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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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Dec 5, 2020; Berkeley, California, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Johnny Johnson III (3) reacts on the sideline with wide receiver Kris Hutson (14) after a fumble against the California Golden Bears in the final minute of the game at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 5, 2020; Berkeley, California, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Johnny Johnson III (3) reacts on the sideline with wide receiver Kris Hutson (14) after a fumble against the California Golden Bears in the final minute of the game at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

Worst-case scenario for Oregon football

When I came up with my worst-case scenario for Oregon back in the spring, I said 8-4 with a mediocre bowl berth. I could stick with that, but I truly think that the Ducks have too much talent and potential to lose four regular-season games.

Sure, in the absolute worst-case scenario, Oregon could probably go 8-4, but I think 9-3 is the floor for this team with 13-0 being the ceiling. Anything less than nine regular-season wins would be a massive disappointment.

So let’s dive into this worst-case situation.

In this worst-case scenario, Oregon has trouble landing on a quarterback through the first few weeks and then Anthony Brown wins the job by default. This means that no other quarterbacks were impressive enough to unseat the veteran that is probably not the most talented option. That already limits the ceiling of this offense.

The defense will be nothing more than average under a new coordinator as Tim DeRuyter has a tough time adjusting. The Ducks have the talent, but the suspensions of DJ James and Jamal Hill take a toll on this team and they just don’t live up to the hype.

Oregon wins the games it should win, but loses to Ohio State, Washington, and Utah all on the road. Zero ranked wins and nine unranked victories won’t be enough to impress the playoff committee or AP voters.

Worst-case scenario: 9-3 with average bowl bid

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