Way too early projections for the 2021 season.

[northbeachsf]

Put me down for 9-3. We are still a year away from a playoff run.

[Phalanx]

8-4 would land us at about 3rd in the north, and people grumbling for Mario’s job.

I think we got 10-2. Losing to tOSU and UCLA

Utah in 2018, USC in 2015, and UCLA in 2012 were all 6-3 in conference play and made it to the championship game. In 2011, UCLA went 5-4 and still made it. It just depends on the parity in the division. They way things were going last year, the North champion would likely have had at least three losses over a full season. Anyway, I agree, the likelihood is a team would have to be better than 6-3 to get there.

[DuckzRule]

In 2011 that was only because USC got banned from post-season play

[UOducksTK1]

My expectation is 8-4 and getting to the Pac 12 championship would depend on who the Ducks lose to. My hope is for better.

Similar to my thoughts as well. Anthony Brown will need to have a really good final season. If he does, I think we could win 9 or 10. But if I were a better man, 8-4 would be my prediction.

[DuckzRule]

Some weird people are saying that USC has a better chance of making the playoffs than Oregon.

I actually dislike USC so...

[buckmarkduck]

8-4 would land us at about 3rd in the north, and people grumbling for Mario’s job.

I think we got 10-2. Losing to tOSU and UCLA

Utah in 2018, USC in 2015, and UCLA in 2012 were all 6-3 in conference play and made it to the championship game. In 2011, UCLA went 5-4 and still made it. It just depends on the parity in the division. They way things were going last year, the North champion would likely have had at least three losses over a full season. Anyway, I agree, the likelihood is a team would have to be better than 6-3 to get there.

No team in the north, which has been the far superior division, has ever made it with that bad of record.

Looking at the teams in the North, I don’t see one team I’d trade Our QBs for theirs. If Brown is our weakest link, then we are sitting in a good spot. UW is the only threat, and their QBs are a mess. UW also has subpar coaches. Cal might be the next threat, but again, I like our assistant coaches a lot better than what they have. Musgrave, imho, is a below average OC. And won’t be making them any better.

[Phalanx]

No team in the north, which has been the far superior division, has ever made it with that bad of record.

Looking at the teams in the North, I don’t see one team I’d trade Our QBs for theirs. If Brown is our weakest link, then we are sitting in a good spot. UW is the only threat, and their QBs are a mess. UW also has subpar coaches. Cal might be the next threat, but again, I like our assistant coaches a lot better than what they have. Musgrave, imho, is a below average OC. And won’t be making them any better.

As I say, the most recent season would likely have seen a North champion with only 6 conference wins. I also don't believe the North will be the superior division this year.

The Oregon offense sputtered to 4th in the conference last year, and I don't expect much improvement, with largely the same personnel at the skill positions. The defense was 7th both against the pass and the run. That is where I harbor hopes of significant improvement, particularly vs. the run.

[ducks5ever]

I find it funny how people were more optimistic before the season last year than this year. Even though we still won't be able to pound the ball on the ground at will (so much for that identity CMC was trying to build), I think the offense will average 35+ points (more realistically dare I say 40+) a game which should win us most games. Basically we might drop a game to Ohio State and possibly another to a random Pac-12 opponent. Defensively the DL still isn't where it needs to be but none of the Pac-12 schools outside of UCLA has a formidable run game. Secondary depth appears to be limited so that's a wild card I guess. The starters in the secondary can absolutely get the job done if they don't get too banged up during the season.

Last note - I don't see it talked a lot around here but the OL wasn't good last year, and I think it's going to be better this year with the experience and influx of really talented players. There were DL easily penetrating the line last year and those situations were absolute drive killers. A better OL this year should help the offense immensely this year.

Summary: we're heading to the Pac-12 championship game and probably the rose bowl. If we manage to beat Ohio State, we might be headed to the playoffs!

[DuckzRule]

I really hope the Rose Bowl opponent is Iowa (if we win the conference but drop two games), because I'm tired of Oregon vs Wisconsin.

But I'm 100% sure that if we beat Ohio State and go to the playoffs, our opponent is pretty much Alabama, I doubt Clemson will make the playoffs this year and that Oklahoma will not be the Number 1 seed (for sure we'll be the 4th seed, but making the playoffs is unlikely, next year we have a much greater chance tho)

[duckmaster]

I don't understand why people are optimistic about the game with OSU?

They're going to mop the floor with us.

Other than that game I think the ducks can look very good. But Anthony Brown isn't my idea of a premier QB and with his limitations on the passing game really negates the talent at WR.

The defense looks suspect and the OL will have to prove it.

Could see anything from 8-11 wins but I think closer to 8-4 with Brown TBH

[ducks5ever]

No idea if we'll win the game or not but we'll have a few things going for us:
- OSU QB will be playing his 2nd game as starter
- I don't follow OSU football but they had 10 players drafted from the past roster - that's a good number of holes that will need to be filled.
- If we can stop their run game and that's a big if, we'll be in for a treat because the new DC is known for finding creative ways to get to the QB
- Even though I don't have much faith in the RB's, I do think that Moorehead will find ways to get the offense rolling
- Lastly Coach Ryan Day is still new and he's not as dangerous to coach against compared to Urban Meyer.

[DuckzRule]

I think that neither Ohio State or Clemson will be as good as they were last year, people most likely are putting them on the playoffs because they're iconic programs and that's it, Ohio State has a better of chance of beating Oregon but they will most likely get slaughtered in the playoffs, same with Clemson, both programs lost a lot of their talent including Justin Fields and Trevor Lawrence.

Meanwhile, Oregon could improve a bit from last year but still no playoffs, the game between Georgia next year could determine our fate if we want to give the Pac-12 a good reputation.

[buckmarkduck]

I find it funny how people were more optimistic before the season last year than this year. Even though we still won't be able to pound the ball on the ground at will (so much for that identity CMC was trying to build), I think the offense will average 35+ points (more realistically dare I say 40+) a game which should win us most games. Basically we might drop a game to Ohio State and possibly another to a random Pac-12 opponent. Defensively the DL still isn't where it needs to be but none of the Pac-12 schools outside of UCLA has a formidable run game. Secondary depth appears to be limited so that's a wild card I guess. The starters in the secondary can absolutely get the job done if they don't get too banged up during the season.

Last note - I don't see it talked a lot around here but the OL wasn't good last year, and I think it's going to be better this year with the experience and influx of really talented players. There were DL easily penetrating the line last year and those situations were absolute drive killers. A better OL this year should help the offense immensely this year.

Summary: we're heading to the Pac-12 championship game and probably the rose bowl. If we manage to beat Ohio State, we might be headed to the playoffs!

Why won’t we be able to pound the ball? I’m actually pretty optimistic about the OL going into this year. CJ will be a Sr, although his biggest issue has been injuries. But when healthy he is a solid college RB. I also think a lot of folks here are discounting what Franklin, McGee and the rest of the Fr class is bringing in. I really think Franklin will be our best WR since DWill or even Sammie Parker. Seven will have an impact similar to what Charles Nelson had as a Fr. Which is still more dynamic than anything we had last year. This class is the most talented class by a mile, that we have ever signed.

On D a lot of our issues last year was no offseason to work on talking, and having to replace the entire secondary and most of the LB core. Those guys should all be improved. And Deruyuter has a long history of improving a D greatly. I don’t think tackling will be an issue.

[whosyourwally]

Fortunately, in college, you don’t need a good QB to win games. You need a good system and a QB that can make basic reads, pose a threat to run, and have some confidence in himself and his teammates. I hope I’m describing Brown in 2021.

Other thoughts:
I don’t think any of our three classes of freshman (wild...) will be up to speed by the tOSU game, no matter how good they are. The same for tOSU.

I gotta believe that our OL will take some big steps. A full year in a new system. A full offseason of weight training. Same goes for the DL.

I don’t know our systems well enough on O or D to have any kind of feel for this season, but I don’t see any other dominant team in the P12. With the talent on our roster and the accolades our staff have, there isn’t a great reason we don’t run the P12 table if we stay relatively h*****y. (No jinxes here)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[GrandpaDuck]

How Brown will be as QB1 is still an absolute mystery to me even after the Bowl and Spring Game.

I will be shocked if this is not a linebacker dominated defense. A more traditional 2 gap with DL basically being blockers for the backers. With all those 5 and 4 star LBs that should be a good thing (I am counting KT5 as an OLB this year). Cal linebackers dominated the defensive stats in the Wilcox years.

The losses of 3 guys, that are getting NFL sniffs, in the secondary was a huge factor in the decline of the defense last year. The best player on that patched together Secondary is gone. You can make a case on paper that there is enough talent to make a good secondary this year but really only one guy is a sure thing. The rest were inconsistent last year.

I think the OL last year started out OK but declined to poor as the season went along. I expect a big improvement this year.

Receivers and backs both have a floor of good with a ceiling of excellent. Both have a core of proven, experienced players with tons of potential in the youth behind them.

As to overall record prediction, with QB and secondary being the mysteries who knows. Both are critical and can kill the potential of an otherwise loaded unit. So I'll go with whatever Oregonfan4life picks 'cause that one year he had supernatural vision.