Oregon Football: 6 June Predictions for the Ducks 2011 Season

As the Cliff Harris incident has taught Oregon fans, with summer practice still over a month away, things can change at warp speed.

Despite losing some talented seniors who made major contributions in 2010, Oregon still returns a lot of talent on both sides of the ball. Most importantly, Oregon returns its duo of Darron Thomas and LaMichael James.

Although we are still a ways away from the start of the college football season, here are six predictions for Oregon's season based on how things stand in June.

Losing Cliff Harris Against LSU Does Seal Their Fate

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GLENDALE, AZ - JANUARY 10: Head coach Chip Kelly of the Oregon Ducks looks on against the Auburn Tigers in the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game at University of Phoenix Stadium on January 10, 2011 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/G

With the recent suspension of Cliff Harris, the belief is that LSU is now going to become an overwhelming favorite in their opening week game against Oregon. If you are in those boat, you may want to think again.

Two things remain true even with the suspension of Harris.

First, Oregon's main concern facing LSU was never the pass but rather the run. With the depth and talent that Oregon has in the secondary, Harris will not be as missed in this matchup as people believe.

Second, Oregon will lose Harris for punt returns, but when you are able to put Kenjon Barner in to replace him, you are not taking a step backwards.

Kenjon Barner Ends 2011 with 1,000 All-Purpose Yards

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CORVALLIS, OR - DECEMBER 4: Running back Kenjon Barner #24 of the Oregon Ducks runs with the ball in the second quarter of the game against the the Oregon State Beavers at Reser Stadium on December 4, 2010 in Corvallis, Oregon. The Ducks beat the Beavers

Speaking of Kenjon Barner, he will see an increased role in the offense during 2010. With the loss of Jeff Maehl and D.J. Davis, Oregon will become more creative in how they get the ball into the hands of their playmakers.

In 2011, you will often see LaMichael James and Barner in the backfield at the same time and will also see Barner lined up in the slot. Expect to see his rushing and receiving yards increase from last year.

Josh Huff Emerges as Maehl's Replacement

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CORVALLIS, OR - DECEMBER 04: Josh Huff #4 of the Oregon Ducks runs the ball against the Oregon State Beavers during the 114th Civil War on December 4, 2010 at the Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Oregon. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

Due to the fact that Josh Huff did not play in Oregon's spring game has allowed him to develop into the lost man. People continue to look at the Oregon depth chart and believe that the loss at receiver may be too much.

While the Ducks will miss the production of Jeff Maehl, Huff will not only fill the void he left, but will end the 2011 season with more touchdowns than Maehl had in 2010.

Oregon Beats Stanford by Double Digits

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EUGENE, OR - OCTOBER 2: Running back LaMichael James #21 of the Oregon Ducks celebrates as he scores a touchdown in the second quarter of the game against the Stanford Cardinal at Autzen Stadium on October 2, 2010 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Steve Dykes/

Besides for the LSU game, most Pac-12 fans have the game between Stanford and Oregon circled on their calendars.

With the game occurring late in the season, many believe that the winner of this game will represent the Pac-12 North in the conference championship game.

Despite playing on the road, Oregon will take advantage of the losses that Stanford had on the defensive side of the ball. With the talent Oregon has on its own defense, Luck will struggle to keep up on the scoreboard.

Oregon's Most Difficult Home Game Will Be Against Arizona State

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EUGENE, OR - OCTOBER 2: Quarterback Darron Thomas #1 of the Oregon Ducks is mobbed by fans as he runs off the field after the game against the Stanford Cardinal at Autzen Stadium on October 2, 2010 in Eugene, Oregon. Oregon won the game 52-31.(Photo by St

Despite playing teams like Oregon State, Cal and USC at home, Oregon will struggle with Arizona State the most.

Last year, the Sun Devils were able to find holes in the Oregon secondary and if not for their turnover issues, they may have had a chance to defeat the Ducks.

If Arizona State can limit their turnovers and find a way to slow down Darron Thomas and LaMichael James, they will give the Ducks crowd a scare.

Cliff Harris Never Plays for Oregon in 2011

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EUGENE, OR - NOVEMBER 26: Cornerback Cliff Harris #13 of the Oregon Ducks waits at the line of scrimmage in the fourth quarter of the game against the Arizona Wildcats at Autzen Stadium on November 26, 2010 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty I

Close your eyes, Oregon fans.

With the amount of off-the-field issues Harris has had during his career at Oregon, this is going to end up being the straw that breaks Chip Kelly's back.

Kelly has shown that if you are able to learn from your mistake that he will allow you to earn his trust back, but Harris has also shown that he has not and continues to not learn from his mistakes. When you put these two factors together, it equates to Harris missing the entire season.