After tying for the top spot in the Pac-10 in 2000 and winning the championship outright last season, the Oregon Ducks are entering a new era in Eugene. They're getting used to life after Joey Harrington.

	Onterrio Smith averaged 6.25 yards per carry and scored seven touchdowns last season.

Not only did Harrington prove to be the ultimate team leader, but he was a master at rallying the troops late in the game. Harrington wanted the ball in his hands during crunch time, providing the unwavering confidence that permeated through the entire team.

OFFENSE
With Harrington now a Detroit Lion, the burden of directing Mike Bellotti's complex offense now rests on the shoulders of junior Jason Fife. During much of the spring, Fife was locked in a battle for the starting job with redshirt freshman Kellen Clemens. That was until the spring game, when Fife took control, tossing three TD passes and showing a complete command of the attack.

Clemens wasn't nearly as sharp in the spring game. However, with his scrambling ability and improvisational skills, it will be interesting to see if Bellotti and new offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig work Clemens into the mix in an effort to change things up in certain situations. Fife is a classic, drop-back passer, featuring a great deal of smarts as well as a live arm. What he lacks is the ability Clemens has to create with his legs.

With Maurice Morris moving on to the Seattle Seahawks, Heisman candidate and former Tennessee transfer Onterrio Smith becomes the undisputed featured back. Keep in mind, both Smith and Morris rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season, with Morris averaging 5.8 per carry and Smith 6.5. There will be a battle in August for the backup job between battle-tested senior Allan Amundson and speedy sophomore Ryan Shaw.

Fife not only has a top-flight RB with whom to share the pressure, but he has outstanding performers at the WR spot to throw to, too. Leading the way is senior Keenan Howry, a clutch performer, as well as junior Samie Parker, who has enough speed to blow past any cornerback in the country. Also in the mix are senior Jason Willis and third-year sophomore Keith Allen.

At tight end, the loss of Justin Peelle would normally be a huge blow. After all, Peelle, who went in the fourth round of the NFL draft to the San Diego Chargers, had 34 receptions last season, nine for touchdowns. However, you can look for experienced junior George Wrighster to be more than an adequate replacement. Last year, Wrighster saw action in all the double-TE sets, proving he can catch the football as well as stampede defenders in the open field.

The Ducks' offensive line isn't dominant, but it figures to be solid overall. This unit returns three starters and is led by versatile senior Corey Chambers. Last year, Chambers saw action at every position along the line except center. This season, he's slated to operate at the critical left tackle spot, where he'll protect Fife's blind side.

DEFENSE
While a decent number of experienced players return, coordiator Nick Aliotti will have to manage without productive, big-play veteran CB Rashad Bauman. Over the last two years, the spunky, instinctive Bauman picked off seven passes and broke up 38 others. This kid loved to compete and had the knack for coming through with the game-changing play in coverage. Now he's a part of the Washington Redskins organization. The Ducks also lost their other starting CB, Steve Smith, to graduation. He's with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Junior Steven Moore now becomes the Ducks' lead cover man, with inexperienced redshirt freshmen David Dixon and Justin Phinisee in the mix on the other side. Fortunately, the Ducks do return one of their elite defensive performers, junior rover Keith Lewis. Early on with the Ducks, he made his mark on special teams. Then last season he developed into one of the Pac-10's top defensive backs.

At linebacker, the Ducks are fortunate to return a pair of quality players in junior Kevin Mitchell and senior David Moretti. On the outside, they'll have to make up for the graduation loss of versatile Wesly Mallard, an impact performer last season who is looking to make the NFL grade as a sixth-round pick of the New York Giants.

Along the defensive line, look for huge (6-foot-6, 298 pounds) sophomore Igor Olshansky to begin making a name for himself in the Pac-10. Olshansky showed marked improvement last season, then capped things off with a solid effort against Colorado in the Fiesta Bowl.

Seniors Seth McEwen and Darrell Wright should provide consistent, reliable play at defensive end. Along the interior, it will be interesting to see how much of an impact highly regarded true freshman Haloti Ngata can make. The 6-4, 308-pounder looked like he was originally heading to BYU, but then he changed his mind and signed with the Ducks.

OVERVIEW
While there isn't a dominant team in the Pac-10, it would be without question Mike Bellotti's best coaching job of his exceptional career if he could lead the Ducks back to the top of the conference. Not only are the Ducks operating on offense without the "franchise" in Harrington, but they will also be without Morris, who was part of a one-two punch in the backfield.

Now it's up to Smith to be the focal point of the running game, with Amundson or Shaw providing very capable backup support. At QB, Fife might have the arm of Harrington, but you just can't place enough value on the leadership, grit and clutch ability that Harrington brought to the Ducks. It will also be interesting to see whether the athletic and mobile Clemens sees action off the bench.

Everything is in place at WR with Howry, Parker, Willis and Allen, while at TE, Wrighster should be a more than capable replacement for Peelle. Along the offensive line, Chambers will be the key performer as he steps in as the full-time left tackle.

Defensively, the front seven looks solid with McEwen, Wright, Olshansky, Moretti and Mitchell. And Ngata comes to the Ducks with intriguing press clippings. The secondary is the primary source of concern, particularly at CB where Bauman and Smith will be difficult to replace. Of the two, Bauman's loss is the most critical. He was the non-stop producer for the Ducks. Every time I spoke with an offensive skill position player in the Pac-10 over the last two years, they raved about his toughness and overall skill level.

Now it will be up to Moore to become the Ducks' lead cover man. There is no question that they will need a huge year from Lewis at the free safety/rover spot. The 6-1, 194-pound junior appears primed to make his mark as one of the top DBs in the country.

Considering the leadership and ability lost on both offense and defense, the Ducks are fortunate to open the campaign with four straight games in Eugene at Autzen Stadium. Then they must open the Pac-10 season with back-to-back road encounters against Arizona and UCLA.