Oregon football has a new head coach, and a ton of returning production. It hinges on health, but the Ducks could return to greatness in 2018.
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Oregon football is in a very strange place. After consistently finishing near the top every year under Chip Kelly, the program seemed to be growing. That hope quickly faded under Mark Helfich. The Ducks bottomed out at 4-8 in 2016, and fired Helfrich.
To fill the vacancy, they hired yet another young, exciting offensive mastermind, just like they had with Kelly. Willie Taggart had a reputation for being a master of rebuilds, and Oregon had hope once again.
After a solid 7-5 season, despite the loss of their star quarterback to injury, Taggart dropped a bombshell. After Jimbo Fisher left Florida State for Texas A&M, Taggart packed up his bags and went home to FSU.
That left Oregon shocked and coachless. Rather than conducting a full search and jeopardizing their recruiting class, they stuck with what they knew. Former offensive coordinator Mario Cristobal now has the keys to the kingdom. Will his first season be another step towards a full return, or a fall back towards mediocrity? It’s one of the most interesting teams in 2018. What will they look like?