[washingtonismoney]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2J5-wx40G6k

The scheme stuff is all well and good, but the Cal DL stalemating or knocking back the Oregon OL a yard or so on every running play looked to me to be the critical factor. That Cal DL had Cameron Jordan, who ended up as the 23rd pick in the draft.* Doubt we've got a future first rounder playing significant minutes on this DL (though I could see Ben Gardner and his motor becoming a 3rd or 4th round pick), so it's tough to port this over for us.

*In fact, to go with "commonalities of teams beating/shutting down Oregon" some more:
Auburn had Nick Fairley, the 13th pick in the draft.
Ohio State had two draft picks in 2010 that played a role in its Rose Bowl win over Oregon, plus Cameron Heyward, who would've been a high draft pick in 2010 but chose to come back in 2011 (he was a first-rounder in '11.)
LSU won't have a first-round pick in 2012, but NFL scouts apparently love their 2013 prospects.

This isn't an absolute necessity--Boise State both beat and shut down Oregon in 2009 with not-so-much talent according to both the NFL draft and recruiting services, and then there's of course us. But then again we beat Oregon without shutting them down. Still, that little anecdata suggests if you want to beat Oregon, you'd better get yourself a good defensive line. (Isn't that right, Jordan Watkins, Luke Kaumatule, and Ikenna Nwafor? Still room in the class for you, Aziz Shittu and Nate Lohn!)

[washingtonismoney]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2J5-wx40G6k

The scheme stuff is all well and good, but the Cal DL stalemating or knocking back the Oregon OL a yard or so on every running play looked to me to be the critical factor. That Cal DL had Cameron Jordan, who ended up as the 23rd pick in the draft.* Doubt we've got a future first rounder playing significant minutes on this DL (though I could see Ben Gardner and his motor becoming a 3rd or 4th round pick), so it's tough to port this over for us.

*In fact, to go with "commonalities of teams beating/shutting down Oregon" some more:
Auburn had Nick Fairley, the 13th pick in the draft.
Ohio State had two draft picks in 2010 that played a role in its Rose Bowl win over Oregon, plus Cameron Heyward, who would've been a high draft pick in 2010 but chose to come back in 2011 (he was a first-rounder in '11.)
LSU won't have a first-round pick in 2012, but NFL scouts apparently love their 2013 prospects.

This isn't an absolute necessity--Boise State both beat and shut down Oregon in 2009 with not-so-much talent according to both the NFL draft and recruiting services, and then there's of course us. But then again we beat Oregon without shutting them down. Still, that little anecdata suggests if you want to beat Oregon, you'd better get yourself a good defensive line. (Isn't that right, Jordan Watkins, Luke Kaumatule, and Ikenna Nwafor? Still room in the class for you, Aziz Shittu and Nate Lohn!)