You want to talk about identity? I remember when our identity at Mercyhurst was built on walk-ons who bled green and white for four years, not this mercenary circus. But to say Oregon can't contend is just sour grapes from a rival. They've been knocking on the door for decades, son. This isn't some flash in the pan. They've had structure and vision since the days when uniforms were simple and a coach built a program, not just rented one. Sure, the portal quarterback situation grates on me too, it lacks the purity of developing a kid like we did back in the NEC days, but to say they can't play defense? Please. They've had athletes on that side of the ball that could have started for any team in the country going back to their Rose Bowl runs. The game has changed, for the worse in many ways with NIL auctions replacing loyalty, but Oregon adapts. They recruit at a level we could only dream of, and while I hate how it's done now, they get players. They've been in the championship conversation before the portal even existed, which is more than most programs can say. Dismissing them because you don't like how they're built in this new era is short-sighted. It's like saying our '92 Lakers couldn't compete because we were a small school. Oregon has the pieces, always has, even if the method of acquisition nowadays turns my stomach.
