Oregon Football: Ducks Fall Camp Starts; New Challenges Await

Well, the wait is over. Since the Ducks claimed their prize for winning the Rose Bowl, fans have been chomping at the bit to have football return. This week the Ducksl headed back to the practice fields and begin preparation for the fall as camp opens. 

As some people may or may not know, the Ducks must practice in just helmets for the first two practices of the year. After that, they can move to shells for Practice 3 and 4, and by Practice 5, the Ducks can fully suit up and get going. 

Fall camp will run until August 24, and then they will begin preparation for their Week 1 opponent Arkansas State.

This is an exciting time for Oregon fans. Despite the loss of LaMichael James and Darron Thomas, head coach Chip Kelly is ushering in a new time in Duck football as the quarterback race appears to be wide open at this point. 

Along with the quarterback race, De'Anthony Thomas will see an increased role on this year's team, and Kenjon Barner will finally get his chance to show that he is capable of handling the majority of the carries. 

The Ducks also know that they have the task of defending their three straight conference titles. A bit of good news for the Ducks is that the media seems to have already given the conference crown to USC before the season has even started.

Regardless of what happens, the Ducks are set to head back to the field on August 9. While September 1 is still a few weeks away, fans will start to get a small taste of whats to come for Oregon in 2012. 

Joe Penkala is a B/R National Featured Columnist who covers college football. You can contact him @joepenkala.