Oregon Football Schedule 2011: What to Know for Each Game

The kickoff to the 2011 college football season is less than one month away as teams are making their final preparations in fall camp. The Oregon Ducks started their fall camp earlier this week and as a result, there has been a lot of buzz around Eugene about what the team has in store for 2011.

After winning back-to-back Pac-10 titles, there are very high expectations for Oregon this year and with the talent on their roster, they should be able to live up to those expectations.

The Ducks aren’t going to make it back to the National Championship over night; they’re going to need to go through some tough non-conference opponents before taking on the big dogs in the Pac-12.

To get ready for the games, here is a preview of every Oregon Ducks' football game in the 2011 season.

Oregon vs. LSU, Sept. 3rd, 5:00 PM PT

The September 3 matchup between the Oregon Ducks and the LSU Tigers is the most anticipated game of college football’s opening weekend. Both teams are ranked in the preseason top five which should make for a very competitive game.

Despite the preseason hype, both teams have their question marks. Oregon needs to replace a slew of linemen on both sides of the ball, while the Tigers need to build a more consistent passing attack behind quarterback Jordan Jefferson.

This game has big implications for the National Championship; whichever team loses the game will have an uphill battle to make it to the BCS’s biggest game. All signs point to this being a close contest between two of the best teams in the country.

Oregon vs. Nevada, Sept. 10th, 12:30 PM PT

Following the LSU game, the Oregon Ducks will fly back home to the friendly confines of Autzen Stadium where they will take on the Nevada Wolf Pack. Last season, Nevada enjoyed the best season in school history with a 13-1 record including a victory over then-undefeated Boise State.

The Wolf Pack return a good amount of talent from last year’s team, but have to replace key leaders like quarterback Colin Kaepernick and defensive end Dontay Moch. Fans expect the Wolf Pack to have another great season and potentially repeat as WAC Champions.

That is very much a possibility, but they are not going to beat Oregon. Had the game come later in the season, Nevada might have a shot, but coming into Autzen Stadium in September with a new quarterback and running back, it is almost impossible to win.

Oregon vs. Missouri State, Sept. 17th, Time TBA

Simply put, Missouri State is the worst team Oregon will play in 2011. Every team in the country schedules games like this, but the Ducks really take advantage of it.

Last season, Oregon went off on New Mexico which helped the Ducks become the highest-scoring team in the nation. Expect to see the same type of dominance this season against Missouri State.

It is possible that the Ducks could look past the Bears to their matchup against Arizona in the desert. 

Possible, yes, but likely, no.

Chip Kelly is always able to keep the Ducks focused on the task at hand and this game should be no different. 

If the game goes according to plan, it should give Oregon time to take a look at some of their young guys as they should get more meaningful snaps.

Oregon at Arizona, Sept. 24th, 7:15 PM PT

In recent years, Oregon and Arizona have consistently had two of the best offenses in the conference. 

2011 should be no different.

Arizona returns starting quarterback Nick Foles, as well as his top receiving targets from a season ago. Just like the Ducks, Arizona has to replace a lot of linemen from last season’s team including their entire O-line.

Arizona’s offensive line should be getting into the groove by the time they face Oregon, but expect the final score to be closer to the 2010 result than the last time Oregon traveled to Tucson.

Oregon vs. Cal, Oct. 6th, 6:00 PM PT

The last time the Cal Bears visited Eugene they were demolished in front of a sell-out crowd of Ducks' fans. This season they will be doing everything in their power to keep Oregon’s offense under control as was the case in 2010.

Last season the Bears held the Ducks to their lowest point total of the season with 15. It was Cal’s 3-4 defense that had the answer for Chip Kelly’s high-flying offense.

Cal expects to have one of the best defenses in the conference once again as they return many senior leaders. With that said, Oregon will put up significantly more points in this year’s game.

Not only will the Ducks have home-field advantage, but they will also be facing a new offensive backfield for the Bears. Transfer Zach Maynard will take the snaps and he’ll be handing off to pint-sized running back Isi Sofele.

Head coach Jeff Tedford is on the hot seat at Cal and he could really use a big win against a team like Oregon to help save his job. But if I were Tedford, I definitely wouldn’t bet on it.

Oregon vs. Arizona State, Oct. 15th, Time TBA

Just like Cal’s Jeff Tedford, Arizona State head coach Dennis Erickson needs the Sun Devils to have a big season for him to keep his job. Fortunately for him, he has arguably his most talented team since arriving on campus.

The Sun Devils have arguably the best defense in the country led by star linebacker Vontaze Burfict. Last season Arizona State won games in spite of their offense, but that won’t be the case this season.

Quarterback Brock Osweiler is ready for his first full season as a starter and has a very experienced group of athletes around him to help out. Unfortunately for Osweiler, the Ducks haven’t lost a conference game at home since 2007 and won’t be losing one this season.

Oregon at Colorado, Oct. 22, Time TBA

2011 is going to be a year of big transitions for the Colorado Buffaloes. Not only will they be joining a new conference, they’ll also be breaking in a first-time head coach.

New head coach Jon Embree is a graduate of Colorado and played for the Buffs during the Bill McCartney era which was the most successful in school history. It is going to take time for Colorado to get back to being a BCS threat, but the fans believe that Embree is the right man for the job.

To get to the top of the Pac-12, Colorado will need to go through Oregon. This season the Ducks will travel to Boulder where they should be able to dominate the Buffs.

Oregon vs. Washington State, Oct. 29th, Time TBA

It seems like Washington State's football team has been at the bottom of the conference since Ryan Leaf graduated. Although it really hasn't been that long, the Cougars need to become a more competitive football team.

I believe that this season will be the best year for Washington State football in a long time. Now that might not be saying much, but quarterback Jeff Tuel has the most talent around him he's ever had.

Unfortunately for the Cougar faithful, WSU will not be taking down the Ducks this season. Oregon has far too much talent and will dominate the Cougars as they have done for the past decade.

Oregon at Washington, Nov. 5th, Time TBA

The Oregon Ducks/Washington Huskies football rivalry has been pretty one-sided in recent years and all signs point to that continuing in 2011.

The Huskies' football program has been trying to find their way ever since Rick Neuheisel left town, but head coach Steve Sarkisian seems to have Washington on the right track.

The Huskies will have a new starting quarterback in Keith Price now that Jake Locker is in the NFL, which should make for an interesting season. They also have to replace their leading tackler in Mason Foster who was one of the best linebackers in the Pac-10 last season.

With so many new faces on the team, it is going to be hard for them to keep up with the Ducks. Oregon is a far superior team and will need to prove it early in the game to keep the Washington crowd out of it.

Oregon at Stanford, Nov. 12th, Time TBA

Most college football fans agree that the winner of the Pac-12 North division will be the winner of this game. On November 12, the Stanford Cardinal welcome the Ducks to Palo Alto where Oregon lost in 2009. 

Heisman front-runner Andrew Luck will need to play a mistake-free game against the Ducks for Stanford to pull off the win in 2011. All signs point to this being an extremely close game featuring two of the best teams in the country.

For Oregon to win they will need to limit their turnovers and stop the run on defense. This game could not come at a better point in the season as both teams will be fired up with so much on the line.

Oregon vs. USC, Nov. 19th, 5:00 Pm PT

In recent years it appeared that the Ducks have USC’s number, as Oregon has won three of the last four meetings and show no signs of slowing down. The USC defense has been disappointing the past couple seasons which has been a big reason why Oregon has had success against them.

Junior quarterback Matt Barkley will lead an extremely talented offense as they try and muddle up the race to the Pac-12 Championship. Because the Trojans cannot play in a bowl game this season, their matchup against Oregon will be their bowl game.

USC will no doubt be amped up for the game, but the crowd at Autzen Stadium should have an effect on their offense's productivity.

Oregon vs. Oregon State, Nov. 26th Time TBA

The Civil War has had big implications the last three seasons and 2011 should be no different. In 2008, the Ducks beat the Beavers to keep OSU out of the Rose Bowl. The past two years, LaMichael James and the Ducks have beaten Oregon State to clinch their birth in a BCS bowl.

The Ducks have been the best football team in the state of Oregon for awhile now and that trend continues in 2011. OSU is lacking in top-tier talent now that Jacquizz Rodgers is in the NFL, but should still be competitive this season.

While the Ducks will be playing this game anticipating a BCS bowl game, the Beavers will be hoping they qualify for any bowl game.