2008 Oregon Ducks College Football Predictions Courtesy of Alex Smart, An Expert College Football Handicapper featured on Touthouse.com. If you are betting college football this year, be sure to buy Alex Smart’s college football picks each week and guarantee a winning season!!

Oregon Ducks (9-4, 5-4 in 2007, 5th place in Pac-10)
The Oregon Ducks had a magical eight-game run last season. They lit the college football world on fire with their high powered offense, led by Dennis Dixon and Jonathan Stewart. The entire season came crashing down when Dennis Dixon went down with a torn ACL in the Arizona game. After starting 9-0, Oregon limped to the finish line, finishing 9-3. They regrouped for their bowl game and killed USF by a score of 56-21, rushing for 320 yards on 42 carries. This year, Oregon looks to sustain their success. They have some pieces in place, but have a lot of work to do.

Offensive Outlook: Oregon had one of the most prolific offenses in the nation through the first nine games of 2007, consistently scoring 35+ points against some of the better defenses in the nation. Replacing Dixon has been made more difficult by injuries that have mounted at the quarterback position in the offseason. The Ducks could go through a number of quarterbacks before they find one to lead the “quack attack”. Arguably a bigger loss is running back Jonathan Stewart, who was a first round draft pick and an all-around stud. The wide receiver corps and offensive line are now the strengths of this offense, which will take a step back in 2008.

Defensive Outlook: The defensive line is very good. They feature three senior starters and a junior. The defensive backs are the amongst the best in the entire country. Oregon has three NFL prospects in their secondary in Boyd, Thurmond, and Chung. This defense will be stronger than last year, and will help to offset some of the anticipated offensive drop-off.

2008 Outlook: The non-conference schedule isn’t overly difficult, but a clash on September 20th against Boise State should be interesting. All eyes for the Ducks will be squarely focused on a four week stretch in October where they play at USC, host UCLA, at Arizona State, and at California. If they have any hope of a legitimate bowl game, they must have some level of success in October.

2008 will be a success if… the offense is serviceable. With so many cogs in the offense gone, things will be difficult on the offensive side of the ball. The defense is good enough to pick up some of the slack, but you don’t win football games in the Pac-10 if you can’t average 28 PPG.

Expect a drop-off year for the Ducks, who will still be very competitive in Pac-10 play.

Prediction: 7-5, 4th place in Pac-10