– In the first rankings release for the upcoming 2015 season, the Oregon football team is currently slated at No. 5 in the nation according to the preseason Amway Coaches poll. The Ducks are the top Pac-12 team in the rankings and are followed by No. 10 USC, No. 14 UCLA, No. 16 Arizona State, No. 21 Stanford and No. 22 Arizona. Currently ranked No. 1 is Ohio State, the team Oregon lost to in last year’s inaugural College Football Playoff National Championship, while Michigan State — Oregon’s week two opponent — is ranked No. 6.

– For the first time in three years, the Ducks aren’t predicted to win the Pac-12 conference in football as chosen by members of the media. A lot of media members seem to think USC will rise back to national relevance as they were predicted to win the southern half of the conference and then defeat the Ducks in the championship game. Oregon received 37 of 45 votes in the north, ahead of second-place Stanford.

– Emerald sports reporters Jack Heffernan and Ryan Kostecka held dueling columns as to who would be the better quarterback to start for Oregon football’s season opener. Heffernan made the case for Eastern Washington transfer Vernon Adams while Kostecka thinks the Ducks should stay in-house and choose Jeff Lockie.

– The Eugene Emeralds are still in a downward spiral throughout the culmination of the season as they recently dropped their fifth straight series. However, they’ve won the first two games on the road against Spokane. After the final two games of the series — tonight at 6:30 p.m. and tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. — the Emeralds will take a three-day break for the all-star game.

Follow Ryan Kostecka on Twitter @Ryan_Kostecka