Predictions are already being made regarding the Oregon Ducks and their march toward the Pac-12 title, not to mention a College Football Playoff berth. With Bo Nix returning, plenty of Ducks fans are hopeful that last year’s missed opportunity won’t matter when all is said and done. Nix is already cementing himself in the minds of many Ducks fans, thanks to the numbers he put up in 2022. Much like other great quarterbacks that have put on the Ducks jersey, he’s making it easy for several analysts to predict that the Ducks will see ten wins this season.
That’s a tall order for any team, but there’s good reason to think it could happen.
Here are a few predictions leading into this season:
1. The Ducks will win 10 of their games
It’s not tough to put faith in this idea. The Ducks have stood out as a contender for a long time. The only issue to pay attention to, other than the possibility of injuries, is random happenstance. A lot of Ducks fans are confident starting the season off against PSU. The belief that the green and gold will roll past at least a couple of their initial opponents with ease is tough to criticize. Fans should recall that PSU knows how to stand up and fight when they need to. This means that looking past their first four opponents isn’t a great idea, at least until they’re in the rearview.
Still, if the Ducks remain focused and head coach Dan Lanning does his due diligence, the first four games can set the tone for the rest of the season.
2. The UW Huskies will pose a big problem
In 2002 the Huskies gave the Ducks all they could handle. While the Ducks gave as good as they got, it was too little, too late. This year it’s fair to state that the Ducks will remember what happened and will go looking for the W when facing UW. As many fans know from experience, though, this will stand out as a true test to see if the Ducks are primed and ready to make a run for that championship spot.
One thing to remember, though, is that the Ducks were beaten in Eugene last year against the Huskies. To keep their predicted winning streak going, they’ll need their A-game when playing in Seattle.
3. USC will be the Ducks’ biggest hurdle
It’s already popping up in the predictions of many writers and sports analysts that the USC Trojans will stand out as the Ducks’ toughest opponent. Honestly, it’s tough to say this isn’t accurate since the Trojans are a tough team to beat. Some already think that the Pac-12 championship will come down to UO and USC, which sounds like a great matchup. But looking past the list of teams that have claimed victories over UO in the past is still a big mistake that could threaten the predicted ten wins that so many people are adamant about at this time. Right now, thinking that USC is the biggest challenge is easy to agree with, but looking past the other teams is a mistake that, hopefully, the Ducks won’t make.
There are many reasons to have faith in the Ducks in 2023, and a healthy Bo Nix is just one of them. Between the experienced coaching staff and several key players returning, it’s fair to think that the Ducks have a strong chance of reaching the Pac-12 championship this season.
For more information on this subject, try these sites:
https://athlonsports.com/college-football/oregon-football-ducks-prediction-preview-2023
https://duckswire.usatoday.com/lists/oregon-ducks-2023-schedule-with-game-by-game-score-predictions/
