Let’s be honest here. It’s never too early to begin breaking down the 2008 football season. Here at DSN, we’ll be taking a closer look at the upcoming season leading up to Spring Football, which starts April 1.
Today, we’ll take a look at Oregon’s schedule.
Right now, I’d say we’re looking at 8-4 (losses to: Purdue, ASU, Cal and USC). But again, it’s only February. A lot could change between now and August.
Give us your thoughts on how the Ducks will handle this schedule…
-rw
wheaton4prez Says:
February 13th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Purdue, ASU and Cal I would put on par with USF. And look what the Ducks did to them.
USC is another story.
Rick Says:
February 13th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
Are you kidding? 8-4? Lose to Purdue? An average Purdue team at that, we will again show what Pac-10 speed is like for a Big-10 team…too much!!! I would be hesitant to call any of the other games losses at this point. We return a ton on Defense and think the players will be replaced by bigger faster and better athletes. Look at Linebacker; we upgrade huge there next year. Offense will come down to the QB position and I trust a healthy Costa or one of the new talented youngsters will get it done.
Next year could be just as magical as most of 07 but with a better finish!!!
Joe Says:
February 13th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
Lest ye forget, Dorian Bryant is gone from Purdue, and while Painter can sling it, our D-Boys are very good at people picking off gunslingers.
admin Says:
February 13th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Rick, You’re probably right on the Purdue deal. My only hesitancy in notching that as a win is the fact that it’s on the road and they return their QB, Painter. But our DBs are tested and our secondary is solid.
Anyone else scared to play UW in the first game? I KNOW we have more talent, but Locker creates challenges and I just wish we could get a game against the likes of Utah State under our belt with our new QB before heading into such a huge rivalry game. Just glad that one is at home.
-rw
BigHarv19 Says:
February 13th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Purdue is a tough place to play, but it’s two games in, and i just don’t see Purdue beating us. I see us going 8-4 or 9-3 conservatively with losses to the aformentioned ASU, Cal & USC all on the road, and potential trip up games against UW first of the season and Neuweasel, Norm Chow and the Bruins. Fortunately they are both at home.
With all that said, I can’t help but be a bit of a homer in saying the I think we have a real shot of 10-2! With loses to USC and either Cal/ASU, probably ASU…all depends on our QB, but what can I say, I’m always going to be a homer!
RubberDucky Says:
February 13th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
I am thinking that the Arizona game will be a revenge game for us - sure we could have won with a healthy QB, but the things that defense did was humiliating no matter who is under center. I do believe that with the losses on defense that Arizona will crumble.
As for Cal, their losses on offense, and one certain individual who was also part of their return game, are huge. This also could be viewed as a revenge game given the way it ended in 2007. We won’t let a last minute fumble through the endzone change the game.
Lets not forget the most important revenge game of them all - those rodents from the north need a beaver waxing like nobodies business for what they did in Eugene. With their losses on defense they should get it good in their place.
As for some losses, I think that those kids at ASU are kind of upset with us and will view it as a revenge game. USC in LA is always a tough game.
My prediction is 10-2, which will be a BCS game snub most likely. We will be salty ducks and complain like we usually do about the stupid BCS system. We will wonder why we let Purdue and Utah State on our schedule, and our strength of schedule will pull us down. We will play in San Diego for the Holiday Bowl against Oklahoma (my new personal rivalry game) and will dominate them on the ground and stifle them with our defense.
Metro Duck Says:
February 13th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
I don’t agree with the loss to Purdue. Alot of my family is from the midwest-I was just at my grandmother’s funeral and my cousin goes to Purdue. I mentioned the game against the Ducks and his response? “We’ll find a way to lose that game.” That’s only one guy but I think it speaks to their mindset. Ducks win that game.
QUACKSMOKER Says:
February 13th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
i agree with bigharv, i think we have a real shot at 10-2. returning our secondary on d is huge (thankyou chung!!) i think justin thompson will have an immediate impact to anchor those front four. if we can get someone to master chips offense, then i see us being just as lethal on offense as last year. jstew is obviously irreplaceable, but i think jj and blout can get it done behind our vet. o-line. get it together djones!! pot is good, but c’mon buddy. i’m praying for a break out year from jwill. focus! go ducks!!!
QUACKSMOKER Says:
February 13th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
plus…we own the big 10. weak conference!!
TNeumann Says:
February 13th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
Our home schedule sucks so much this coming season. Like Belotti always preaches, we must become “road warriors” to be successful this year.
Dane Says:
February 13th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
It’s hard for any Pac 10 team to notch 8 wins with a green QB. Any argument for us that starts with “Look what we did to USF with a young QB” should be silenced with two words: Jonathan Stewart.
The loss of Dixon and Stewart can’t be overstated. I’d be thrilled with 8 wins.
Metro Duck Says:
February 13th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
Dane,
I agree that it is difficult with a “green QB.” But, did you see the size of the holes in the USF game. Not to downplay Stewart’s importance but a much lesser back than Stewart could have rushed for a respectable 175 or so. If the line can block like that the running game will be just fine. I would be ok with 8 wins but not thrilled. 10-2 is not out of the realm of possibility.
keith Says:
February 13th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
I think 8 wins could be easily attained if our team plays together week in and week out. Dixon and Stewart are huge losses but assuming JJohnson is 100% I’m not to worried about the running games. Often times I preferred Johnson in at running back and though him equally effective as Stewart. Now I’m not saying he is a better back but I do think when he was healthy he had equally as many electrifying plays as stewart.
Replacing Dixon is another story. I think our recievers need to step up a bit and make some plays. Something they really didn’t do last year. I believe Williams will have a break out season this next year.
ConnecticutDuck Says:
February 13th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
We’ll miss Stewart, no question, but I always felt that Jeremiah Johnson could have been the premier back with more carries…I’m optimistic.
9-3
Dux-ATL Says:
February 13th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
Nice table, just set it as my PC wallpaper.
keith Says:
February 13th, 2008 at 5:55 pm
I10-2, 9-3. I live in the bay area and I think CAL is going to BLOW! They lost just about their entire offense. I don’t think Riley will be quite as effective at QB with no WR and a Sophmore RB.
Thus I think the only people we can lose to are:
USC
ASU- STILL NOT SOLD
OSU- I hate to admit this but they always seem to reload and I don’t think they lost all that much.
Assuming we wine one or two of the above and lose somewhere else. UCLA always scares me.
9-3, good call. 10-2 fingers crossed. 8-4 slightly dissapointed.
Treston Says:
February 13th, 2008 at 6:27 pm
I rarely hear Cooper’s name mentioned as one of the candidates for next year’s starting quarterback. I think a lot of people missed the news that he transferred here. The coaches like him, he’s ran the spread offense all his life. Next years quarterback will be a newbie (even Roper, let’s be realistic). However, there should be great competition, and great potential to produce a pretty good starter and quality back-up next year. I’ll hope for better than 8-4, but would not be disappointed in that in a transitional year. As long as we even the score up on the Buck Tooths up north.
RubberDucky Says:
February 13th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
even with a young QB, we will have a full backfield w/ LG Blount and JJ running all over the PAC-10, our defense is going to step up and I still think we can go 10-2
jay Says:
February 13th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
Check your schedule. USC has been moved so open week before osu game. Look back to last year, all PAC-10 losses came against teams who had bye weeks before playing us. osu would not have won without a bye week!!!
jay Says:
February 13th, 2008 at 10:15 pm
osu is a joke. When did they last beat a healthy top 25 team? Last year they caught cal with an injured QB, they went 1-6 and caught us after Dixon went down. Go back and look at Michigan game and say osu beats us with Dixon!
Jay Rock Says:
February 13th, 2008 at 11:11 pm
Come on, ASU and Cal??? Cal lost the only reason they beat us last year (hate to say it, but DeSean is a beast.. ouch). ASU??? We man handled them last year, and their recruiting class isn’t any better than ours. Purdue, come on, they are never even a top 25 program. I see USC and us competing for the confrence championship. For some odd reason, we replaced what we lost with just as good, or better talent (aka justin thompson). I think Darron Thomas will be a freshman of the year candidate, him and chip are gonna make miracles happen. He will surprise people big time. For some odd reason I have never, ever been impressed with Costa, I think he is undersized and ya, just never impressed me. So I say that we end up 11-1 and in the top 8. Only loss to SC by 10. Realisticly with Dixon we were a top 3 team last year, Darron is literally Dennis Dixon JR. I also think Chip is so good that he will simplify so much for Darron that we will still compete at a national caliber level. CHIP FOR PRES!!!
profem Says:
February 14th, 2008 at 12:48 am
I love the build-up of the schedule. If we can beat the purple canines and are ready for Purdue, I can see us be unbeaten when entering game 7 at Tempe. And by that time, the young players, and especially the QB will have had half a season of experience.
I think what will determine the level of success next season is not the play of any one person but the mental strength of the whole team. When Dixon went down, the entire team lost its spirit — even the OL seemed to forget how to block. They recovered, and it was the OL, in particular, that returned to Jim-Rome-mojo and destroyed USF — Roper and JS were the (competent) beneficiaries.
jay Says:
February 14th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Just wanted to give you the correct schedule. USC game is on Oct. 4th. Nov. 22 is a bye.
duckduck Says:
February 14th, 2008 at 7:40 pm
jayrock, you are a homer and an optimist but nothing wrong with that. However, i just cant see a scenario where DT starts or even plays much with us. He may be the future but he is not the present. He needs to add weight and he needs a year in the system and getting used to the speed of the pac 10 game. Besides that, check out the history of freshmen QBs taht have had any success in division 1 football, its a rarity. We need to ride costa or roper and hope the rest of the team steps up. If the receivers can improve and create more space between the DBs, they will make the QBs job a lot easier. Oh lets not forget catching the balls they are supposed to catch!!
jay Says:
February 14th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
I disagree. DT and CH can both step right in and start. Some would have said JR needed more time, but they underestimate the talent of Chip Kelly to develop QBs. This team is #1 in 2008!
jay Says:
February 14th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
Just my opinion, but I see us being 5-0 going into game with USC on Oct 4th. We will win that game as 14 point underducks and go 7-0 the rest of the season. Check back in one year!
admin Says:
February 15th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
Jay, thanks for the tip on the SC game change. We’ve updated the schedule.
rw