Rose Bowl 2012: The 5 Strengths and Weaknesses of the Oregon Ducks

The No. 5 Oregon Ducks (11-2, 8-1 Pac-12) take on the No. 10 Wisconsin Badgers (11-2, 6-2 Big Ten) on January 2, 2012 in the annual BCS Rose Bowl game in Pasadena. The Ducks and Badgers both had shots at earning their way to the national title but had a few minor speed bumps that slowed their march to New Orleans.

As the Ducks and Badgers work their way toward the Rose Bowl, both have an opportunity to finish their seasons on the right path and push toward a big beginning to the 2012 season. The Ducks bring a wealth of talent and speed to the game that will prove to be a large advantage over the Wisconsin Badgers.

The Ducks will also face some adversity in the trenches that they are not used to because of the size and athleticism that the Badgers have on the offensive line. How the Ducks react to the size difference will be a large determining factor in their success against the Wisconsin rushing attack.

Looking at the upcoming 2012 Rose Bowl game, here are five strengths and five weaknesses for the Ducks as they look to hand Wisconsin their second consecutive loss in the Rose Bowl.

Team Speed: Strength

The Oregon Ducks are one of the fastest teams in college football. The way that they are able to rack up yards on the ground is due to their ability to find big plays using their speed to beat defenses to the outside or to use misdirection to confuse defenders.

The Ducks will use this speed advantage this week against the Badgers.

The Badgers are a good football team that plays sound assignment football, but in the end when the opponent hits the hole faster than the defender, it doesn’t matter how sound the defenders' assignment was.

Oregon will look to use their speed to their advantage defensively as well. The offensive line for the Badgers is very talented, but if the Ducks can make it past the big bodies before they engage, then the Ducks should have a great shot at slowing the Wisconsin rushing attack.

How Oregon attacks is crucial. If they play hesitantly at the line of scrimmage, the Badgers will have the upper hand and their speed will be neutralized. The Ducks have to play lights out, firing to their assignment without hesitation. That is the only way for the speed to be used to their advantage. 

Lack of Size Up Front: Weakness

The Ducks will be severely outmatched up front on both sides of the ball. The Badgers have large linemen and will look to utilize that size to their advantage. The offensive line for the Badgers averages around the 325-pound range, but that weight is not dead, heavy weight.

These linemen can move.

They are extremely athletic and have the ability to make it to the second level of the defense to open the rushing lanes for the Badgers running backs. It will be a struggle for the Ducks to get off the blocks once they are engaged, so they must attempt to find holes for their linebackers to run through to make it into the backfield.

Wisconsin has a running back that has produced 1,700 rushing yards for a reason.  

The Ducks will also be challenged on their offensive front. They have some very good running backs in the backfield that can find holes and make plays but the Badgers will attempt to close off options with their size on the line. The Ducks will have to use some type of misdirection and sweeps to avoid the downhill aggressiveness that Wisconsin will likely show defensively. 

Multiplicity in Offensive Backfield: Strength

The Oregon Ducks have one of the most talented backfields in the country this season. LaMichael James has continued his phenomenal career with the Ducks with 1,646 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns. He has also averaged 7.4 yards a carry. James dislocated his elbow earlier in the season and had to sit a few games, so his stats are slightly lower than they could have been if he would have stayed healthy.

Kenjon Barner is the second back in line, and Barner has been pretty good himself producing 909 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns. Barner has averaged 6.3 yards a carry this season. His ability to carry the load in James’ absence was huge and shows how deep the Ducks are in the backfield.

Darron Thomas has been a great piece of this backfield as well, as he has been very consistent from the quarterback position for the Ducks. He has passed for 30 touchdowns and only six interceptions while also adding 205 yards rushing and three touchdowns on the ground.

One of Oregon’s best weapons offensively this season has been De’Anthony Thomas. Thomas is a skilled receiver for the Ducks and leads the team in receiving yards with 571, but he is also Oregon’s third leading rusher with 440 yards rushing and five touchdowns.

Oregon has a great ability to build an offense around multiple playmakers and that has shown this season. This backfield is dangerous, and stopping one element simply makes the other three that much better. 

Ball Control: Weakness

The Ducks have not had a real issue with turnovers as they are winning the turnover margin this season. The Ducks have lost one more fumble than they have recovered this season and 12 fumbles lost is a higher number than wanted.

The Ducks have not had an issue with interceptions this year, but a lot of that relies on the fact that the rushing attack has been so consistent. What happens if the Badgers are able to slow the rushing attack of the Ducks and they can force Thomas to pass into a crowded defensive backfield?

The Badgers are very good in the secondary and could look to force Thomas to pass in hopes that he will let one sail off target.

The Ducks cannot allow themselves to take any big hits and lose the football in this game. The Badgers will outweigh the Ducks by quite a bit at the point of attack, and when the Ducks running backs get stuck, they have to grip the football tight. Turnovers will lead to a route.

Fast Attack Offense: Strength

The Oregon Ducks have a huge advantage with their ability to run hurry-up, no-huddle offense. The Badgers will be in good shape and are likely preparing with the intent to face a no-huddle spread from the Ducks.

No matter how the Badgers prepare however, the Ducks will have the advantage.

There is no substitution for real experience, and the Badgers simply do not have the ability to mimic the effectiveness of the Oregon offense. Wisconsin will hope to use their offense to keep control of the clock and keep Oregon’s playmakers off of the field, but once Oregon does get the chance they will make the most of the opportunity.

Oregon will look to keep the Wisconsin defense on their heels so that when the game draws to a close they will have the conditioning advantage. The Ducks will battle Wisconsin’s attempt to force them from a rhythm, but that task is not likely to happen. It doesn’t take much for the Ducks to get rolling.

Mismatch on the Outside: Weakness

The Ducks will face a very talented core group of receivers when they go against Wisconsin this coming Monday. The Ducks will have a handful as they try and slow down Nick Toon and Jared Abbrederis on the outside, as they are likely outmatched defensively.

The Ducks lost All-American hopeful Cliff Harris to indefinite suspension this season but have made up for the loss quite well. The Ducks are still very young at the core, however, and have the tendency to play themselves out of position from time to time.

If Toon or Abbrederis find the Ducks out of position, they will make them pay greatly. With Russell Wilson throwing to these skilled receivers, there aren’t many passes that will fall incomplete. This will be a huge challenge for the Ducks, and it may be one they end up losing in this game. 

Game Changing Playmakers: Strength

One of the weaknesses of both of these defenses is the big play. Oregon has that to their advantage. The Ducks have a wealth of big playmakers that could give the Badgers fits, and they will likely utilize them all this coming Monday.

Getting guys open in space is when the Ducks are most dangerous, and the Badgers have shown that they have a propensity to give up the big play. If Oregon can find open space with sweeps and wheel routes, then they will have a very successful day against the Badgers. 

No. 46 Rushing Defense vs. No. 11 Rushing Offense: Weakness

The Oregon defense will face off against one of the best running backs in the country this week when Montee Ball carries for the Badgers in Pasadena. The Ducks have been very mediocre at stopping the run this season, and this week it will be a huge test for the Oregon front seven.

If Wisconsin is able to control the clock and push the Ducks around, it will likely finish as a Badgers win, and the Ducks will end up looking silly defensively. The Ducks must find a way to plug the holes that the Badgers offensive line will drill and ensure that the secondary is prepared to make tackles in space.

The Ducks can’t afford to have a missed assignment, or Montee Ball will make the Ducks pay. He has a knack for finding space, and the Ducks will be out-manned once he hits the secondary. Oregon must fly to the football allowing for multiple hits on the ball carrier if they want to slow the Wisconsin rushing attack.

Speed Blitz: Strength

The Oregon defense has been successful finding their way into the backfields of opposing teams by bringing a lot of multiplicity to their blitz packages. The Ducks have a wealth of speed on defense, and bringing linebackers and defensive backs from various positions will keep the Badgers from finding a rhythm and could force big plays for the defense.

This could be a huge advantage for the Ducks as they could beat the Badgers to the point of attack using their speedy defense. The Ducks are very good at finding holes in the offensive scheme as well making it to the ball carrier faster than expected. 

Kicking Game: Weakness

Let’s face it, defense may win championships, but the kicking game will surely lose them for you. The Ducks have struggled in the kicking game this season and have lost games because of their inefficiencies. Their starting kicker is hitting a whopping 54.5 percent of his kicks.

The Ducks will face off against a Wisconsin team that will look to control the clock and, if necessary, force the game into a special teams battle. The Ducks do not want the game to come down to the wire because they do not have a reliable kicking game.

This is the biggest Achilles' heel for the Ducks and could make the difference in the game. What a disaster it would be for the Ducks to lose another big game this season because of the kicking game.