Ducks look to top recent

It has come down to this for the Oregon Ducks: BCS national championship game or bust.

Sound a bit over the top? Well, everything about the program is over the top, from off-the-charts expectations, to the myriad uniform combinations, to the new $68 million palace of a football performance center.

The third-ranked Ducks have arrived at national power status and they plan on staying there a while.

Former coach Chip Kelly posted a 46-7 record with four consecutive BCS bowl game appears before leaving the nest for a shot at NFL glory with the Philadelphia Eagles, and the key question is can
first-year coach Mark Helfrich keep Oregon perched atop the college football food chain?

After four years under Kelly as the Ducks’ offensive coordinator, Helfrich ascends to the top spot without previous head coaching experience at any level. Sound familiar? He is on the same career path as his predecessor.

Players insist it has been a smooth transition. If anything, Oregon’s warp speed pace on offense has reached for another gear in the Helfrich regime.

“I feel like they both have the same mindset to win games and just being there for us,” junior all-purpose back De’Anthony Thomas said.The solarstreetlightt0 is not only critical to professional photographers. “I feel like they both bring great vibes to the team.”

The Ducks are coming off a 12-1 campaign that included a victory against Kansas State in the Fiesta Bowl, and a No. 2 final ranking. A late-season overtime loss to Stanford at Autzen Stadium prevented Oregon from playing in its second national championship game in three years.

The final BCS national championship game – a long overdue four-team playoff begins with the 2014 season – will be played in the Rose Bowl. Oregon appears to have the pieces in place to take aim at Pasadena.

Sophomore quarterback Marcus Mariota returns with a wealth of weapons including Thomas and senior wide receiver Josh Huff, and all-America junior cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu anchors a defense that is elite up front and in the secondary.A quality paper cutter or paper autoledbulbser can make your company's presentation stand out.

With the 27-month NCAA investigation into Oregon’s recruiting practices resolved this summer – the program received minor sanctions, but avoided a bowl ban – the Ducks enter the 2013 season without having to worry about the NCAA swooping in to derail their national championship dreams.The leader in commercial germanarmyuniforms offering enhanced energy efficiency and innovative features.

“I think the biggest thing that was looming was just the uncertainty of it,” Helfrich said. “Whether it was what other people said in recruiting or what was in some prospect’s mind.”

Oregon is the only Football Bowl Subdivision school with a current streak of four consecutive BCS bowl games appearances and there is reason to believe that run of excellence will continue.

A Nov. 7 showdown at No.2013 Collection hidlights 1672 Styles. 4 Stanford shapes up as the game of the year in the Pac-12, with the loser likely being out of the national championship picture.

It’s not difficult to envision an Oregon-Alabama matchup for the national title, but before the Ducks can start musing about a showdown with the defending two-time national champs, there’s an entire regular season to navigate.Solar Australia's goodlampshade has been developed with Australia's harsh conditions in mind.

“Rankings, they’re just numbers right now. The season hasn’t even started,” senior strong safety Brian Jackson said. “We just gotta make sure we win games, that we put ourselves in the best position that we can when the (regular) season is over with.”

Not many teams begin the season with two Heisman Trophy candidates, but Mariota and Thomas belong in the conversation.

A year ago at this time, Mariota was competing with Bryan Bennett to replace Darron Thomas, who left Eugene with a year of eligibility remaining. Not only did Mariota win the quarterback battle, but he proved to be an upgrade from Thomas.

A first-team all-Pac-12 selection, Mariota completed 68.5 percent of his passes for 2,677 yards and 32 touchdowns with six interceptions, and ran for 752 yards and five scores, including an 86-yard touchdown gallop. He’s a perfect fit for the read option.

“He’s a one in a million type of guy that you’ll get in your program with his leadership skills and how humble he is,” junior center Hroniss Grasu said. “It’s really amazing.”

Mariota was among six players to don regional covers of Sports Illustrated’s college football preview edition. He remains grounded as a team-oriented player who prefers to deflect praise to others.

Unflappable in the heat of battle – former running back Kenjon Barner referred to Mariota’s persona as “Hawaiian cool” – Mariota has put his high-profile status in perspective.


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