Countdown to Kickoff Day 35: #16 Oregon Ducks

As a nation we witnessed the revival of Bo Nix in 2022. Sometimes all a good player needs is a change of scenery, and that is exactly what Bo Nix needed as he left Auburn and packed his bags for Eugene the summer after the 2021 season. Nix was getting serious Heisman chatter before he suffered an ankle injury against Washington in week 10. The Ducks lost that game by a field goal and went on to lose to Oregon State in the final week of the regular season to miss out on the Pac-12 Championship game and finish the season at 9-3. After losing 49-3 in a game where Georgia made them look like the Little Giants, a lot of people wrote this team off. Dan Lanning wrote the haters off and took his team from laughing stock in week one to being a touchdown or two away from being on the bubble for the CFP.

What’s in store for 2023? More of the same and maybe even a little better. Oregon will be led by Bo Nix again and Nix will be surrounded by big time talent from the backfield, the wide receiving core, and tight ends. The only question mark will be the offensive line, where there will be four new Ducks in a row. The talent level of Nix under center, Bucky Irving and Noah Whittington at tailback, and then Traeshon Holden, Tony Franklin, and Terrance Ferguson at wide receiver will be one that will win this team plenty of games. The O-line will adapt and get better throughout the year…hopefully.

Defensive Coordinator Tosh Lupoi had a rough start to his Oregon stint against Georgia, but things got better for him week 2-12. With one year under his belt and a handful of returning players, this defense will make improvements this year. Oregon will also add players from the portal that fans should be very excited about. Khyree Jackson (Alabama), Jestin Jacobs (Iowa), Connor Soelle (Arizona State), and Tysheem Johnson (Ole Miss) will all have an immediate impact.

Prediction: The Ducks have a fairly easy non-conference schedule, followed by what will be a cruise to the start of the conference schedule with games against Colorado and Stanford. I can see them starting the season 5-0, but then they will have to face off against Washington, USC, Utah, and Oregon State to end the year. They are certainly a dark horse to win the Pac-12, but at the end of the day I believe they will fall just short again. 9-3.

How Many Games Will Oregon Win In 2023?

• 9 or more
• 8 or less