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Okay, I get it. The 2020 Pac-12 Championship will have an asterisk on it. That’s fine, but we still beat a good USC team and earned that trophy. Oh, and sure, I understand the Fiesta Bowl was an ugly one to stomach. But credit where credit is due: That Iowa State football team is legit and deserved to win. There’s no arguing this team has a lot of work to do to improve. Especially on the offensive side of the ball. However, despite our poor finish to the season there are plenty of reasons to be excited for 2021.

I’ve been thinking a lot about what next years’ Oregon Ducks Football team will look like. First off, I desperately hope to be standing and cheering for my Ducks in the stands come the fall of 2021. In fact, I’d say going back to Autzen Stadium and living it up with my family and friends is one of the things I’m most looking forward to once we get out of this pandemic. With that being said, my next statement may be an unpopular one. Who cares. I believe the Oregon Ducks will make the College Football Playoff next year. Here are 4 reasons why I’m so optimistic (and potentially delusional):

#1: Oregon Is The Youngest Team In FBS

According to the University of Oregon, the 2020 Ducks’ 110-man roster has 81 underclassmen (freshmen, redshirt freshmen, and sophomores), making up 74% of the team — the highest percentage in the FBS. There’s no doubt we saw this youth on full display in our 2020 campaign. There were some really ugly mistakes made. Bad turnovers and just a general lack of game experience was the difference in some of these close games. However, we’ve been getting our youngest players a significant amount of time on the field every single game. You can’t underestimate in-game experience for young players when it comes to learning from their mistakes and becoming better in the offseason. For young players, Individual talent + Game Experience + Offseason Drive = 2021 College Football Playoff Birth. It’s simple math. Likewise, losing to our rival Oregon State and Cal adds fuel to the fire. They’ll have a huge chip on their shoulder moving into the new year. I’m confident that they’ll do everything possible to become the best version of themselves in the offseason. There’s no doubt Oregon has the individual talent to become one of the best teams in the country next year. The only question is if individual skill will translate to team success. I believe, with our talented coaching staff and veteran leadership, it will come together.

Players I’m excited to watch in 2021: Troy Franklin, Isaiah Brevard, Kyron Ware-Hudson, Justin Flowe, Noah Sewell, Dontae Manning, Mykeal Wright, Devon Williams, Mycah Pittman, Travis Dye, Cyrus Hibiki-Likio, Kayvon Thibodeaux (hopefully!!)

#2: Top 10 Recruiting Class in 2021

I understand the latest recruiting class may not have as big of an impact on our upcoming 2021 campaign (see below for 2019-20 recruiting class details); however, having skilled underclassmen hungry to win a starting job will put pressure on the upperclassmen to perform at their highest level. Put simply, the Ducks have been ranked in the Top 20 or higher nationally for the past 5(!!) years. I believe this recruiting success story is fueled by our strong brand recognition, winning culture, top-tier facilities, and elite staff. We’ve been compounding NFL-caliber talent at an impressive rate, stealing four and five-star talent right from California’s backyard. It makes sense that USC was so upset after their loss in the Championship game. We’ve been dominant against the California schools for the last few years now (ignoring the bad loss against Cal this year). This latest Pac-12 championship win coupled with back to back Pac-12 trophies will likely fuel another impressive 2022 recruiting class for Mario Cristobal and the Oregon program.

Previous Recruiting Classes

Our 2020 recruiting class was ranked No. 9 (Rivals) and includes two five-star linebackers in Justin Flowe and Noah Sewell, to name two. These guys both have top tier NFL-level talent and will be a big problem for opposing offenses if they choose to come back in 2021.

In 2019, Oregon’s recruiting class was the strongest group in program history, ranked No. 7 by both ESPN and Rivals and featuring five-star recruit Kayvon Thibodeaux (Pac-12 Championship MVP) and four-star standouts Mykael Wright, Mase Funa, and Mycah Pittman — just to name a few. Their leadership, if they choose to come back, will be key to our 2021 success.

#3: Mario Cristobal Is A Phenomenal Head Coach

I’m thrilled to have Mario Cristobal at the helm for 6 more years! He’s respected by everyone, Is authentic, knows what it takes to win, and has the energy this program needs to win a championship. To him, it’s all about the CULTURE. I can’t say enough about all of the positive offseason moves Oregon has made in the last few years. Mario brings experience from the best of the SEC to help us compete for a championship. He knows what it takes to win in the trenches against teams like Alabama, LSU, Georgia, Ohio State, and others. I’d argue that his fundamental football knowledge and understanding of what it takes to win against top-tier programs is elite. Likewise, I especially like how Mario, the staff, the team, and the University are investing heavily in a flurry of digital content to take advantage of Oregon’s unique national brand. As a digital marketing specialist, I’m fascinated with this (will explain in another blog post coming soon). A strong digital presence is good for the fans (and ticket sales/merchandise!), the players, and the recruits. It’s a win-win-win. I believe branding is drastically underrated in the college football world, and Oregon is leading the charge for the rest of the nation to follow. The best players want to get their top-tier skill recognized at a national level. This will help them reach the ultimate goal of playing in the NFL. It’s as simple as that. Mario and the entire staff understand this, which is why recruiting has been on fire recently. Likewise, he shows tremendous empathetic leadership on and off the field and doesn’t make excuses when we lose. Likewise, Joe Moorhead, in his first year as offensive coordinator, has shown that he can take our offensive play calling to the next level. I’ve really liked what I’ve seen out of him this year, and I think another year of working with his system will do wonders for our offense moving forward. In all, I believe we have the leadership from the top to put the missing pieces together in time for the 2021 season.

#4: Elite individual skill on the defensive side of the ball

There’s no question our defense had some problems stopping even poor offenses in our 2020 campaign (see the game against OSU for reference.) We have some big holes that need to be fixed immediately, there’s no doubt about it. But the NFL-Level talent we have all over the field is undeniable. Oregon’s problem has been team chemistry as a collective group, not individual skill positions. If we can improve as a unit and learn from our mistakes I believe our defense can be elite next year. The defensive struggles are fixable and I believe we will be much better for the start of 2021.

Biggest Question Marks Heading Into Next Year:

Offense, offense, offense, starting with Quarterback. Especially with Shough’s transfer. We have several talented recruits who will compete for the job. My prediction is Ty Thompson.. Wink wink.

Lack of experience at running back. In the past, we’ve had guys like J. Stewart, R. Freeman, L. James, K. Barner, etc… I can’t argue the talent of our young guys right now; however, we don’t have an established #1. Will we find one?

Who, out of our elite pool of returning players, will choose to go to the NFL once it’s all said and done? This may have a significant impact on 2021

Can our talent on the defensive end step up as a unit? 2020 showed some glaring holes that need to be addressed. Will they?

So, in December of 2021, when the Ducks slide into the College Football Playoff, I’ll take my victory lap. If not, this might be embarrassing to look back on.

Regardless,

Cheers to 2021.