Cal Football: Previewing Bears' 2020 Opponents -- Game 7: Oregon Ducks

Ducks are favorites to win Pac-12, but must replace QB Justin Herbert

Cal will be back home when it faces its toughest test of the season, as the Bears host Oregon on Oct. 17.

The defending Pac-12 champion Ducks are expected to be ranked in the preseason top-25 and might be in the top 10, despite the loss of quarterback Justin Herbert.

Of course that assumes there will be college football in 2020. And even if games are played it's no certainty that fans will be allowed into Cal's Memorial Stadium to watch, based on Gov. Gavin Newsom's comments earlier this month.

(Previews on Cal's earlier 2020 Opponents: Game 1 UNLV, Game 2 TCU, Game 3 Cal Poly, Game 4 Utah, Game 5 Washington State, and Game 6 USC.)

Let's get on with a look at the 2020 Oregon Ducks

Game 7: OREGON at CAL, Saturday, Oct. 17

Oregon's 2019 record: 12-2 overall, 8-1/1st in Pac-12 North

Series record: The series is tied 40-40-2, but Oregon has won 10 of the last 11 meetings with Cal, and that includes the Ducks' 17-7 victory last year in Eugene. Cal was without quarterback Chase Garbers in that game, and Devon Modster was 17-for-34 with one touchdown and two interceptions. Cal picked off Justin Herbert once and the Ducks committed three first-half turnovers, as Cal led 7-0 at the half. Since 2008, Cal's only win over Oregon came in 2016 in Berkeley, when the Bears won 52-49 in two overtimes.

Ducks coach: Mario Cristobal is 21-6 in his two seasons as Oregon's head coach. He was Oregon's co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach for a year before being promoted to head coach, and he was an assistant coach at Alabama for four years before that.  Cristobal was the head coach at Florida International for six seasons, going 27-48.

Top players: Junior OT Penei Sewell (first-team All-American); junior RB CJ Verdell (1,220 rushing yards, 6.2 yards per carry); senior WR Johnny Johnson III (57 receptions, 836 yards, 87 TDs); junior S Jevon Holland (66 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 4 interceptions); sophomore DE Kayvon Thibodeaux (9.0 sacks, 14.0 tackles for loss).

Strengths: OT Penei Sewell won the Outland Trophy as the nation' top interior lineman last season as a sophomore, and Oregon will rely on him to open hopes for RB CJ Verdell, a second-team all-Pac-12 selection last season when he rushed for 1,220 yards. . . . The Ducks should have one of the best secondaries in the Pac-12, if not the country, with the return of S Jevon Holand, CB Thomas Graham Jr. and CB Deommodore Lenoir. Those three combined for seven intereptions and 28 pass breakups in 2019. . . DE Kayvon Thibodeaux has the look of a star after recording nine sacks last season as a freshman, and the defensive line as a whole should be solid . . . The Ducks led the Pac-12 in sacks with 43 last year, and they should have a strong pass rush again in 2020.

Weaknesses:  Quarterback Justin Herbert, who is expected to be a first-round pick in the upcoming NFL draft, is gone, leaving a giant question mark at the quarterback spot. Tyler Shough, last year's backup, is likely to land the starting spot, but he will get competition in preseason workouts. . . . Whichever quarterback wins the starting job will operate behind an offensive line that lost four starters. . . . The offensive adjustments are made more difficult by the fact that the Ducks have a new offensive coordinator (Joe Moorhead) and had limited spring practice. . . The one weakness on defense is the void left by emotional leader Troy Dye at inside linebacker.

What you should know about Oregon: The Ducks have undergone a transformation under Mario Cristobal. Known for its fast-paced, high scoring attack under Chip Kelly, Oregon now tries to overpower foes with its strong offense. . . . Oregon beat Utah in the Pac-12 championship game last season, then defeated Wisconsin 28-27 in the Rose Bowl. Oregon was ranked No. 5 in the final AP poll of 2019. . .  . Oregon has played in the national championship game twice in the past 10 years, losing to Auburn 22-19 in the national title game following the 2010 season and falling to Ohio State 42-20 in College Football Playoff championship game following the 2014 season. . . . Cal's new offensive coordinator, Bill Musgrave, was a quarterback at Oregon and was a four-year starter (1987-90). In his senior season, Oregon played Cal in Berkeley, and Musgrave got knocked out of the game in the first half with a head injury. (Listen to video below).

Spring practice status: The Ducks began spring workouts on March 5, and were able to get four practices in before the rest of spring ball was canceled due to the  COVID-19 shutdown. The program’s spring game was scheduled for April 18 but will not be played.

2020 Season projection: The Ducks are generally considered the team to beat in the Pac-12 in 2020. In fact, Athlon called the Ducks an "overwhelming favorite" to capture the conference title. Sporting News and ESPN both placed Oregon at No. 6 in their early preseason top-25 rankings for 2020,

Cal-Oregon game prediction: Oregon 27, Cal 17