Once a national title contender, Oregon’s off-field issues means the Ducks will do well to make it to the Rose Bowl. Al Dannity says it is possible to salvage this season.
The schedule
Chip Kelly needs time to fix his quarterback situation and that’s exactly what he’ll get at the start of the season. The Ducks September slate includes visits from New Mexico and Portland State, the latter a FCS team. Road games against Tennessee and Arizona State, two programs with issues all over the field, should prove easy enough for Oregon before the real business gets under way.
Stanford will provide a stiff test on October 2 but the biggest questions will be asked at the back end of the season. The Ducks face USC, Washington, Cal, Arizona, and Oregon State in five weeks that will make or break their season.
The players
Oregon saw six of its players arrested during a tumultuous off-season, most notably quarterback Jeremiah Masoli. The signal caller and receiver Garrett Embry pleaded guilty to misdemeanour burglary charges for an incident at a campus fraternity house in January. This earned the quarterback a suspension for the 2010 season and he was subsequently kicked off the program entirely following a citation for marijuana possession. This leaves Nate Costa and Darron Thomas as possible replacements.
Star running back LaMichael James is also suspended, albeit for only one game, after pleading guilty to a domestic violence charge. For all the off-field issues, this remains a veteran-dominated team. That experience will count for plenty in College Football betting this season.
The forecast
The loss of Masoli and all the other issues mean Oregon drops out of the elite discussion in the preseason. The Ducks still have a strong team, one which should win most of its games, but without the dynamic quarterback it’s impossible to put Oregon in the top 10.
Retaining the Pac-10 title won’t be easy, Oregon will probably lose at least two conference games between October and November. This will leave them in need of a win at Oregon State to claim the Pac-10’s automatic BCS bid. I like Chip Kelly as a coach and, despite the brutal second half to the season, he should be able to keep the Ducks in contention for a Rose Bowl bid entering the Civil War.
While this team has the talent to compete, I can’t quite put Oregon at the top of the Pac-10. Life without Masoli is going to be tough in tight games and with the Civil War in Corvallis this year, I think a second straight conference title is too much to ask. Bet on Oregon to go 9-3 in 2010.
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I wish people would get the facts straight about LaMichael James. He plead guilty to 4th degree physical harassment. He was not involved in a “domestic violence” dispute.
Dannity : Shouldnt you check your facts befor you open your mounth!! LMJ pleaded guilty to harrassment! You jack— in the media make me want to puck,CHECK YOUR FACT BE FOR RUN YOUR STUPID MOUNTH! So since you dont know what you are talking about,try writing about ” WATCHING GRASS GROW!! “GO DUCKS” YELOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!”
Hmmmm. So the Ducks won’t contend for the pacx title cause of a new QB, but you predict the Beavs to win the pacx with a new QB? Do you lnow amything about the teams in the pacx or just what you read on biased blogs. This site is a joke!
I have the Ducks second in the Pac-10 and just one place behind the Beavers nationially, that’s contending and definitely close. If anything it says more about how phenomenal Masoli was for the Ducks and how much Oregon will miss the impact he has on this offense. If Masoli was still there I’d swap the Ducks and Beavers in a heartbeat, he’s not and that makes a difference.
How could you put the beavers in 1st? They also have an unproven quarterback starting this year who had not even started a game. Last year oregon shutdown the jacquizz who had less than 90 yards rushing in the civil war. Canfield is the reason why that game was so close but he is not there anymore.
Fair question mrduckworth, as I was alluding to with my previous point my issue is much more with how Oregon adjusts to life without Masoli than the strides made by the Beavers. Canfield is a loss but the Beavers look better placed to fix their quarterback situation than the Ducks, at least in the short-term. The long-term prognosis for the Ducks is good, very good, as I think Chip Kelly is moving this team in the right direction, but a slight bump down in 2010 before moving forward in 2011 is likely.
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