Oregon Football: The Ins and Outs, Highs and Lows of the 2012 Schedule

While most teams have already finished spring practice and their spring game, the Oregon Ducks will host theirs this weekend. Then, once all of the hoopla is out of the way, it'll be time to focus on everything leading up to the regular season.

Once again the Ducks enter this season as contenders for the Pac-12 title and possibly the national championship. They return 14 starters, including eight on the defensive side of the ball, and have playmakers all over this offense. They also have a schedule that shouldn't worry many Duck fans, especially with all of the talent on this roster.

But, of course, they have to play the games before we just give them another Pac-12 title.

With the regular season inching closer with each passing day, here is your 2012 Oregon Ducks complete schedule breakdown.

Easiest Game

The easiest game for the Ducks this season is by far against Tennessee Tech. When your ESPN page looks like this, it's pretty obvious you're not exactly a big school and sure won't be able to hang with the big boys in Eugene. The NCAA should just reward the Ducks with the victory and have the Ducks write the check now to save both teams the trouble.

Toughest Game

Oregon and USC are by far the top two teams in the Pac-12, so of course this is the toughest game for both programs. The Trojans have more than enough offense to keep up with the Ducks' high-scoring attack, and they have a defense that isn't too shabby either.

The game is also taking place in the Coliseum, which means the Ducks will have to win on the road. These two schools are loaded with equal talent, and with BCS implications involved, it should be a game that every college football fan will have their eyes on.

Potential Blowout

Arkansas State head coach Gus Malzahn is an offensive genius and could possibly turn the Red Wolves into something if he stays in the Sun Belt long enough. But being a great coach and having the talent to put the plan into action are two completely different things. And I'll go out on a limb and say his team isn't nearly as skilled as the Ducks are.

The first game of the season for Oregon will end in blowout fashion.

Potential for Disaster

The Ducks have won the last two games against the Cardinal when they had Andrew Luck, so playing against them without him should be a walk in the park. But don't sleep on Stanford just yet. They still have a great running back in Stepfan Taylor, a great recruiting class coming in and a solid defensive unit that returns eight starters from a year ago.

Sure, they lack playmakers on offense that won't be able to respond if the Oregon's offense gets going. But their front seven is a pretty solid group of players that could slow things down and make things interesting. With this being the second-to-last game for Oregon, a loss here could shatter any dreams the Ducks had for themselves. 

Most Intriguing Matchup

The Pac-12 is really watered down, and the only two teams to really pay attention to this season are Oregon and USC. It was the first game both teams looked for on the schedule, and it'll likely be the only Pac-12 conference game that every college football fan will be watching.

We could talk about this matchup all day long, but we'll begin doing that when we're no longer seven months away from it taking place.

This game should feature a ton of fireworks, will cause a shakeup in the rankings and, if we're lucky enough, we'll see a rematch in the Pac-12 championship.

Trap Game

Oregon has beaten the Washington State Cougars seven of the last eight times they've met, but a trip to CenturyLink Field won't be easy as you may think. Quarterback Connor Halliday showed bright spots in limited playing time his freshman year, and he should improve under head coach and offensive guru Mike Leach.

The defense was terrible last season, but should be improved considering they return nine starters on that side of the ball.

Maybe I'm grasping at straws at this point, but the Ducks can't get caught looking ahead on the road when they play a potential upset the very next week. (We'll get to that soon.)

Rivalry Game Prediction

This is one of the few rivalry games that doesn't need much of a breakdown. Oregon State has fallen off the face of the earth the last couple of seasons and shows no signs of coming back anytime soon. Its defense was terrible, it struggled to score points and couldn't run the ball to save its life.

Quarterback Sean Mannion looked good for a freshman, but he's not nearly enough to beat the Ducks on his own.

It was just a few years ago when this rivalry would go back-and-forth, but those times have changed drastically. Until I see improvement from the Beavers, I will continue to pick the Ducks.

Oregon wins: 45-17

Upset Special

In order to upset the Ducks, a team is going to need a lot of offense. The Washington Huskies have that potential in quarterback Keith Price leading the way. He played out of his mind last season, completing 66 percent of his passes and throwing for 33 touchdowns. He has the makeup of somebody who can take over a game and lead his team to victory.

Now, the defense was atrocious, but returning seven starters should have them improved a little bit. The Huskies also have a loaded recruiting class coming in that could make things interesting on both sides of the ball. 

Besides the game against USC, Washington is a team that could really put an end to the Ducks' hopes and dreams in 2012.

Heisman Highlight Game

With running back LaMichael James preparing for the NFL draft, it's going to be interesting to see how De'Anthony Thomas is going to be used in this offense. Will he be primarily a running back? Will be used more in the slot? I'm sure had coach Chip Kelly will find many creative ways to give arguably the fastest guy in college football the ball.

His Heisman moment will have to come against USC. Again, it's the game that everybody will be watching and is by far the biggest stage for the Ducks this season. In last year's game against the Trojans, Thomas was held in check, finishing with just 52 total yards and one touchdown.

A big performance this season will likely earn him a trip to New York.

Must-Win Game

Do I really have to keep explaining how big this game is?

Both the Trojans and Ducks' seasons will come down to this game right here for the most part. They'll likely square off as undefeated teams, and the winner really takes a huge step towards the Pac-12 title and a possible national championship berth. Lose, and, well, you put yourself in a hole with only a few games left in the year.

This is the definition of a must-win game, and the Ducks can't come up short if they want to return to the national championship.