Oregon football 2022 season prediction, preview, awards, 2022 bowl game

Expectations are sky high for Dan Lanning in his first year leading the Oregon football team.

Fresh off winning a national championship at Georgia, Dan Lanning is tasked with keeping a strong Oregon football program afloat amid murky waters in the Pac-12.

Ducks will fly together alright, as Oregon is a major contender out west this season. However, the Pac-12 is no longer a one flock league. The Utah Utes are a wagon in Salt Lake, while things are getting particularly interesting in Los Angeles, just in time for the Bruins and Trojans to bail on the conference they have held up for decades to pursue this new and exciting venture in the Midwest.

Quacking their way in at No. 11 on FanSided’s Preseason Top 50 Rankings, the Oregon Ducks!

Oregon football 2021 season in review

Oregon entered 2021 with great expectations. Although they won the Pac-12 in 2020 on pretty much a technicality, the Ducks were predicted to repeat last year. After a pair of great wins in the non-conference over Fresno State and somehow over then-No. 3 Ohio State in the Horseshoe, the Ducks suffered an awful early loss in conference play at Stanford. The Cardinal went duck hunting.

Though the Ducks responded by rattling off five straight Pac-12 wins over the likes of Cal, Colorado and Washington State, they were no match for the physicality put forth by Kyle Whittingham’s Utah program. After getting stuffed and mounted onto a wall after the Salt Lake affair, they beat those pesky Beavers to finish the regular season at 10-2 as division champions.

Unfortunately, they ran into the same Utah buzzsaw in Las Vegas this time for the conference title bout. It was a sign that maybe things needed to change in Eugene a bit. Mario Cristobal had made the Ducks a strong program in his four years on the job full-time, but Utah running roughshod on them twice in three weeks was humiliating, so he took his talents to South Beach.

Facing another team marred by disappointment and a coach bailing on them in Oklahoma, Bob Stoops said hello as he tried to coach the Sooners for free in the Alamo Bowl in the Alamodome. Having to wait for the dust to settle a bit, Oregon successfully hired Lanning away from the best defense in football. He arrived in Eugene cheesing bigger than any kid during school picture day.

Previewing Oregon offense for 2022 season

Returning starters (6): Terrance Ferguson (TE), Steven Jones (LT), T.J. Bass (LG), Alex Forsyth (C), Ryan Walk (RG), Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu (RT)
Newcomers (4): Bo Nix (QB), Chase Cota (WR), Caleb Chapman (WR), Mar’Keise Irving (RB)
Impact player: Bo Nix (QB)

While it will be mostly inexperienced guys or newcomers on offense for Oregon, the Ducks do return six starters, including their entire starting offensive line from the year prior. This should make things relatively easy for a new defensive-minded head coach in Lanning. If he is able to run the ball effectively and take the Ducks’ defense up a notch, Oregon can certainly win big this way.

Oregon did make use of the transfer portal in Lanning’s first year on the job. The Ducks added quarterback Bo Nix (Auburn), wide receiver Chase Cota (UCLA), wide receiver Caleb Chapman (Texas A&M ) and running back Mar’Keise Irving (Minnesota) to an offense that will be coordinated by Kenny Dillingham. The skill-position players will look very different, but that is not a bad thing.

The most notable player on the Oregon offense is the former Auburn starting quarterback. He may have been a legacy signal-caller down on The Plains, but things got really weird in Auburn, which they tend to do from time to time. He has familiarity with Dillingham, so the hope is he can use his ample starting experience to his advantage so his Ducks will fly together to get to Las Vegas, baby!

Previewing Oregon defense for 2022 season

Returning starters (7): D.J. Johnson (DE), Bradyn Swinson (DE), Brandon Dorlus (DT), Noah Sewell (LB), Justin Flowe (LB), Bryan Addison (CB), Jamal Hill (DB)
Newcomers (2): Taki Taimani (DT), Christian Gonzalez (CB)
Impact player: Noah Sewell (LB)

Lanning does inherit several quality players on his first Oregon defense. Although the Ducks have around seven returning starters, it starts and ends with their two all-world linebacker talents in Justin Flowe and Noah Sewell. Together, they can be a reason why Oregon could potentially have the most physical defense in the Pac-12, although Utah is still the team to beat in the conference.

As expected, Oregon did pick up a few transfers this offseason with the new regime in Eugene. Christian Gonzalez comes over from Pac-12 foe Colorado to play a big role in the Oregon defensive backfield. Taki Taimani actually turned heel to leave bitter rival Washington up in Seattle to come play for the Ducks. Washington has a new head coach in Kalen DeBoer, but that team is rebuilding.

Flowe and Sewell will have Pac-12 quarterbacks’ heads on a swivel all season long. The reason we are going with Sewell over Flowe in this exercise for impact player is two-fold. One, he has been healthier over Flowe. And two, his older brother is former Oregon star and second-year pro with the Detroit Lions in left tackle Penei Sewell. Look for him to be an All-American like his big brother.

Oregon football players awards watch for 2022 season

Eight Oregon football players appear on preseason awards watch lists for the 2022 season.

Bo Nix, Davey O’Brien

With a chance to beat Georgia for the first time in his college football career, Nix has found his way onto the Davey O’Brien Award preseason watch list. Maybe lesser competition will help him out?

Byron Cardwell, Doak Walker

Running back Byron Cardwell will be expected to carry the ground game in Eugene in Lanning’s first year. He is in the mix for the Doak Walker running behind a very experienced offensive line.

Terrance Ferguson, Mackey

The most seasoned pass-catcher on the Oregon roster is tight end Terrance Ferguson. He is in contention for the Mackey. Should Ferguson develop a quick rapport with Nix, you never know…

T.J. Bass, Outland

T.J. Bass is one of two Ducks offensive linemen who made the Outland preseason awards watch list. Oregon should be absolutely filthy in the trenches, so the Outland is not an impossibility here.

Alex Forsyth, Outland, Rimington

Center Alex Forsyth joins Bass on the Outland Trophy preseason awards watch list. Given the position he plays, he is also in the mix to possibly bring home the Rimington as the best center.

Brandon Dorlus, Nagurski

Defensive lineman Brandon Dorlus finds himself on the watch list for the Nagurski. Oregon should be strong in its defensive front-seven. While Flowe and Sewell will outshine him, this unit slaps.

Justin Flowe, Butkus

Flowe is one of two Oregon linebackers in consideration to win the Butkus. We will get to the other guy in just one second, but a healthy Flowe will be the one to really make this defense go.

Noah Sewell, Butkus, Nagurski

As expected, Sewell is on preseason awards watch lists for both the Butkus and the Nagurski. Pedigree and playing for an elite linebackers coach in Lanning could propel Sewell to either prize.

Oregon football biggest game on 2022 schedule

Looking at Oregon’s 2022 regular-season schedule, the Ducks draw two brutal games in the non-conference. They have to play defending national champion Georgia in Atlanta, so good luck with that. Two weeks later, they host a ranked BYU team, who will be making the jump to the Power Five next year. Splitting the pair is expected, but there are no guarantees for Lanning’s boys.

Thus, if we are looking at the most important game on the schedule, it would have to be the home date vs. Utah near the end of the year, right? Absolutely. Oregon cannot look inferior to the Utes after how last season went vs. Whittingham’s team. While the Ducks do not have to win this to be heading in the right direction under Lanning, they can win the Pac-12 to maybe make the playoff.

If Oregon falls to Utah at home for loss No. 2 on the year, the Ducks will not fly together to an NY6.

Oregon football best-case scenario

Unless you’re cooking meatloaf for Joey Harrington in your Eugene apartment because you love your Ducks more than Supwitchugirl, the Return of the Quack is not happening until after a certain defeat to Georgia in Uncle Arthur’s billion-dollar sphincter of a spaceship. If the Ducks win this, look for the Oregon campus to be raging harder than the Deltas did at Faber College in 1962.

The good news is Oregon may not lose another game after that until right around New Year’s. That’s right. If Oregon shows it can hang with the Big Dawgs, the Ducks will eat the rest of the way. They would pick up ranked wins over definitely BYU and Utah, possibly over UCLA if the Bruins finally “pop” under Chip Kelly. If Oregon wins out and gets to Vegas 11-1, maybe playoff?

It would be hard to keep a one-loss Pac-12 champion Oregon out of the College Football Playoff if their lone loss on the year was to Georgia in the season opener right in the Dawgs’ backyard in Atlanta. If Oregon does run the Pac-12 gauntlet, Lanning will be named coach of the year, and rightfully so. Unfortunately, the Ducks are not beating Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State or whoever.

A best-case scenario has Oregon snapping the Pac-12’s embarrassing playoff drought this year.

Oregon football worst-case scenario

Although we have all seen Lanning recruit like a madman before at Georgia, what if he is not ready for the big chair just yet and the rest of the Pac-12 goes duck hunting? Not to say he’s going to polish off a bottle of Everclear faster than you can say Art Alexakis while attempting to watch the world die from the Santa Monica pier at season’s end, but what if everything isn’t wonderful now?

As Mike Francesa would say about the Georgia game, that’s a loss, Dawg. After beating the team where Cooper Kupp’s neckbeard, Colin Cowherd’s hot takes and Jim McElwain’s shark infatuations first emanated from, the Ducks fall to 1-2 after getting ripped apart by Mormon Cougars in mid-September Liquid Sunshine, alright. Wazzu is weird anyway, so 1-2 becomes 1-3 very quickly.

After getting back to .500 with wins over Stanford and Arizona, Chip Kelly wins the Chip Kelly Bowl while the Ducks are wearing pink. Geoff Schwartz is absolutely beside himself after this latest loss in Autzen. Although Oregon takes two of three when it comes to at Cal, at Colorado and vs. Washington, a fifth loss spells a season of total disaster. With Utah and Oregon State left, woof.

It would have to be a season from hell, but there is a chance Phil Knight’s alma mater goes 5-7…

Oregon football 2022 season prediction

All things equal, Oregon should be a top three or four team in the Pac-12 in Lanning’s first year on the job. The Ducks are not beating the Dawgs in Atlanta and they may have a hard time vs. Utah at home. But other than that, Oregon can definitely win the rest of their games. While the BYU game and the UCLA date will not be easy, having those two at Autzen could serve as big building blocks.

Expect for Oregon to remain a fixture in and around the top 15 for most of the season. Even if USC and UCLA are leaving the conference, this looks to be one of the better years of Pac-12 football in ages. Thus, the Ducks will get credit for all eight conference wins they are sure to get this season. Unfortunately, they suffer a second loss on the year to Utah to end playoff talk to end up at 10-2.

Oregon will face either USC or Utah in the conference title bout, but may fall to 10-3 in Las Vegas.

Oregon football 2022 bowl game prediction

The returning Oregon players may remember the Alamo Bowl quite well, as the Ducks are going back to the Alamodome for their bowl game in San Antonio. Meeting them there on the Riverwalk to enjoy a healthy helping of Whataburger, because the spicy ketchup is so fire Dawg, will be the Baylor Bears from right down the road. Neither team wanted to be here, but things are looking up.

Up next: No. 10 North Carolina State Wolfpack

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