In the 2010 preseason polls of the USA Today coaches the Oregon Ducks occupy the 11th position. Its sister team and rival Oregon state is listed as number 22. In the last months, the Oregon Ducks found itself minus five team members who committed serious misdemeanors which threw a bad light on the program. Along with the five, The team lost its starting quarterback, Jeremiah Masoli and currently, they are without a starting player.

Since the team currently lacks a starting quarterback and that is why many might see their ranking as somewhat optimistic. However, there are members of the team who are capable of becoming starting player. Besides that, members like LaMiachael James, Jeff Michael, John Boyett and Jeff Maehl makes both the offensive and the defensive play of the team formidable. So that poll’s opinion is not entirely without basis.

In fact, Nate Costa and Darren Thomas are already in the lineup of those who will be vying for the key position of starting quarterback.

The top five in the preseason polls were Alabama, Ohio State, Florida, Texas and Boise State. The postseason rankings are computed starting from the preseason rating. Therefore, the team with the higher preseason slots stands a better chance to reach the first or second slot. This is a requirement for playing in the BCS national championships. This year, the Ducks will need to work hard for that goal.

This season, the team is up against three un-ranked schools. They are New Mexico, Tennessee and Portland State. None of those listed included in the top five will be encountered by them. In the view of some fans, that gives the Ducks a reasonable chance of going up two or three slots more.

The team’s schedule is as follows.

September 4 – against New Mexico – 3:30 pm
September 11 – against Tennessee – 7:30 pm
September 18 – against Portland State – TBD
September 25 – against Arizona State – 10:30 pm
October 2 – against Stanford – 11:15 pm
October 9 – against Washington State – TBD
October 21 – against UCLA – 9:00 pm
October 30 – against USC – 8:00 pm
November 6 – against Washington – TBD
November 13 – against California – TBD
November 26 – against Arizona – 7:00 pm
December 4 – against Oregon State – TBD

The unruly behavior of some of its members during the off-season games this year have done much to destroy the appeal of their program to the public. Those terminated had taken part in game-related brawls. They had also been convicted of drug-possession and theft. The team needs to regain the respect of their fans.

Luckily, one team member could make up for the teams reputation and lead the team to victory. One of the favorites for the position of starting quarterback, Nate Costa, also happened to be a police intern. He was also the one responsible for the team winning over UCLA after Masoli was dismissed. Everyone is banking on him to rebuild the image of the Oregon Ducks.

When he was dismissed, Masoli went in with Ole Miss Rebels. He is competing for the position of starting quarterback. The move seems a little late since he only has one season left to play. Coach Houston Nutt’s move to accept him into his team is even stranger in that light.

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Author Bio: Freddie Brister is a retired football coach who writes for SportsFanTreasures.com. Check out his Oregon Belt or his Cal Belt or his Cincinnati Grill Cover.

Category: Sports
Keywords: Off-season games,teams reputation,BCS national championships