Oregon Football: 5 Worst-Case Scenarios for the 2012 Season

While we sit around waiting for the 2012 season to finally get started, most Ducks fans will start to think about the upcoming season, and it is only natural that they start to think about all the great things that could happen.

As we have learned under Chip Kelly, a lot of great things can happen, but the door is still open for some slips along the way.

Here is a look at five of the worst-case scenarios for the upcoming 2012 season. 

De'Anthony Thomas Suffers a Significant Injury

Despite the loss of LaMichael James and the lack of depth, the Ducks have shown at wide receiver that De'Anthony Thomas is one player who can solve both holes. 

With Kenjon Barner in the backfield taking the majority of the carries, Thomas can split out wide, and both contribute in the running game and also be the speed option for the Ducks in the receiving game. If the Ducks were to lose Thomas, the options at running back would become extremely thin, and the production out of the slot would be hurt as well.

Neither Quarterback Works out

Everyone is sitting around debating who the starting quarterback will be. Will it be Bryan Bennett? Will it be Marcus Mariota? While everyone is quite confident that the winner of this battle will do a good job for the Ducks, what if both turn out to be duds? 

The Oregon offense doesn't put a ton of pressure on the quarterback but does lean on them to lead the offense. If neither quarterback is able to rise to the challenge, then this year will be a disaster. 

The Receivers Do Not Improve

One of the biggest musts for the upcoming season is that the Ducks get some production from their wideouts. Oregon does not need its receivers to put up huge numbers, but instead it needs them to block and then run good routes when they turn to the air. 

If the receivers are unable to make life easier for the new quarterback, defenses will pin their ears back against the running game and force the Ducks to win through the air. 

Ducks Lose to Huskies or Beavers or Both

Over the past few seasons, the Ducks have enjoyed their competition with their northwest neighbors as they have now won eight straight against the Huskies and four straight against the Beavers.

This yearly ritual has become fun for Duck fans, and if Oregon was to lose one or (forgive me for saying this) both, then the season would be an almost certain failure. 

Oregon Gets Shelled by USC—Twice

Over the past three years, Oregon has asserted itself as king of the conference. USC lost that spot in 2009, and then with sanctions holding down its program, it has failed to regain that place over the past two years.

USC is now out of its postseason ban and ready to get after not only the conference crown but the national title. 

This year, the Ducks look to validate what they have built by beating a Trojan team who now have the restrictions lifted.

Losing to the Trojans once on the road would be bad, but if the Ducks got a rematch and got waxed by them again, it could signal that the Ducks were only keeping the Trojans' spot warm.