Handicapping Pac 12 Football
After years of watching the USC Trojans dominate the Pac-12, the conference has become ultra-competitive. The offense-driven group of teams provide entertainment week in and week out, but entering the 2014 college football season, the question is: Who has the edge when it comes to the Pac-12 title?
Oregon Ducks
BCS Champion Odds: 13/2
Pac 12 Conference Winning Odds: 5/4
Futures from sportsbook.ag
Pac 12 Overview
Last season, the Stanford Cardinal walked away victorious over the Arizona State Sun Devils in the Pac-12 championship. Both of those teams will contend for another conference title in 2014, but according to Las Vegas, there’s only one team in the Pac-12 who is favored in every game this upcoming season.
Why Oregon will have the most wins in the Pac-12
According to the Golden Nugget, the Oregon Ducks are favored in every game during the 2014 college football season.
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They have 12 games this upcoming season (seven at home, five on the road), and while the strength of schedule won’t be the most imposing in the nation, there’s a lot at stake when they take on Michigan State in Week 2.
Luckily for the Ducks, that game is at home. It’s against one of the top defenses in the country from last season, but while the Spartans scored 29.4 points per game in 2013, the Ducks were fourth in the country at 45.5.
While the receiving core is questionable at best entering the year, the redshirt junior behind center makes up the difference. He’s going to be a Heisman candidate from Day 1, and as long as he stays healthy (something he couldn’t do late last season), this team will have a dual-threat quarterback who simply doesn’t make mistakes leading one of the highest-octane offenses in the country.
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In the backfield, the Ducks are back to having the depth they missed last year. De’Anthony Thomas is gone (although he became more of a slot threat throughout his career), but Byron Marshall is slated for a big year ahead of Thomas Tyner. Tyner, however, could challenge for the starting spot, as the true sophomore has size and strength that this team hasn’t seen since the days of Jonathan Stewart.
The notable games on this schedule, outside of the Michigan State showdown, begin with Arizona on Thursday, Oct. 2. The Wildcats shocked the nation by defeating the then-ranked No. 5 Oregon Ducks last year, and with a healthy Mariota, you have to believe the Ducks will be looking for revenge.
One week later, the team faces UCLA, and while the Bruins have impressed as of late, Oregon did a number on them last season with a strong second-half performance. The big game to circle here, however, is Stanford. The Cardinal have been a major challenge for this team the past few seasons, and one Nov. 1, they visit Autzen Stadium in what should be the Ducks’ last tough game of the season.
No offense to Utah, Colorado or Oregon State, but the final three opponents of the year for Oregon should be a cake walk. Finishing strong is crucial for a chance at a conference title, and if all goes according to plan, a College Football Playoff berth will be on the line as well.
Prediction: 11-1
Can the Ducks put together a perfect season? Yes. They absolutely can, and very few teams in the country can say that. However, with teams such as Stanford and Michigan State on the schedule, it’s going to be tough to win 12 times in 12 outings.
Luckily for Oregon, a near-perfect season could be enough to land them in the top four by the end of the year. The BCS rankings will still be in effect this season, but it’s no longer about the top two when it comes to the national championship.
Finishing in the top four will give Oregon entrance to the College Football Playoffs, and from there, anything can happen.
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