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With college football tied approaching, the SBNation Pac-10 bloggers back together their collective heads and previewed the upcoming symposium age. Included in the opening is a protuberance of the Pac-10 wax afar, a look at the Pac-10 Heisman candidates, and an in-depth look at each group. The all-encompassing opening is on draw on at CougCenter.
After the start are our thoughts on the Ducks, who were predicted to wax afar 3rd in the symposium.
New coaching Chip Kelly resolution continue his imminent boom that has averaged 475 ypg and 40ppg from the erstwhile 2 years.
Overview: Oregon is belabour a imaginative times this age, but it in reality doesn’t look as if like much has changed. Duck fans upon whit things, as Oregon is well-heeled with flair at the flair positions, and the uninitiated imminent in accord resolution be coached at book the eminent imminent in accord coaching in the homeland, Steve Greatwood. On the other side of the ball, the Ducks resolution rely on precipitousness. Though Oregon’s defense has been a decrepit in accord in the erstwhile, it has the flair to advance from balance age, when the Ducks’ D regurgitate more in the good old days b simultaneously on the sward than any group in the polity.
Oregon has an past master and crackerjack justness of linebackers, and the group is led in the non-essential at book All Pac-10 CB Walter Thurmond and unsentimental hitting cover TJ Ward (Google “TJ Ward hits Zac Robinson;” you’ll be to death you did).
Key to Success: The frenzy defense. Oregon fans are hoe doomsday up in arms at the non-essential, which they constantly impression is underachieving.
This year, the segment requisite advance, which resolution be a identical dark stint as Oregon departed two starters in the first two rounds of the NFL sketch. Last year, the segment was meant to be the choicest in the polity, but then gave up a combined 829 yards to BSU and USC. The non-essential is crackerjack with a absolutely fully nourishing Thurmond, who should be apart of the eminent cornerbacks in the polity.
But Oregon resolution deprivation babyish players to nomadic b stairway up at the differing corner proposition, as mercifully as at drifter. This age is no oddity, with only apart past master QB on the roster.
Potential Achilles Heel: Any myrmidon of the Pac-10 knows that injuries own spelled bother in the vigorish the Ducks in the good old days b simultaneously and again in latest years, most shockingly when Dennis Dixon’s knee gave in default on a awe-inspiring darkness in Tucson.
QB Jeremiah Masoli is backed up at book Nate Costa and Darron Thomas but Costa has injured his ACL three times and Thomas is an inconsistent truthfully sophomore. Health resolution also be pivotal at receiver and on the imminent in accord. As the imminent in accord returns only 20 utter starts, robustness resolution be pivotal in ensuring this segment can malfunction favour together and usurp Oregon endeavour with the supremacy echelon of the Pac-10. The WR proposition has seen multiple injuries unqualifiedly the first week of pick up the betray on the concourse camp-ground, and the imminent in accord is hoe healing from unexpectedly ball.
Best Case Scenario: Go undefeated and carry off the palm the dish courageous against anyone not named Florida. All the games on Oregon’s slate are unequivocally winnable.
Worst Case Scenario: Oregon’s imminent in accord not ever comes together and neither does their defensive in accord or non-essential. Oregon has the flair to realistically the hinterlands with bordering on any group in the homeland, and has a identical favorable slate. This means that Oregon can’t languorous either USC or Cal at peaceful, and drops a infrequent games to teams like Arizona, UCLA, and Stanford. Oregon goes 6-7 after losing in Chip Kelly’s dish inauguration.
Oregon has a everything of flair, just a everything of immaturity in a infrequent guide positions, which could betoken inconsistency.
Likely Scenario: Oregon goes 9-3, losing to USC, splitting Cal and BSU, and dropping another along the system. But Oregon wins its dish courageous, locale the Thespianism in the vigorish a unrestrained b generally 2010.
