year you kinda are what you are

Assuming part of the problem is Title IX numbers that the teams have to be at.

Who commits them?

I feel like football coaches should just tell their players to identify as non-binary. Would that be able to get around title IX?

They are Oregon. They have the money to keep 60 girls runners to offset.

And because of the Oregon brand, im betting athletes would be way more likely to want to be part of this larger squad instead of being somewhere else where they are a star and getting to race for the team. But idk, I am obviously not the oregon coach.