2014 College Football Picks and Predictions: Oregon Ducks Season Preview

2014 College Football Picks and Predictions: Oregon Ducks Season Preview: In 2013, the Ducks and their high-powered offense were steamrolling their way through the competition and appeared poised to finally return to the BCS title game. However, a knee injury to quarterback Marcus Mariota hobbled the Heisman hopeful, and Stanford humbled the Ducks’ offense to end Oregon’s undefeated season. A few weeks later, any chance the Ducks had of sneaking back into the national title picture ended with an ugly loss to Arizona. Oregon rebounded to route Texas in the Alamo Bowl, and while an 11-2 season is great for most programs, the Ducks have no doubt come to expect for in their recent run of dominance. Expectations are high once again heading into 2014, and with the BCS system being replaced by a four-team playoff, the question becomes if Oregon is one of the teams that will take advantage.

The Good News:

Mariota decided to forgo the NFL Draft and return to school, and the dual-threat QB will enter the year as a Heisman frontrunner and the engine that drives one of the most explosive offenses in the country. Mariota is one of nine starters back from a team that ranked in the top five nationally in scoring and yards per game a year ago. The Ducks also welcome back four starters on the offensive line and the running back tandem of Byron Marshall and Thomas Tyner. The cupboard isn’t empty on the defensive side of the ball either. Defensive ends DeForest Buckner and Tony Washington should head a nasty pass rush, and leading tackler Derrick Malone is back to anchor the linebackers. In the secondary, corner Ifo Ekpre-Olomu is probably the best player at his position in the country.

The Bad News:

As loaded as the Ducks are on offense, Mariota will be breaking in a completely revamped receiving corps after losing Josh Huff to the NFL and Bralon Addison to a knee injury. More importantly, Mariota’s dual-threat ability is both a blessing and a curse. He makes the Oregon offense special because he can torch defenses with his arm and his legs, but scrambling around also puts him at an increased risk of injury. Last year, the Ducks simply weren’t the same team when Mariota was not 100 percent. The other concern is that while Ekpre-Olomu is an elite corner, the rest of the secondary is relatively inexperienced. Opponents will simply avoid Ekpre-Olomu until the rest of the unit can prove it can play. Last but not least, Oregon has one of the tougher out-of-conference games of any team when it plays Michigan State on September 6.

Outlook:

With Mariota at the helm, Oregon’s offense could easily be the best in the country, and the defense is a lot better than it gets credit for, as well. The Ducks have shown year after year that they can simply outscore a majority of their Pac-12 opponents, and this year’s group has no shortage of offensive firepower. A road game against UCLA could be tough, but Oregon routed the Bruins last year. Yes, Stanford has owned the Ducks lately, but Oregon gets the Cardinal at home this year, and while Stanford still has plenty of talent, the Cardinal appear to be just a bit weaker than they have been the past few seasons. Meanwhile, the Ducks dodge USC and face Washington at home, and catching the Spartans, who are retooling a bit on defense, early in the season should give the Ducks an edge in that matchup, as well. Add it all up, and the groundwork for an undefeated regular season is in place. As long as Mariota stays healthy, the Ducks probably won’t lose.

Prediction: 12-0, Pac-12 North Division Champions