If I'm Cristobal, there are pros and cons for leaving. Taggart already did a great job exhibiting the pros: A sub-par coach whose main assets are enthusiasm and salesmanship is able to come and and shift the mood and culture of a team with great players but lost mojo such that they start winning again. He gets credit for the turnaround and converts it into a $30 million deal from another team desperate enough. Cristobal could follow the same template, especially if he sees a drop-off at Oregon next year after so many Helfrich recruits graduate. This would definitely be the offseason to do this.

On the other hand, Cristobal is making inroads in recruiting on the West Coast while other teams like USC are down. If he thinks he can keep it going, he might just leverage other offers into a bigger contract at Oregon. The good news is that there is very little risk in negotiating with other teams, since Oregon will always be ready to take him back, probably at a higher salary.

Cristobal is ok but i'm not sure if he's at the level for other big time programs to really come knocking on the door imo. We all saw some questionable game calls (timeout after a timeout yesterday?!?!?!) that would be more impactful on a bigger stage. His make or break year is really going to next season:
- Find his own QB (and develop him)
- Find his own OL players
^ that's pretty much going to determine the offense next year

On the recruiting front, he'll have ~2 cycles (counting this one, excluding his first class) but I still think he's missing a few pieces that will make this team elite:
- elite QB (TBD next season)
- bruising RB (for the system he wants to implement)
- elite DL players (generate pressure ie. lack of pressure vs WSU and Washington)

Don't get me wrong I like Cristobal a lot and he has certainly taken this program in the right direction. Just a few pointers on how I think we could get to the next level

I have said in the recruiting threads that if want to get to elite level we need that from the running backs. We don't have an elite level running back. I am not sure why they are not pursuing them. He knows from being at Alabama they had very talented running backs. That is missing here at Oregon. Part of what made Oregon so dangerous with Mariota is he could beat you throwing,,, he could hand off and the running game could beat ya. If focus on the running back then Mariota could take off and run.

FSU and Mario is never going to happen. That’s a non starter.

USC is very doubtful. They have their eyes set on either Urban Meyer or James Franklin.

The only college jobs I could see Mario leaving for are Miami and Alabama. And when Saban retires I’m willing to bet that Dabo takes that job for the most insane salary imaginable. Miami just hired Diaz this year, he’s got at least two more years - probably more because the ACC is such crap he should be able to finish with decent records.

To sum it up: I strongly doubt Mario leaves any time soon.

I'm not saying he's elite by any means, but I think shough could potentially be better than herbert. From the little we've seen he shows a lot of confidence in the pocket, throws a good ball, so and seems to know what it takes to be a leader. I mean, did you see that block he went after last night? That being said, running backs are a huge concern

Mario had a chance to go to Miami this off-season. He said noz

Rumor is that Bob Stoops will be offered the job. Sounds like he was there all day today.

He loves impacting impressionable, teachable young men. The NFL just wouldn't be the same.

It sounds like that is a bogus rumor. I think a burned out Stoops would struggle returning to College Football.

Tallahassee TV stations are reporting Bob Stoops is almost a done deal. Apparently negotiations were going on before Slick Willie was ousted. Some reports say Jim Leavitt will be DC with Kendal Briles as HC in waiting.

I think Mario feels very comfortable at Oregon and truly sees it as a top-10 job.

I don't yet think he's at the level of candidacy to attract a job from the real Blue Bloods, but let's say in 2 years Oregon is rolling and Mario is a super hot commodity, I think maybe Miami or Bama would lure him in but I really think, in his mind, that outside of Bama, all the other jobs are on the same level and not a step up.

(TL:DR Mario is the kind of guy who wants to beat Saban, not replace him.)

Here's why I don't think Cristobal wants the Bama job were it to come up, especially because it would mean he's had wild success in Eugene: Bear Bryant and Nick Saban. Every time he looks at hounds-tooth, that's Bear Bryant. Here he's got Chip, Mike and Rich who collectively aren't worth 1 of those guys and even if he gets close to equaling what either of them have done, he'll never get the same level of respect and credit and certainly not the type he'd have for pushing Oregon over the top and keeping us there. He's about to become the biggest name of the West Coast as we keep it up.

He has a family and there is another value for a Coach in giving them stability at a place where he has every luxury given to him and without the same kind of pressure that you have in the SEC. Let's not overlook the fact that he came to Oregon from Alabama to be an Assistant Coach (even if it came with glorified titles) and that means that after years of being at Bama he saw something in our program from afar to make that move.

In 2012 Mario was expected to replace Greg Schiano at Rutgers. Although the Scarlett Knights job would have been a step up he remained at FIU. I think MC has a sense of loyalty that is uncommon in the coaching profession.