Oregon football: Something's rotten in Dan-land

After every big or humiliating loss, Dan Lanning has said something like, "It's on me. We've got to coach it better." That's true enough, but Lanning hasn't hired better coaches.

With a talented, veteran roster he chose continuity over competence. There's a staff of 50 in Eugene that couldn't self-scout, wasn't able to identify tendencies or tells. The team was poorly prepared in Stillwater, both for the conditions and the opponent.

One of the stated values of the program is growth, but everywhere we see evidence of regression. They have a gifted passer with 22 career college starts who hasn't been taught how to go through progressions or handle pressure, who hasn't improved his recognition at the snap.

He's too given to rushed throws with a free blitzer in his face, to passes so bad the announcers confused them with batted balls, a hurried throwing motion and hitches in his delivery, collapsing in the pocket rather than finding an outlet.

It's also an infrastructure problem: The Ducks have a pocket passer but can't protect him. They can't establish the run to make him more effective. Play-action has no credibility, because his feet are giving it away.

Another of the tenets is connection, but this was a team that played in a disconnected way. Receivers go through the motions when in motion, or on decoy routes. Edge rushers lunge ineffectually instead of defeating the blocker and attacking the quarterback. In the loss to OSU "The best defensive line in college football" posted zero sacks and zero tackles for loss. Against an offensive line with five new starters and a sub at left tackle.

It's a close leap from FEBU ("Forget" Everybody But Us) to "We're not accountable to anyone." Lanning got testy with the media on Thursday when they asked him about the conditions in Stillwater, Oklahoma in September. Was he concerned about the heat and humidity? "No. Just drink more water."

Monday night he got testy again when asked why his quarterback wasn't available to meet the media and answer questions after the game. It turned out Dante Moore was cramping up during the fourth quarter and had two IVs to administer fluids. The hydration program failed. That's a lack of attention to detail. The Ducks were victims of their coach's arrogance.

Instead of attending to those details before the game, Lanning is mugging at the 20-yard-line, micced up pregame for a stunt with bellowing ESPN analyst Pat McAfee, a $500,000 bet for charity over whether he could hit the crossbar with a football. It's hard to imagine Nick Saban or Kirby Smart or Curt Cignetti participating in those kinds of antics, particularly before losing as a 23.5-point favorite.

The Cinderella Story is over, ladies and gentlemen. It turns out that the Ducks are the program that is not rooted in substance, the one that fails to talk with their pads. In the shadow of the new 170,000-square-foot practice facility the team has failed to practice the habits that lead to success. The slogans have become empty, and those veteran players with NFL talent have grown only to tune them out.

Something, health, money, family issues, fame-- has grown as a distraction in this program. It's become a team that's confused potential with achievement, ratings and reputation with success. Success is earned. The pitfalls and temptations are innumerable.

There's still time to turn this around, but it would be a dramatic redemption story if they do. According to On3 analyst Justin Hopkins, the Ducks held a player's only meeting on Sunday night. Perhaps fans will see a different team on Saturday September 26 in Los Angeles against USC. The proof's in the pudding.

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