Is This Oregon's Year?

By Camden Joiner on September 16, 2014

The Oregon Ducks came up just short in the 2011 National Championship Game, losing by a last second field goal to Cam Newton and the Auburn Tigers.

Since then the Ducks have remained successful, but still have yet to win a national title. This year’s squad is off to a hot start, however, and quarterback Marcus Mariota might be the best college player in the country.

Oregon’s talent and veteran leadership puts them in prime position for a title run, but there’s just a few obstacles in their way.

Image via bleacherreport.com

9/20 @ Washington State

This weekend Oregon has their first road test against the Washington State Cougars. Mike Leach has shifted the Cougars to a pass-heavy offense, but Oregon’s talented secondary should hold up nicely. The Ducks should handle the Cougars with ease, despite being away from home.

As for the defensive side of the ball, the Cougars leave a lot to be desired and will struggle heavily against the high powered Ducks’ offense. The game will kick off this Saturday at 10:30 EST on ESPN.

10/2 vs Arizona

Oregon fans certainly have this game circled as one to watch. Last season the Arizona Wildcats upset Oregon in devastating fashion 42-16. The Ducks will return home looking for vengeance after last season’s embarrassing loss.

The Wildcats’ quarterback controversy still rages on but the Ducks have full confidence in their QB1. I think that makes all the difference and the Ducks get a big win in Eugene. This game will also be at 10:30 EST on ESPN.

10/11 @ UCLA

Two of the best quarterbacks in the nation will face off in what is gearing up to be a shootout. The Ducks will have to travel to Los Angeles to face Brett Hundley and the Bruins. This is certainly Oregon’s toughest road test of the season as the Bruins are one of the most talented teams not just in the PAC-12, but in the nation.

Brett Hundley’s health could be an issue for the Bruins after going down vs Texas, but regardless I don’t think that UCLA, even with Hundley, could keep up with Mariota and the Ducks’ offense.

Image via bleacherreport.com

10/18 vs Washington

This match-up is a difficult one to predict. The new head coach of Washington, Chris Petersen, has the Huskies at a perfect 3-0 to start the season. But with three games against weaker competition, the full aptitude of the Huskies is hard to gauge.

Petersen is one of the most talented coaches in college ball, but Washington simply doesn’t have the on-field talent to really give Oregon a run. This Washington-Oregon match-up will really be one to watch, just a few more years down the road.

10/24 @ Cal

No road game should be predetermined as a win, but there is an exception to every rule. The Golden Bears lost every game but one last season and a seven point victory against Portland State at that. Mariota should pad the stats as Oregon will easily run through Cal. This one is already all over but the crying.

11/1 vs Stanford

The Oregon Ducks are famous for bright uniforms, fast-paced offenses, and losing to the Stanford Cardinal. Marcus Mariota has never beaten the Cardinal as a starter and the same goes for most of the Ducks team.

However, Stanford looks shaky so far this season, losing an early game to the USC Trojans. Oregon fans will always sweat this match-up, but I think Mariota has his Heisman moment in a win over Stanford.

11/8 @ Utah

The Utes QB Travis Wilson certainly has the arm to keep Utah competitive, just not against the PAC-12 elite. Utah fans will show up loud and proud when the Ducks come to town, but this should bode as an easy win for Oregon. The Utes simply don’t have the talent on defense to slow down the quack attack.

11/22 vs Colorado

Colorado is right up there with Cal as the worst team in the PAC-12. The Ducks’ B-team should get some work in as this one is already in the bag. The poor Buffaloes even lost by two touchdowns to in-state rival Colorado State in week 1.

11/29 @ Oregon State

Last year Oregon came out as the victor in the game called the “Civil War,” but only by one point. This year the Ducks travel to Corvallis to face the Beavers in what usually makes for a heated showdown. Close games aside, Oregon State hasn’t actually won this game since 2007 and this year should make for more of the same.

Image via axs.com

Conference Championship

A few teams could emerge from the South division to face Oregon in the PAC-12 Championship Game including USC, Arizona State and UCLA. USC however is coming off of an upset defeat against Boston College and Arizona State’s defense will struggle heavily against the speedy offense of the Ducks.

Oregon hasn’t won this game since 2011 after losing out the North division to Stanford the last two seasons, but this year’s group might be even more talented than the 2011 squad. The PAC-12 Championship is for the Ducks’ taking.

Playoffs

It’s still early in the season which means the teams that will eventually make the College Football Playoff are still up in the air. However, after handily defeating Big 10 front-runner Michigan State, the Ducks are very confident about non-conference play. I think the Ducks could beat any Playoff team not in the SEC, including this year’s Florida State Seminoles.

However, the Ducks will surely have to beat an SEC team at some point to claim the NCAA Football Crown and it could be versus Alabama, Auburn, or Texas A&M. The Ducks offense was shut down in the title game vs a SEC defense, scoring just 19 points. I think Oregon could definitely beat this year’s Auburn squad and Texas A&M doesn’t have the defense to slow down Mariota.

However, Alabama certainly boasts a defense that could cut anyone down, including Oregon. As for the winner of a potential Oregon-Alabama match-up, I think this game is truly a toss up. But if you ask me, I have my money on the Ducks.

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