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Answers on Oregon and other things, from people not from here.
Outside the Bubble is an occasional quick-hitting feature on The I-5 Corridor that asks a few people, outside the Oregon bubble, questions about the Ducks and other things.
Today we ask Christian Caple (The Athletic), Theo Lawson (The Spokesman-Review) and Yogi Roth (Pac-12 Network) a few questions.
The Mario Cristobal era at Oregon is over. How should the rest of the Pac-12 feel?
Caple: Relieved they don’t have to recruit against him anymore.
Lawson: Uneasy until the Ducks give them a reason to feel otherwise. I don’t think Oregon will stop recruiting at a high level, and that alone should make opposing Pac-12 schools feel wary of the Ducks. If Oregon’s defense can perform at even 75 percent of the level Dan Lanning’s Georgia defense did this past season, every team in the conference will be in trouble.
Will the Pac-12 get a team to the College Football Playoff before it expands?
Roth: It’s been close the last few years with Oregon and Utah being in the conversation. It’s not as if a one-loss team has been on the outside looking in. I believe the Pac-12 will get back to the CFP before expansion — but in my opinion, I think the Playoff should expand ASAP.
Caple: No.
Lawson: I’ll say yes and probably eat crow five years from now. This isn’t being published anywhere, right?1 I anticipate the SEC will continue to vie for multiple bids every year until expansion, but if Clemson comes back down to earth as this season suggested it might, I’m not sure the ACC can expect an annual berth. The Big-12 inevitably becomes weaker without Oklahoma or Texas and let’s see what happens at Notre Dame under Marcus Freeman. Will Pac-12 CFP berths become tradition? Doubt it. But the factors I already listed, combined with Riley’s arrival at USC, give me faith the Pac-12 will get back to the playoff at some point in the next 3-5 years.
Who is the Pac-12 player everyone will be talking about this fall?
(Note: These questions were answered prior to signing day, when star quarterback Caleb Williams completed his transfer from Oklahoma to USC)
Roth: There are a few up for discussion, but at the top for me it is Noah Sewell (linebacker, Oregon) and Cam Rising (quarterback, Utah). They will enter the season as the face of the league. If Caleb Williams goes to USC, he will also be in the discussion as those three will be the pre-season favorites for every award.
Lawson: Regardless of whether Williams is the guy, the Trojans will be ushering in a new starter, and that’s always an intriguing storyline given USC’s history at the position. Travis Dye at SC is intriguing as well.
Caple: Probably shouldn’t say Caleb Williams yet, huh?2
What was your first impression of the Dan Lanning hire and has that changed at all since?
Caple: Surprised, because his name hadn’t previously been connected to the job. It still feels like a bit of a gamble, but he does bring a lot of positive energy.
Lawson: The hire seemed solid initially and it grew on me when Lanning’s Georgia defense gave up just 29 combined points in the national semifinal and championship game. There’s always uncertainty when it comes to somebody without head coaching experience, but if the Ducks weren’t in running for someone like Lincoln Riley or Brian Kelly, Lanning feels like the best hire they could’ve made. The potential downside? Retaining Lanning could be challenging in three or four years if he’s able to find immediate success in Eugene.
Washington, USC, Oregon and Washington State hired new coaches this offseason. Which fanbase is happiest five years from now?
Lawson: USC is a tempting choice, but if the Trojans go another half-decade without a College Football Playoff berth — even if they win a few Pac-12 titles along the way — it’s hard to believe the fans will react in a positive way. It’s practically impossible to predict the next five years in Seattle or Pullman, so I’ll choose Oregon simply by process of elimination. Duck fans have high expectations themselves, but they’ve capitalized more often than the Trojans, and I think it’ll be easier to have success in the Pac-12 North over the next five years than it will in the South.
Caple: Hard not to guess USC, though happiness always is a moving target with Trojans fans.
The restaurant/food/thing you think of the most when Oregon pops up on the schedule?
Roth: I am a huge fan of the Portland airport and I love the drive down to Eugene and Corvallis. My first stop is Case Study Coffee outside of PDX to grab a coffee and conversation with Kevin Carroll and then cruise down to YoYoYogi studio3 for a workout with Nigel Burton if he’s in town. It’s a move I make almost every time. PDX is my favorite airport in the Pac-12 footprint to fly into — outside of flying home to LA.
Lawson: I’m a sucker for Eugene’s breweries — that goes for the entire state of Oregon actually — so I’ll generally pick up some grub at whichever brewhouse I find myself at. Ninkasi is one of my favorites and nothing bests a Tricerahops Double IPA on tap, but the last time I was passing through (not for a football trip), I visited ColdFire Brewing and greatly enjoyed the burger/cajun fries.
Caple: Track Town Pizza. And Papa’s Soul Food Kitchen and BBQ, even though it closed.
Bonus: Here’s a wonderful time capsule from 2011, with I-5 Corridor podcast guest Sean Meagher, Locked on Blazers host Mike Richman, and Oregonian trending sports Editor Tim Brown — all former members of OregonLive’s legendary high school sports staff.
As Tim says in the video, Papa’s was truly “Scrumptrulessent.”
— Tyson
My parents are at least reading this, Theo.
See, I ruined Christian’s joke by not getting this out when I was supposed to.
Yogi and I have very different “arrived to a new city” routines.
