** 2017 Opponent Previews: Oregon (Game 2) **

[Mavric]

Athlon Sports: Oregon Football 2017 Ducks Preview and Prediction

 

Oregon is in unchartered territory, as the Ducks are coming off a 4-8 record, their worst finish since 1991. Not surprisingly, head coach Mark Helfrich was fired and while many applauded the hire of Willie Taggart, his tenure in Eugene got off to a rocky start. But the hope is there will be more growing pains off the field than on it, as Oregon has the tough task of trying to compete in the Pac-12 North with defending champion Washington and Stanford, as well as a Washington State team that appears on the rise. Taggart may be able to get the Ducks’ offense back to its high-flying ways, but their success in 2017 will depend on what defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt is able to do with a unit that finished near the bottom of the FBS ranks in total and scoring defense.

 

National Ranking: 21

PAC 12 North Prediction: 3

 

https://athlonsports.com/college-football/oregon-football-2017-ducks-preview-and-prediction

 

HuskerOnline: Spring Opponent Preview - Oregon

 

The Huskers will travel to Eugene on Sept. 9 to take on the Ducks and first-year head coach Willie Taggart, who comes to Oregon after a successful run at South Florida. HuskerOnline caught up with Duck Sports Authority publisher A.J. Jacobson to get his take on Oregon coming out of the spring.

 

Overall 2017 win-loss expectation

"I think the pieces are in place for them to potentially contend for the Pac-12 North, but we'll have to see about that. I remember when all the coaches got fired, the common theme from a lot of the coaches that had gotten fired was Taggart is really set up to turn this thing around fast. Taggart has all the key pieces back that were either inexperienced or injured last year."

 

"I think there's the potential though to turn it around immediately, maybe not a national title contending team, but certainly a Pac-12 North contender and maybe a Pac-12 title contender. I think the talent is there for that, and if Taggart is a good coach and he's getting the talent to execute, there's no reason that can't be the goal this year."

 

https://nebraska.rivals.com/news/spring-opponent-review-oregon

 

 

SBNation: Can Willie Taggart fix Oregon football as quickly as it fell apart?

 

Life moves pretty quickly sometimes.

 

On Nov. 28, 2014, USF finished a dismal 4-8 with a 16-0 loss to UCF. The next day, Oregon wrapped up an 11-1 regular season with a 47-19 pasting of rival Oregon State. A week later, the Ducks won the Pac-12 title game and clinched a spot in the inaugural College Football Playoff. They destroyed defending national champ Florida State before succumbing to Ohio State in the title game.

 

Oregon’s 2014 quarterback, Marcus Mariota, threw for nearly 4,500 yards, rushed for nearly 800, and produced an otherworldly 181.7 passer rating in a Heisman campaign. USF quarterback Mike White’s passer rating that year: 112.4. Backup Steven Bench: 106.2. Both transferred.

To date, Taggart was 6-18 in Tampa-St. Pete, and he would move to 7-21 with a three-game losing streak the following September.

 

A mere 15 months later, Taggart was named Oregon head coach. I’ll pause for the record scratch sound effect.

 

2016 record and S&P+ ranking: 4-8 (74th)

Projected 2017 record and S&P+ ranking: 8-4 (23rd)

Biggest strength: With Royce Freeman and Tony Brooks-James in the backfield and Charles Nelson and Darren Carrington II at receiver, Oregon should still look like Oregon in the skill corps.

Biggest question mark: How quickly can new defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt find traction with a unit that was one of the 10 worst in FBS? It took him two years at Colorado.

Biggest 2017 game: The Week 2 visit from Nebraska (Sept. 9) will tell us a lot about the Ducks’ potential in 2017, and the year-end Civil War against Oregon State (Nov. 23) could determine bowl eligibility for both teams.

Summary: Taggart inherits an experienced roster and expectations that will rise quickly. Is this a Year Zero situation, or are the Ducks sleeper contenders?

 

http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2017/5/26/15671966/oregon-football-2017-preview-schedule-roster

 

 

CollegeFootballNews: Uhhhh, Oregon, What Has Willie Taggart Won?

 

Okay, Oregon. So have you learned?

And more importantly, new head coach Willie Taggart, knowing what you now know, how can you make that one last adjustment to take the program – and your coaching career – to another level? There’s no denying that the young rising superstar looks like he has everything in place to make Oregon a champion again, but …

 

He has yet to actually make anyone a champion.

 

He might have turned Western Kentucky football into a thing, but he didn’t win a Sun Belt title in his three years at the helm. He might have turned South Florida back around, but after two miserable years, and a mediocre third season, he had the best team in the American Athletic Conference, and didn’t get it done. In seven years of being a head coach, he has yet to win a bowl game, or anything more than a share of one Group of Five division title.

 

http://collegefootballnews.com/2017/preview-2017-oregon-what-has-willie-taggart-won

 

2017 Oregon Preview: What You Need To Know

2017 Oregon Schedule Breakdown & Analysis

 

 

 

More to come...

 

[Caliborn72]

Not to make too obvious of a statement but this game will tell a lot about the whole season. Taggart comes from that Stanford pedigree and while he certainly will spread the ball around, he's also going to look at running right at you.

 

Diaco is going to turn this defense into an elite, top 10 defense. I have no doubt. But year one could have some hiccups and I have concerns about the size of the DLine transitioning from a 4-3. If the scheme can stifle Royce Freeman, watch out. But if he has a big day, it doesn't bode well for some of the trench battles later in the year.

 

Similarly, their defense is in transition too. If the offense can't run on them, then it doesn't bode well for conference play either. Helfrich made them soft and I fully expect the offense to do their thing. Autzen is crazy but this is a majorly winnable ooc game. I'm pumped.

[Roll Skers]

I think we will win

[Saunders]

[seaofred92]

thinking this will probably be the Fox primetime national game. Kick is something like 730 ET usually.

[spurs1990]

[Nebfanatic]

A little worried they swapped Brady Hoke for Jim Leavitt at DC.

[Mavric]

[Mavric]

A little worried they swapped Brady Hoke for Jim Leavitt at DC.

 

Both teams look to have upgraded significantly at DC.

 

We'll see who adjusts faster.

[GSG]

 

[Saunders]

I added the huge (and excellent) SBNation preview!

 

[Caliborn72]

I either forgot or didn't notice that Oregon beat Utah last year when Utah was gunning for the Pac12 South. That's a pretty big win to suggest they have something to build on when they could have easily collapsed to finish the season.

 

I've also read that their DC wants to be a HC again. I think it's likely he picked a good destination where he can make himself look really good when there is actually more talent than thought there.

 

The more I read, the more nervous I get. Herbert and Royce Freeman are both the real deal and they bring back the OLine.

[HuskermanMike]

I either forgot or didn't notice that Oregon beat Utah last year when Utah was gunning for the Pac12 South. That's a pretty big win to suggest they have something to build on when they could have easily collapsed to finish the season.

 

I've also read that their DC wants to be a HC again. I think it's likely he picked a good destination where he can make himself look really good when there is actually more talent than thought there.

 

The more I read, the more nervous I get. Herbert and Royce Freeman are both the real deal and they bring back the OLine.

Should be a close one. Whichever defense rises to the occasion will win this game. The score will probably in the high 20s or low 30s in this game.

[Saunders]

Added the CFN preview.

[Caliborn72]