Pac-12 Blog

Power rankings: No. 5 Oregon

August, 10, 2012

8/10/12

4:45

PM ET

By Ted Miller | ESPN.com

Oregon welcomes back 14 starters from a team that beat Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl and finished 12-2 and No. 4 in the nation. Two headliners, however, are gone in running back LaMichael James and quarterback Darron Thomas. While James was often spectacular, experienced backup Kenjon Barner is a proven commodity, and everyone saw what De'Anthony Thomas can do in the Rose Bowl. The more intriguing question is replacing Darron Thomas, with Marcus Mariota surging with a strong spring game in his competition with Bryan Bennett. But it is the Ducks' defense, not their fancy-pants offense, that makes this squad a national title contender. With A-list talent at all three levels, word in Eugene is this could be the program's best unit since the days of Gang Green.

For more on ESPN.com’s preseason Power Rankings, click here.

Ted Miller | email

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ESPN.com Pac-12 blogger
Covered college football since 1997
Wrote for Seattle Post-Intelligencer

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ABOUT THIS BLOG

Ted Miller

Miller has been covering college football since 1997, starting with Auburn and then heading West to Washington and the Pac-12. His columns for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer won first place in the 2007 APSE Best Writing contest. The Atlanta native and University of Richmond graduate presently lives with his wife in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Kevin Gemmell

Gemmell covered San Diego State and the Mountain West Conference for three years before joining ESPN.com. As a Santa Clara graduate, his hope is that the Broncos will one day re-institute football. Until then, he lives vicariously through his readers. Gemmell lives in California with his wife and son.

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