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Oregon football will be the team to keep Pac-12 relevant in 2021

By Connor Muldowney

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 18: Head coach Mario Cristobal hoists the trophy, with most valuable player, Kayvon Thibodeaux #5 of the Oregon Ducks, in celebration a 31-24 win over the USC Trojans during the PAC 12 2020 Football Championship at United Airlines Field at the Coliseum on December 18, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 18: Head coach Mario Cristobal hoists the trophy, with most valuable player, Kayvon Thibodeaux #5 of the Oregon Ducks, in celebration a 31-24 win over the USC Trojans during the PAC 12 2020 Football Championship at United Airlines Field at the Coliseum on December 18, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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CORVALLIS, OREGON – NOVEMBER 27: Linebacker Noah Sewell #1 of the Oregon Ducks gets set at the line of scrimmage during the second half of the game against the Oregon State Beavers at Reser Stadium on November 27, 2020 in Corvallis, Oregon. Oregon State won 41-38. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
CORVALLIS, OREGON – NOVEMBER 27: Linebacker Noah Sewell #1 of the Oregon Ducks gets set at the line of scrimmage during the second half of the game against the Oregon State Beavers at Reser Stadium on November 27, 2020 in Corvallis, Oregon. Oregon State won 41-38. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images) /

Oregon football has comparable talent to the big boys

There are just two teams in the Pac-12 who probably wouldn’t be completely embarrassed in the playoff if they were to make it and only one with a head coach who wouldn’t get out-coached into oblivion. The teams are USC and Oregon because of the comparable talent they have to the big boys of college football (Clemson, Ohio State, Georgia, Alabama) and the coach is Mario Cristobal.

Oregon not only has the best coach in the conference (along with probably Stanford and Utah) but he’s in charge of the best pool of talent in the Pac-12.

If the Pac-12 wants to send a team to the playoff and actually have a fighting chance of winning the national title, Oregon will have to be that team. USC just doesn’t match up as well as the Ducks and Clay Helton is directly on the hot seat.

Oregon is fielding about a dozen of its top all-time commits this season and the Ducks are also bringing in the No. 6 recruiting class in the country.

A conference looking to improve its reputation and finally win a national title will need Oregon to live up to expectations this season. The Ducks are the Pac-12’s only hope for relevance in 2021.

Ranking Oregon's position groups from worst to best. dark. Next

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