It was almost a year ago when Oregon’s national championship run came to a disappointing conclusion, and the countdown to one of the biggest season openers in team history began.
Following Monday’s Rose Bowl victory, the Ducks and its fans find themselves once again counting down the days until the Ducks return to the field to compete for a BCS National Championship. This time, however, the Ducks don’t have LSU to look forward to.
The Pac-12 schedule was released Wednesday, and unlike last season, the Ducks find itself with a non-conference agenda that features a lackluster set of opponents. The season opener against Arkansas State is not sexy and it’s not going to catch the eyes of ESPN Gameday. It may be, however, just what the Ducks need to propel itself into a season of national championship redemption.
A team’s strength of schedule can boost a program from mediocrity straight to supremacy – this we know. But what happens when your team is already supreme?
Following its first Rose Bowl victory in 95 years, the Ducks will be considered by many a top-five team in the nation next season. Despite the Ducks more than likely losing LaMichael James – who is arguably the greatest tailback in Oregon history – Kenjon Barner and DeAnthony Thomas will remain just as fast, Darron Thomas will bring to the team senior leadership, and a young defense will show growth and maturity.
A team that is already recognized as one of the country’s best doesn’t need validation – it needs victories.
But then again, think about LSU. The Tigers didn’t sit back and wait for the teams ahead of it to fall one by one. By beating No. 3 Oregon to begin its season and No. 2 Alabama eight games later, LSU challenged the best of the best and rode its schedule all the way to the biggest game college football has to offer.
Oregon has only one BCS National Championship appearance under its belt, but nobody will proclaim that the team got there through its strength of schedule.
The 2010 Ducks began its most successful season in team history ranked No. 11 in the polls. A non-conference schedule that was made up of New Mexico, Tennessee and Portland State didn’t impress anybody. Victories of 72-0, 48-13 and 69-0, however, caught more than a few eyes and helped drive the Ducks into the No. 5 spot heading into only the fourth week of the season.
You don’t have to remind Oregon fans which team won the BCS National Championship that season. Auburn had climbed all the way up to the No. 1 spot in the country after entering the season ranked No. 22, and beat the Ducks on a last-second field goal. What you might want to mention, however, is who the Tigers played in its 2010 season opener.
Arkansas State.
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