Smart play J.L.:
Remarkable to think that the Ducks have lost the best player in school history (Marcus Mariota) and one of the most touted recruits in school history (Thomas Tyner), and they are still legitimate favorites to win the PAC-12 North.
Nobody thinks the Ducks will beat Michigan State in East Lansing. Every pundit has that game penciled in as a likely loss for Oregon, regardless of whether Vernon Adams passes math today. Some analysts, like Aaron Fentress of Comcast Northwest, see as many as four potential losses on the schedule with road trips to MSU, Arizona State and Stanford, plus a very tough November home game against USC, a team many tab as a potential playoff team despite an imposing schedule.