Ducks ranked behind Utah, USC, in latest ESPN preseason power rankings

The Oregon Ducks are the third-highest-ranked team in the Pac-12 according to the ESPN preseason power rankings.

No. 13 — Oregon Ducks

There is an understandable timidness when talking about the Oregon Ducks at a national level. With an entirely new coaching staff, and unsettled quarterback competition, and question marks across the roster, nobody knows exactly how good — or potentially mediocre — the Ducks might be this year.

Here’s what ESPN had to say about Oregon and their ‘X-factor’ in Bo Nix:

After an up-and-down season for Anthony Brown last year, the Ducks badly need some consistent quarterback play that doesn’t just involve game management. Adding Auburn’s Nix to the mix has been a step in the right direction. There’s a volatility that comes with Nix’s game that might be good for Oregon’s offense, and having his former quarterbacks coach Kenny Dillingham as offensive coordinator will certainly help as well. Should the Nix experiment go awry, Oregon is still set up to provide fireworks from that position with the electric redshirt freshman Ty Thompson, who has shown flashes of greatness already.

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