Can the Ducks make better use of a bye? Track record raises concerns

Oregon enjoys a bye this week in college football, one that appears to be much-needed.

Dante Moore took a shot to the face and missed all but three plays of the second half, in the medical tent for 17 minutes before standing on the sidelines in his helmet for the rest of the game. After it he broke in on backup Brock Thomas at the podium before the media. "I love you, Brock." he said.

Tight end Kenyon Sadiq is banged up. There are bumps and bruises all over the roster. Evan Stewart and Trey McNutt appear to be nearing a return, two additions that would give the team a much-needed boost. The offense needs a reset and their last two games have exposed some concerns defensively.

This is a team that desperately needs a reset before a tough November, at 6-2 Iowa, home Friday night against 5-3 Minnesota, home on the 22nd versus 5-2 USC, and what could be a showdown for a playoff spot, a road game in Seattle vs. 6-2 Washington.

Trouble is, Dan Lanning and his staff haven't made good use of byes lately. In their last two games after a layoff they've gotten run, 41-21 by Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, 30-20 at home by Indiana, with sluggish starts in each.

Both times Lanning admitted to the media that he and the coaches didn't have a good plan for the opponent, that they'd been outcoached and outschemed in a tough game.

After the loss to Indiana he said, "They’re a really well coached team. They did a great job in this game. They had a great plan. They were able to create pressure throughout and we struggled on third down, struggled to protect the quarterback. Ultimately, they were more prepared for us in this moment."

Later in the press availability he continued in the same vein. “I don’t think anybody in organization did the best that they were capable of today, myself included. It starts with me. I thought their plan was better and ours wasn’t," Lanning said.

Getting out-prepared twice after a layoff in big games starts to look like a pattern.

George Bernard Shaw once said, frequently quoted by Bobby Kennedy, "Some men see things as they are and say, 'Why?' I dream of things that never were and say, 'Why not?'"

Why or why not, the Ducks need more out of this bye than some rest and repair, though they certainly need that. They need a focused, cohesive plan for four tough opponents, starting with the Hawkeyes, who may have the best offensive line in the Big Ten. They shelled the Gophers 41-3 in Kinnick Stadium Saturday.