Expect The Ducks To Be A Well-Oiled Machine From Day One In The Big Ten

PALO ALTO, CA – SEPTEMBER 30: Head Coach Dan Lanning of the Oregon Ducks leads his team into the stadium before a Pac-12 NCAA college football game against the Stanford Cardinal on September 30, 2023 at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, California; visible at left is quarterback Bo Nix #10. (Photo by David Madison/Getty Images)

By 750 THE GAME STAFF

Oregon spring practice is currently going on and soon enough we will have football games.

Oregon, Washington, USC, and UCLA will forever be known as the Pac-12 teams that left the conference and headed to the Big Ten. Tyson Alger of the I-5 Corridor joined the Bald Faced Truth with John Canzano and Alger told Canzano how he would rank the four programs heading into their new conference.

“I think it’s going to be Oregon No. 1,” Alger said on 750 The Game. “Not only because they have a great current roster, but they have some stability in the coach staff and out of the four programs they have the widely considered the most successful NIL venture.

“I’m going to go USC (at No.2). Lincoln Riley’s stature isn’t quite what it was two years ago. But that’s still a school that’s going to recruit. For number three, I’m going to go Washington. You’ve seen the proof of concept with the Huskies that it can work. But you’ve also seen everything that’s happened this offseason. And then you have UCLA. It’s a school that has no good recruits. It’s kind of on its back heels with their coaching staff, and I don’t expect the Rose Bowl to be exactly full for the non premier games.”

Bo Nix came to Oregon and his first game didn’t go well – a 49-3 loss to Georgia that wasn’t even that close. It all turned out great for Nix who is now a potential first round pick in the NFL. And now UCF/Oklahoma transfer Dillon Gabriel is coming to Eugene. Gabriel has won some big time games including beating CFP participant Texas a season ago. Alger thinks Gabriel is going to come in and make it seem like he’s been in Eugene for years.

“I expect it to come out like a well-oiled machine,” said Alger. “It hurts to lose a Bo Nix and you might think that people are crazy for not saying Oregon’s in as bad of a spot as Washington for them losing a Michael Penix, but with Oregon you have a 14,000 career yard passer coming in to replace a 15,000 yard career passer.”

It’s not just the quarterback position where the Ducks thrive. Alger says the surrounding talent is elite and will help the Ducks this season in the Big Ten.

“This overall roster is better than it was last year. I feel like Nix might have been the prologue for the Ducks and I think with an improved offensive line and some of the guys you have coming in, especially at wide receiver, Terrance Ferguson at tight end, they needed a guy who could come in and instantly figure out and operate this offense and lead them to a very successful season.”

Listen to the full interview with Tyson Alger by clicking the podcast below. Catch the Bald Faced Truth with John Canzano weekdays 3-6 p.m. in Portland exclusively on 750 The Game.