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Oregon Football: Best, worst, and most likely scenarios for 2021 amid fall camp

By Connor Muldowney

Jan 2, 2021; Glendale, AZ, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Anthony Brown (13) celebrates a touchdown with wide receiver Johnny Johnson III (3) against the Iowa State Cyclones in the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 2, 2021; Glendale, AZ, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Anthony Brown (13) celebrates a touchdown with wide receiver Johnny Johnson III (3) against the Iowa State Cyclones in the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oregon quarterbacks Robby Ashford, left, Anthony Brown and Ty Thompson workout with the Ducks during Fall Camp.Eug 081021 Uo Football 03
Oregon quarterbacks Robby Ashford, left, Anthony Brown and Ty Thompson workout with the Ducks during Fall Camp.Eug 081021 Uo Football 03 /

Best-case scenario for Oregon football

Roster-wise, I think it’s obvious that the best-case scenario for the Ducks would be either Robby Ashford or Ty Thompson winning the starting job and proving to be more than capable dual-threat options for the Ducks.

Thompson is Oregon’s highest-ranked quarterback signee ever and Ashford showed during spring ball that he has some explosive athleticism. Anthony Brown has the experience, but I’m not so sure that he would be the best option and if he starts, we may see a Tyler Shough-type ceiling for this offense in 2021.

CJ Verdell, Travis Dye, and Sean Dollars operate one of the best backfields in the country and the receiving corps stays healthy and remains as deep as ever. The offensive line also comes together and plays to its potential — Kingsley Suamataia potentially wins the left tackle job.

Defensively, Tim DeRuyter leads the Ducks to a top-20 ranking nationally and they keep every opponent in check, making an early statement against Ohio State on the road.

In this best-case scenario, the Ducks open the season with a blowout win over Fresno State and use that momentum to take down No. 4 Ohio State in Week 2 in Columbus. That will be enough to get them to 5-0 by the bye week on Oct. 9 after a strong road win over Stanford.

The Ducks will then beat Cal, UCLA, and Colorado before facing off against a tough Washington team at Husky Stadium. Even in the best-case scenario, a loss here wouldn’t be the end of the world, but let’s go with a win and then another win two weeks later at No. 24 Utah. They’ll end the season with a blowout win against Oregon State to finish 12-0 and earn a spot in the Pac-12 title game. They’ll win a third straight Pac-12 title and make a trip to the playoff.

Whatever happens next is just a cherry on top of a best-case scenario season.

Best-case scenario: 13-0 with Pac-12 title and playoff berth

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