College Football Rankings: Oregon Ducks Schedule Favorable?
By Joe Wedra
College Football Rankings say that the Oregon Ducks head into the season in a solid spot. The Ducks’ schedule might just back that thought up.
Let’s break it all down…
GAMES 1-3 (South Dakota, Michigan State, Wyoming)
All three of these games are at home, so you have to like the Ducks’ chances to start the year with a 3-0 record at home. The only game here that looks a bit tricky is Michigan State, but I have full confidence that the Oregon offense can handle scoring more points than Connor Cook and Co.
Starting out the season with a home-field advantage bodes very well for Oregon, and it could lead to significant momentum heading into the next tough stretch.
GAMES 4-7 (@Washington St., Arizona, @UCLA, Washington)
The away game at UCLA has to be looked at as the matchup of the schedule. This game will prove what Oregon is all about. If they can battle on the road and beat a very strong UCLA team, they could be looked at as favorites at this point of the year.
GAMES 8-9 (Cal, Stanford)
The night game against Cal should be a win for the Ducks, but the Stanford game is the one that stands out here.
The Cardinal is going to be ready to rock this season, even with losing defensive leaders like Shayne Skov. Kevin Hogan and Ty Montgomery are going to combine for a deadly combo this season, and Barry Sanders Jr. has been touted as “the next big thing”.
Looking at the schedule as a whole, this game stands out as a potentially crushing loss for this Oregon squad.
GAMES 10-12 (@Utah, Colorado, @Oregon State)
The away games at Utah and Oregon State could prove to be tough, but there’s no reason to believe that if healthy, this offense can put up big numbers to secure a strong end to the season. .
Much like the opening stretch, this appears to be a favorable one for the Ducks. The final game against their in-state rivals won’t exactly be an easy one, but there’s enough talent on the roster to get them by with a strong win if all goes as planned.
AS A WHOLE
When digesting this schedule and breaking it down, it’s interesting to see what the Ducks will face throughout each stretch. From the surface, it appears they could end the year with a chance to be in the playoff. What do you say, college football fans? Can the Ducks finish the year with just one loss or less?