Phil Steele: Oregon Ducks Will Be One of College Football’s Surprise Teams in 2016|Oregon Hot Topics|Team BattleGround|College BattleGround

“This is the type of Ducks team that usually bounces back.”

Everyone’s favorite college football preview man Phil Steele says the Oregon Ducks could be in for a good season this fall.

His official preview magazine is out, and in a post for ESPN Steele lays out 13 surprise teams for 2016.

One of those teams, of course, is Oregon. Here are his comments on Mark Helfrich’s team:

Can Mark Helfrich keep this program at the top? At 3-3 last year, people openly wondered if the Ducks would make a bowl, and their four losses were the most since 2007. This is the type of Ducks team that usually bounces back, as they had six straight years of 12 or more wins and get the top two teams in the North at Autzen Stadium, where they are 64-5 the past seven years.

The other teams on the list are Washington (“Coaches usually hit their stride in Year 3 with three recruiting classes, their systems and philosophies firmly implemented”), TCU, Iowa, Baylor, UCLA, Miami, Georgia, Houston, Michigan State, Ole Miss, Louisville and North Carolina, with Nebraska included as a “bonus long-shot pick.”

The home game against the Huskies Oct. 8 will be very interesting with both teams getting some preseason love from Steele.