No. 5 Ducks solid for the future, with or without Chip Kelly

Oregon head coach Chip Kelly, left, laughs with Marcus Mariota after the Fiesta Bowl NCAA college football game against Kansas State Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013, in Glendale, Ariz. Oregon defeated Kansas State 35-17.(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) (The Associated Press)

Oregon's Michael Clay, left, holds up the championship trophy as head coach Chip Kelly looks on after the Fiesta Bowl NCAA college football game against Kansas State Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013, in Glendale, Ariz. Oregon defeated Kansas State 35-17.(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) (The Associated Press)

The Oregon Ducks enter the offseason with uncertainty over coach Chip Kelly's continued tenure and possible NCAA sanctions.

But at the same time the team faces a future with a strong foundation that includes redshirt freshman quarterback Marcus Mariota and speedy sophomore running back De'Anthony Thomas.

Fifth-ranked Oregon finished this season 12-1 with a 35-17 victory over No. 7 Kansas State in the Fiesta Bowl. It was the Ducks' fourth straight trip to a BCS bowl game and second straight win.

It is the third season that Oregon has finished with 12 wins. The team's lone loss this season came to Stanford on Nov. 17.

But since a 48-24 victory over Oregon State in the Civil War, much of the focus has been on Kelly and whether he'll make the jump to the NFL.