This is not a bash-the-coaches post.
Mario Cristobal has a definite design, blueprint and vision for what he wants Oregon football to be.
In many ways that vision is absolutely working. I've never seen a more driven and committed guy in the Oregon coaching office. His message to both players and the Oregon community is absolutely authentic and consistent.
He has said he wants the Ducks to be a physical team that imposes its will and wins the line of scrimmage.
On 4th and 1 from the Auburn 40 in the 4th, there wasn't any doubt about the play he was going to run. He was going to run the football behind Penei Sewell and Shane Lemieux.
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The coach is getting all kinds of second-guessing because this play failed. Yet the philosophy behind the call is precisely why CMC was hired.
The game showed that philosophy has made tremendous progress. The Ducks WERE equal to Auburn physically. They should have won this game.
My question is, does Coach need to make adjustments in his strategy based on where the Ducks actually are as a program? Does he need to make room for deception, trickery, going completely against his tendency?
It's clear what he wants them to be, but does this team, right now, need to modify that approach to get results?
It was terribly bad luck not to have Herbert available for this crucial play. The Ducks were in chaos, blew two time outs, giving Auburn an extra 25-30 seconds at the end of the game.
With Herbert in they have a lot more options, and they would have been a lot more comfortable about running, say, a quarterback sneak under center, a bootleg with a run-pass option, or a surprise play-action pass.
Maybe a flea-flicker goes for a 40-yard touchdown. Maybe it gets stuffed.
But what's certain right now is that Coach will only make one choice in this situation. How much can he/will he/should he grow and learn and be more flexible as a coach, especially in game-on-the-line situations?
Brett Bielema would have called what the Ducks ran.
Steve Spurrier would have called the flea-flicker
David Shaw would have called the quarterback sneak.
Mike Bellotti, maybe the bootleg, flat pass to the tight end.
Chip Kelly?
Mario, I feel, is going to call Pistol Formation, off tackle left 99% of the time. He's an offensive lineman with three national championship rings.
How many arrows does he need in his quiver in situations like this?