Associated Press college football writer Ralph D. Russo offered up his preseason predictions today and he's high on the Ducks. The AP sports writer has Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert winning the Heisman Trophy and the Ducks playing in the Rose Bowl for the 2018 season.

There's been plenty of talk about Justin Herbert as a Heisman candidate this season, with the Las Vegas sports books listing him with 18/1 odds to win the award, but the projection for Oregon to make the Rose Bowl is one of the highest projections of the Ducks so far. Russo doesn't have the Ducks winning the conference but making the Rose Bowl as an at large bid.

In his Pac-12 prediction, Russo has the Washington Huskies winning the conference title game over Utah and heading to the Cotton Bowl as a part of the four team College Football Playoff. With a Pac-12 team headed to the playoff, the Rose Bowl would then be able to take a new team at-large, and historically the Rose Bowl has tried to preserve the Big Ten vs. Pac-12 matchup that had been the tradition before the BCS and now the CFP. Russo has the Ducks facing the Wisconsin Badgers in a rematch of the 2012 Rose Bowl Game where the Ducks defeated the Badgers 45-38.

If the Ducks were to make the Rose Bowl, it would be the programs eighth appearance in "The Granddaddy of Them All" and fourth in the past decade. Oregon played in the 2010 Rose Bowl against Ohio State, 2012 Rose Bowl against Wisconsin, and 2015 Rose Bowl against Florida State, with the Ducks winning two of three.

For Russo's Heisman prediction, the writer feels that 2018 will be "a season where a not-so-obvious player makes a run." Additionally, Russo thinks that a QB will win the award as 15 of the last 18 winners were quarterbacks.

Herbert has picked up a lot of press this off season with mentions as a Heisman hopeful and early 2019 NFL draft pick from numerous media outlets. At the conclusion of the 2017 season, multiple offshore sports books posted Justin Herbert from between 23/1 and 30/1 odds to win the heisman but the Westgate Superbook is the first Las Vegas casino to offer the bet.

When asked about his name being mentioned as a Heisman candidate in 2017 at the Las Vegas Bowl, Justin Herbert told the media "I haven't seen too much of it but if that's the case, it's pretty cool."

Traditionally, preseason and opening odds for the Heisman Trophy include a large number of candidates that are weeded out in the first few weeks of the season. Though eventual winner Baker Mayfield opened the season as a favorite, 2017's runner up Bryce Love was not even on the board before the season.

Before the 2017 season, Justin Herbert was not on anyone's radar for the Heisman, yet after strong performances against Nebraska and Wyoming jumped as a top 5 favorite sitting 25/1. Herbert's stock fell after a loss to Arizona State and was off the board when injured against Cal.

The sophomore managed to throw for 1983 yards, 15 touchdowns and just five picks in an injury-shortened season. Oregon was also 6-2 with Herbert starting games, as opposed to 1-4 without Herbert on the field.