5 teams wrongly ranked in 2016 Preseason Amway Coaches Poll

This might sound painful to the great fans at Autzen Stadium, who love to see their ducks frolic in the Liquid Sunshine on Fall Saturdays in the Pacific Northwest, but there is a really good chance that the Oregon Ducks are the fourth-best team in their own division in 2016.

The regression from the Chip Kelly era is in full effect. While Mark Helfrich is a good coach and the Ducks have an outstanding football culture, Kelly’s departure to the NFL has left the Ducks’ once vise-like grip on the Pac-12 with a limp wrist.

Oregon finds itself at No. 22 in the initial Amway Coaches Poll, but the Ducks won’t be there at the end of the year. Stanford is absurdly better than Oregon. Washington has its best roster in well over a decade. Washington State could be dangerous out their in Pullman.

The Ducks will win the Civil War or arch rival Oregon State during Thanksgiving weekend, but perhaps Cal will be better than expected with former Texas Tech quarterback Davis Webb replacing Jared Goff.

Once the Ducks’ schedule turns to October, it’ll be hard for them to get some Pac-12 wins: at Washington State, Washington, at Cal, at USC, Stanford, at Utah. Tough competition and a brutal final two-thirds of their season means Oregon is at best 9-3. That won’t be enough to best Stanford or even Washington in the Pac-12 North. The Ducks took Utah’s spot in the top 25.

For more NCAA football posts, please check out our NCAA football category page.