LaMichael James Injury: Update on Oregon Star's Status

Of all the terrible things that could happen to the Oregon Ducks, a major injury to superstar running back LaMichael James is right at the top.

Unfortunately, it looked like that's exactly what happened during the Ducks' win over the Cal Bears Thursday night. On a goal-line carry early on in the fourth quarter, James went down awkwardly on his right arm, and it bent in a way arms are not supposed to bend.

ESPN's Jenn Brown reported during the game that Oregon would not reveal any official details about James' injury, but she did report that he was taken directly to the school's athletic facility for further examination.

After the game, The Oregonian's John Canzano reported some good news about James' injury via Twitter:

How This Changes Heisman Watch

LaMichael James' injury has the potential to have a huge impact on the Heisman race. He was a finalist for the award last year, and he was well on his way to having another Heisman-worthy campaign this year.  

To give you an idea, James was enjoying his third straight 200-yard game against Cal. He had 239 yards rushing at the time of his injury, upping his rushing total to 852 yards on the season. That number is good enough for tops in the country at the moment.

The longer James is out, the further he will fall out of the Heisman race.

Immediate Impact on Rankings

Oregon was able to finish off Cal by the final of 43-15, so the Ducks are not about to lose their hold on the No. 9 spot in the AP poll. However, you have to think that the odds of them holding on to that spot or moving up in the rankings without James are slim. 

Bowl Devastation Scale

Until further notice, the Ducks are still in the BCS hunt. What we don't know is how effective their high-powered offense is going to be without James. Without him, the Ducks could quickly fall out of the BCS picture. 

Timeline for Return

Oregon hasn't made any official yet, but Canzano made it sound like James was downplaying his injury. He also tweeted this a short while later:

"Unreal" is as good a word as any. James' injury looked bad enough to make one wonder if his season was done. Instead, it sounds like he may miss no time at all.

Stay tuned for further updates on Friday.