Oregon Football 2011: Ducks Will Three-Peat as Pac-12 Champions

Coming in at No. 3 in ESPN’s early preseason top-25 poll, expectations for Oregon are higher than ever. However, the question on Duck Nation's mind still remains: Does Oregon have what it takes to bounce back from a heartbreaking loss to Auburn and compete for the Pac-12 title?

Oregon will three-peat as champions of the conference because they posses all the necessary tools needed to defend their title.

Oregon returns a multitude of stars from their runner-up national championship team from last season. The Ducks offense brings back stars Kenjon Barner and Darron Thomas from last season’s squad, as well as Heisman finalist LaMichael James.

On the defensive side of the ball, lockdown corners Cliff Harris and standout defensive end Terrell Turner are back and better than ever. Oregon also returns last season's starting punter and kicker, as well as their returners. The Ducks have a lot of stars back from last year’s squad, one of the main reasons for the sky-high expectations.

The next key to Oregon’s success in 2011 is their schedule. The Ducks are in the top-heavy Pac-12 North, with only Oregon State and Stanford as legitimate contenders for the division. Oregon’s schedule is also favorable in that they get Arizona State, Oregon State and USC all at home.

Oregon also doesn’t play newcomer Utah, and have a favorable conference schedule. If the Ducks can get by Stanford on the road, the Ducks should cruise to the Pac-12 championship game. However, a lot of fans aren't as confident in the Ducks' chances next season.

A common criticism of the Ducks' 2011 team is their lack of experience across both lines. Oregon replaces six of their front seven players from last year's team, with only defensive end Terrell Turner returning. Also, the Ducks will look to replace three longstanding offensive lineman and go-to receiver Jeff Maehl. But having new “starters” should not have Duck fans worried. 

While the Oregon offense looked sloppy in their spring game, Ducks fans have no need to worry about the offensive unit as long as Chip Kelly is in Eugene. It should be noted that Oregon’s offensive line was spread out between the two teams, which lead to a lack of continuity.

Since 2007, when Kelly joined the Ducks as offensive coordinator, Oregon has been in the top 10 in total offense three of the four seasons. Also, many of Oregon's new starters played serious time last season, as the Ducks rotate a lot of fresh legs in to run their fast-paced game. And the fact that Oregon’s defense is doing so well against the offense in practices should be a credit to their hard work, not a criticism of the offense.

What may carry the Ducks this upcoming season is their strength on defense. The defensive line was at one time seen as a weakness for the Ducks, but that has changed since the start of spring practices.

The emergence of standouts Ricky Heimuli, Dion Jordan, Wade Keliikipi and Taylor Hart has shown great potential for the Ducks while Terrell Turner has been out with a leg injury. And as was expected, the secondary will be the best unit for the Ducks in 2011. Young stars Troy Hill and Terrence Mitchell are proving themselves worthy of playing time, while Cliff Harris and John Boyett are All-Conference caliber players. Oregon has great depth across the board on defense.

With the Ducks looking to three-peat as conference champions, their depth at a multitude of positions has them primed for another great run. The Duck’s manageable schedule will also favor them well in 2011. And as long as Duck fans place their faith with Chip Kelly, they won’t be disappointed. It’s now the defense’s turn to carry Oregon to the promised land, and they won’t disappoint.

Oregon will three-peat as champions of the conference because they posses all the necessary tools to defend their title. With Oregon returning a plethora of skilled players, a favorable schedule and a dominating defense, Ducks fans should be very confident heading into the 2011 season.