Oregon Football 2012: 7 Things That Will Be Different from Last Year

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that there haven't been many college football teams in recent years that have lost their starting quarterback, their star running back, their top wide receiver and four of their top seven tacklers and then gone on to compete for a national championship the following season. 

Just because the odds seemed stacked against Oregon this year, though, that doesn't mean that you should count out the Ducks, as this is still a team that has plenty of talent, and most importantly plenty of speed, returning to the fold for the 2012 season. 

Under Chip Kelly's watch, the Ducks have flown by the competition and they've gone on a truly remarkable three-year run. 

If they want to keep their streak of success going, however, Oregon will have to adapt to changes this offseason, just like every other team in college football.

With so much personnel turnover in key areas, the Ducks will certainly look like a different team, and they'll have a whole new set of circumstances to deal with this season, so here's a look at the major differences between Oregon's 2011 season and its upcoming campaign. 

1. Oregon Will Not Enter the Season as the Favorite to Win the Pac-12

Since Chip Kelly took over as head coach at Oregon back before the 2009 season, the Ducks have managed to go 34-6, win three straight conference championships and make it to three straight BCS bowl games. 

Given all that recent success, you would figure that Oregon would enter the 2012 season as the favorite to repeat as league champions, as they've been the undisputed preseason favorite each of the past two years. However, instead, it will be conference counterpart, the USC Trojans, who will be garnering all of the national attention this summer. 

That's just fine with Kelly and his players, though, as that should give them even more motivation to knock off the Trojans this season. 

2. No Big Non-Conference Opponents

Over the past few years, Oregon has usually played one notable non-conference opponent early in the season before conference play gets underway. 

Last year, the Ducks started off the season against LSU at Cowboys Stadium, the year before that they traveled down to SEC country to square off with Tennessee, then there was the two matchups with Boise State, and of course the blow out at the Big House against Michigan back in 2007. 

This season, though, the Ducks won't be playing any big-name non-conference foes, as Arkansas State, Fresno State and Tennessee Tech are the only non-Pac-12 teams on this year's slate. 

Arkansas State and Fresno State are both respectable non-BCS teams, but neither of them will likely be able to hang with Oregon, and beating them handily probably won't mean too much to pollsters.

3. The Offense Will Have a New General

I know hindsight is always 20-20, but you do really have to wonder just how much Darron Thomas now regrets leaving Oregon, given the fact that he went undrafted in the 2012 NFL draft.

Instead of leading a national title contender this fall, Thomas' best case scenario is now landing on an NFL team's practice squad. 

Thomas' departure has now created a big hole in Oregon's offense that needs to be filled this offseason. Competing to fill it will be two young signal-callers, sophomore Bryan Bennett and redshirt freshman Marcus Mariota. 

Bennett may have been the one who got the chance to get some actual game experience last season, but most reports out of Eugene seemed to indicate that Mariota was the one who had the more impressive spring. 

Both quarterbacks have the skill-set to flourish in Oregon's spread offense, and it will ultimately be very interesting to see who ends up leading the offense in 2012.

My money's on Mariota. 

4. Kenjon Barner Will Get His Chance to Be a Featured Back

For the past three years, Kenjon Barner has had to play second fiddle to star running back LaMichael James, but now that James has moved on to the NFL, Barner will finally have his opportunity to shine in 2012. 

During his three years on the field in Eugene, Barner has totaled over 2,100 yards of total offense and scored 27 total touchdowns, even though he's had to defer most of the carries to James. 

The 5'11'', 195-pound senior has the type of game-breaking speed, instincts and vision to reel off the same type of home-run plays that we became accustomed to seeing from James in recent seasons, and he seems to be built to excel in Oregon's spread offensive attack. 

Barner will team back up with equally explosive running back De'Anthony Thomas to give Oregon one of the most dangerous backfield tandems in the country for the 2012 season. 

5. Boseko Lokombo Will Be the Defense’s Biggest Breakout Star

Last year, Oregon's defense featured two breakout stars—DE Dion Jordan and LB Michael Clay, who both stepped up their games and became impact defenders.

This year, Jordan, Clay and veteran safety John Boyett will be the three faces of the Ducks D, but there could be another potential breakout star who's ready to emerge in 2012, and that's outside linebacker Boseko Lokombo. 

Lokombo is one of the most athletic and instinctive linebackers in all of college football, and he'll finally have the chance to prove his worth as a starter this season. 

The 6'3'', 225-pound junior racked up 33 tackles and two sacks, broke up five passes, returned two interceptions for touchdowns as well as a blocked punt for a touchdown in 2011. 

Michael Clay may be the leader of the linebacker corps this season, but Lokombo should emerge this year as a dominant force as well. 

6. Josh Huff Will Finally Emerge as a Go-to Receiver

Junior WR Josh Huff has shown flashes of tremendous promise and potential during his first two seasons at Oregon. However, there have also been plenty of times when he's disappeared from the offense completely for long stretches at a time. 

Huff has caught 50 passes for 733 yards and five touchdowns over the last two years.

Still, he's yet to emerge as the team's top receiving weapon, even though he's fully capable. 

Since Oregon lost both wide receiver Lavasier Tuinei and tight David Paulson, the Ducks are going to need a receiver to emerge and become a reliable target for whoever ends up as the team's new quarterback. 

If Huff can stay fully healthy and focused in 2012, he's got the chance to really make a name for himself in the Pac-12 this season. 

7. The Ducks Will Have to Battle USC in Los Angeles

This year, there seems to be one Pac-12 game in particular that college football fans have circled on their calendar, and it's the showdown between Oregon and USC on Nov. 3. 

Both teams will enter the season ranked in the top 10, and there's a strong chance that both squads could be undefeated and still right in the thick of the national title hunt when the game finally rolls around.

These are the conference's two premier powerhouse programs, and this year's contest has all of the makings to be one of the most exciting and entertaining games of the 2012 season. 

Last year's 38-35 defeat in Eugene is something that Oregon players and coaches surely haven't forgotten about, but nevertheless, getting revenge won't be easy, especially since the Ducks will have to go into the unfriendly confines of the Los Angeles Coliseum to get their payback.