Sports betting on the Oregon Ducks may not be as successful next season as it was in 2009. The Ducks continue to get bad news regarding their players. Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli faces a burglary charge while running back LaMichael James is likely to plead no contest to a domestic violence charge. The Ducks were an Internet sports betting success in 2009 as they made it to the Rose Bowl but those days seem a distant memory now.
Sports betting had James setting a Pac-10 freshman record with more than 1,500 yards last season. Masoli was nearly unstoppable in many games last season but now the future for both players looks up in the air. The entire Oregon football program is simply a mess heading into the 2010 college football season. Masoli and former Oregon receiver Garrett Embry were charged with one count of burglary in the second degree.
“Any time an athlete is involved with the law, we’re concerned, but we’ll let the legal process run its course,” Oregon athletic director Mike Bellotti said to a local paper, “We recognize that there are issues, and we’ll just move forward. Sometimes we have some information, from a player’s point of view, and you just have to wait until the truth comes out.” It was alleged that Masoli and Embry stole two computers and a guitar on January 25th.
Masoli threw for 2,147 yards and 15 touchdowns last season as Internet sports betting numbers indicated. He also ran for 668 yards and 13 touchdowns. The Ducks had a really good season after losing their opener to Boise State. They won their first Pac-10 title since 2001 and made their first Rose Bowl since 1995. They lost in sports betting in that game to Ohio State.
Whether Masoli or James plays next season could be in question. James is expected to change his plea to no contest on charges of menacing, strangulation and assault. The incident between James and his girlfriend occurred on February 15th. James is said to be changing his plea as part of a plea agreement.
The question for Oregon will be what to do with James and Masoli. They are the two best players on the team but it is possible that one or both of them might not play again and that would be a huge blow to Oregon for the 2010 season.