[mm-video type=playlist id=01f27mq9z7hjgk6vc6 player_id=none image=https://duckswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]
It’s now been about 48 hours since Mario Cristobal left the Oregon Ducks program, and the dust is starting to settle. That’s not to say that the coaching search is even close to over — in fact, far from it — but just an acknowledgment that we can take stock of where things are, and maybe talk about something other than coaches for the time being.
For now, we want to talk about the upcoming bowl game. It was announced on Monday that Oregon will rely on passing game coordinator Bryan McClendon to be the interim head coach for the Ducks in the Valero Alamo Bowl where they face Oklahoma on December 29th. The Sooners are also dealing with a coaching change after Lincoln Riley left for USC, but they announced the hiring of Brett Venables earlier this week.
[lawrence-related id=14169]
So for the Ducks, who are absolutely in flux right now, what can we expect?
More importantly than that, who can we expect to see at the quarterback spot?
The answer to that question likely depends on your opinion about how important it is to win this game. With a new coaching staff coming in and redecorating in a sense over the next several months, I would argue that the Alamo Bowl is a glorified exhibition game for Oregon this season. A win or a loss won’t matter in the long run, and what should be more important than anything is getting experience for players who you will be building around going forward.
That means QB Ty Thompson. In my opinion, it is absolutely imperative that he plays vs. Oklahoma.
What is the argument against it?
[lawrence-related id=14097]
You could say that Coach McClendon wants to win this game as an interim head coach to up his resume, but anyone would be crazy to look at a loss and knock his coaching ability because of it. So why would you play Anthony Brown over the true freshman who projects to be the future of the program?
If Brown plays in what would be his final collegiate game, the Ducks likely have a better chance at winning and staying competitive. However, they will still enter the offseason with a new coach, at least one new coordinator, and a quarterback who has approximately zero live-game experience. To make matters worse, their first game of the 2022 season comes against the Georgia Bulldogs, who are among the favorites in the College Football Playoff this season. That ain’t great.
While few things are going to make confidence in the Ducks rise ahead of that game, one sure-fire way to do so is to get Thompson on the field and let him take his lumps and grow in real-time, against a highly-respected football team like Oklahoma. That doesn’t mean for a series, or a quarter, or a half, but for the whole game. It’s not like the season is going to be lost if the Ducks get blown out in the Alamo Bowl.
[lawrence-related id=14162]
A lot of things are uncertain at this point in time. We don’t know who the next coach will be for Oregon, and we can’t really feel great about how successful the future will be just yet.
While we wait to see what the new coaching staff will bring, though, I think it’s important that we take a chance to evaluate some of the talent on this roster and see how far it can take us. That starts with Ty Thompson, and it needs to happen as soon as possible.
[listicle id=14099]