Oregon Football: Christmas in July; 5 Things Duck Fans Have on Their List

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With less than a month between fans and the start of fall camp, this will be a tough month to wait things out but is a part of the reality of every summer.

As the Ducks continue to wait for their practices to commence in August, people continue to wonder how the Ducks will adjust to the loss of LaMichael James and Darron Thomas. While fans wait, they also continue to get their hopes up about how the 2012 season will go.

Now that we are under two months away from the beginning of the season, here are five things that Ducks fans are hoping they will see during the upcoming season. 

Joe Penkala is a B/R National Featured Columnist who covers college football. You can contact him @joepenkala.

Chip Kelly

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During this offseason, Duck fans got a glimpse of how they would feel about life without Chip Kelly and needless to say, most people did not like how they felt. When Kelly almost put pen to paper and to sign with Tampa Bay, fans truly understood how much this coach meant to the program.

The first gift that Duck fans would love to have is the ability to know that Kelly will be around for years to come. 

Return of Josh Huff

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In his first season with the Ducks, Josh Huff came in and made a huge impact on the team both in the running and passing games. 

With high expectations, Josh Huff took a huge step back last year as an injury in the spring seemed to stick around all year and cause his effectiveness to be limited.

This year, Duck fans are hoping that Huff can get things turned around, starting with clearing up his off-the-field issues. 

Clear the Air

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For months, things have remained relatively quiet in regards to the Ducks' recruiting issues. 

Last year, a story broke about the amount of money and individuals that Oregon was using for their recruiting services. Since then, not a whole lot has come of the investigation, but fans know the NCAA is still looking in to things.

A nice way to start the year would be for the Ducks to be either cleared of the investigation or face minimal penalties and move on. 

A Win over USC

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Last year the Ducks seemed to sleepwalk through the first half of their home game against the Trojans and watched their comeback fall three points short on a missed field goal at the end of regulation.

This year, the Ducks head out on the road to take on the Trojans and will be going up against Matt Barkley in his senior season. 

With a win in this game, the Ducks would likely earn home field advantage in the Pac-12 title game and draw one step closer to the ultimate prize. 

A National Championship

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In the three years that Chip Kelly has been coach, the Ducks have gone to the Rose Bowl and lost, gone to the national title game and lost and finally went back to the Rose Bowl and won.

Duck fans are hoping that the pattern continues, which would have the Ducks returning to the national title game and winning. 

If the Ducks can find a answer at quarterback and get past their road test against USC, this gift may not be out of the question for Oregon.