Oregon Ducks 2009 College Football Predictions - 2010 BCS Odds: Its hard to tell from this mid-summer's standpoint how the University of Oregon Ducks football team will fare in its 2009-10 football campaign. One thing we know for sure - the Ducks are a top-five Pac-10 program. It's where in that top-five they truly belong is anybody's guess. We can assume it could be anywhere from second to fifth with number one belonging to the Trojans of USC. Now you must understand; this is pre-season speculation meaning anything decided will probably fly out the window after the first week in September.

Oddsmakers at Sportsbook.com, the online sportsbook with the most comprehensive College Football betting odds, lists the Ducks as third best in the Pac-10 with +6000 odds chance of winning the 2010 BCS National Championship. USC, ranked by Sportsbook as the top Pac-10 program is listed at +600 odds followed by California (+5000), Oregon (+6000), UCLA (+7500), Arizona, Arizona State and Oregon State at +20000. Stanford, Washington State and Washington are not listed on the Sportsbook.com BCS board.

For Oregon to have a chance of winning a BCS Title they must win the Pac-10 and avoid any other land mines along the way; i.e.- losing at Boise State Sept. 5. The Ducks could possibly even lose one game as long as it is to a major power (USC) as long as it still wins the conference.

The Ducks also have what would be considered a favorable schedule as USC, Cal and Oregon State all must come to Autzen Stadium, and with players like LeGarrette Blount, Ed Dickson and Jeremiah Masoli leading the charge on offense, there is no reason to think Oregon won't continue to pile up yards and points with the nation's best in 2009. But the missing ingredient, at least in terms of formal criteria, is returning starters from last year's 10-3 overall, 7-2 Pac-10 campaign. And that number is 10, the smallest of any league side.

The good news for Duck fans is that number is misleading. The statistic typically only takes into account returners who started more than half the games during the previous year. As a result, the Pac-10 spring prospectus lists five returners on offense and five on defense. But if you subscribe to the idea that you're only as good as your last game, Oregon has 12 returners who started against Oklahoma State in the Holiday Bowl, and that doesn't include C.E. Kaiser, who is listed as one of the five on offense. Add to him Jordan Holmes, a four-game starter a year ago, and the number jumps to 14.

All told, 18 current Ducks (10 offense, 8 defense) have starting experience.