Oregon Football: 5 Worst-Case Scenarios for 2011

Teams that make it to a championship tend to either repeat performances or fall by the wayside. Imagine a world where everything bad that could happen to the Ducks happened. Frequent injuries, terrible luck and horrible play calling are just the beginning of the process. 

What's the worst that could happen to the Oregon Ducks next season?

LaMichael James Gets Injured

LaMichael James' rushing attack is such an integral part of the Oregon Ducks' offense; losing him would cripple their points per game average.

Last season, James was a Heisman Trophy candidate, rushing for 1,731 yards and getting into the end zone 21 times. A season-ending injury would force the Ducks to rely on their incoming freshman prospect, Lache Seastrunk, who's got talent through the roof, but nowhere near as electric as James.

Ducks Drop Easy Wins vs. Missouri State and Washington State

Beating the teams you're supposed to beat is key to success in any sport. A championship contender like Oregon would be removed from BCS title game contention if it ever lost to a bottom dweller like Missouri State or Washington State.

Missouri State finished 5-6 last season, and Washington State finished with a miserable 2-10 record. If the Ducks ever dropped a game to one of these below .500 teams, their great name and prestige would be tarnished.

Darron Thomas Re-Injures Throwing Shoulder vs. Washington State

It was only a minor injury, but Darron Thomas hurt his throwing arm last season against Washington State. He was back the next game, but it was a scary sight watching your future Heisman candidate quarterback grimace in pain.

History tends to repeat itself.

Oregon faces Washington State, yet again, on Oct. 29 next season. Thomas has that date circled on his calendar. If he's not careful, the Ducks could find themselves an important man down towards the end of the season.

Oregon Ducks Drop Close Games

Last season, the Ducks slithered away from a loss to California when there was an illegal motion penalty called against Cal's kicker, putting him just outside his range for the game-winning field goal.

Next time, Oregon won't be so lucky.

The 5-5 California Golden Bears presented the biggest threat to the Ducks last season, and they were nowhere near as good as other teams Oregon blew out last season. Losing one fumble or dropping one long-bomb pass could reshape the events of a single game. One false move against grind-it-out teams like California, and the Ducks could find themselves out of BCS championship contention in a heartbeat.

Oregon Ducks Get Embarrassed at the BCS Title Game

Yet another loss at the biggest stage of them all, the BCS title game, would be devastating for an organization as illustrious as the Oregon Ducks.

Back-to-back appearances and back-to-back losses would not only hurt the team's morale, but it would enshrine the Ducks alongside other teams that choke when the pressure is at its highest. Oregon's got the offensive firepower and the defensive aggressiveness to get to the championship year-in and year-out. 

Getting Back to Reality

Aside from LaMichael James getting injured, the probability of the Ducks experiencing any of these scenarios are little to none.

Oregon's coaching staff is far too elite to let a top-tier contender get lax after a heartbreaking loss to Cam Newton at the BCS title game. LaMichael James is bound for yet another Heisman Trophy candidacy, and the shifty quarterback, Darron Thomas, doesn't look like he'll be losing a step anytime soon.

The Oregon Ducks will be repeat contenders in the title game, only this time, they'll seal the deal.