Kirk Herbstreit didn’t need long to make his case for Oregon on College GameDay.
With ESPN’s crew in Iowa City for No. 14 Iowa’s showdown with No.
5 Ohio State, Herbstreit used the show’s buy-or-sell segment to back the Ducks, who are on a bye before facing No. 23 UCLA on Oct.
“I would have loved to pick Oregon last week before they beat USC, but I'm still gonna pick Oregon,” Herbstreit said. “Oregon, I think, turned their season around after that disappointing loss in Stillwater, everybody thought, 'What's going on with Oregon?'”
He kept going, pointing to the Ducks’ depth behind Dante Moore.
“And not only that Des (Desmond Howard), Oregon loses their starting quarterback. We saw that vicious hit Dante Moore, and Dylan Raiola came in, they played better.
So I think having a a capable backup. I don't know how long Dante Moore is gonna be out with that concussion, but they're sitting at 15.
I feel like they're going up. I feel good about Oregon,” Herbstreit continued.
That confidence comes after Oregon’s road win over USC, a game that flipped once Moore exited with roughly 10 minutes remaining in the second quarter. Dan Lanning’s team still found plenty of offense, rolling up 504 yards with no turnovers and scoring 28 second-half points to pull away.
The Ducks also controlled USC on the other side of the ball, limiting the Trojans to 2-for-11 on third down and holding quarterback Jayden Maiava to his worst completion percentage of the season at 54.8 percent.
Oregon now heads into a stretch that will test how real that momentum is. The Ducks have played only one Big Ten game in 2026 and are staring at eight games in eight weeks after the bye.
UCLA comes first, and the Bruins bring an undefeated record and a fresh ranking into the matchup. Even so, the early line has Oregon as a 12.5-point favorite, according to FanDuel.
After that, the Ducks’ October run keeps coming with Nebraska, a trip to Illinois, and Northwestern, which brings former Oregon coach Chip Kelly back to Autzen Stadium for his first visit as the Wildcats’ offensive coordinator.
The biggest hurdle still waiting is Ohio State in Columbus, but the Buckeyes have work to do before that date arrives. GameDay chose Ohio State-Iowa because of the Big Ten picture and College Football Playoff implications, and Ohio State still has No.
6 Indiana and No. 18 USC on its schedule before Oregon comes to town.
November closes with Michigan, Michigan State and Washington, giving Lanning and Oregon a path that could still put them in the mix for an at-large CFP berth or even the Big Ten title game.
For now, though, the next step is simple: UCLA on Oct. 10.
In Other News...
Dan Lanning Sends Clear Message On Oregon's Dante Moore Situation
Dan Lanning didnt sound interested in rushing Dante Moore back, even with Oregon heading into a matchup against UCLA and the quarterback spot still in flux. The Ducks coach said Moore is working through concussion recovery and made it clear the program is following the proper protocol, keeping the focus on the young quarterbacks health rather than forcing a quick return.
If Moore is not cleared in time, Dylan Raiola is expected to get the start, giving Oregon another look at its depth under center. For now, the bigger message from Lanning was simple: the Ducks can handle the short-term uncertainty, but they are not going to gamble with Moores long-term well-being just to solve one weeks roster question. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Commit Is Giving Ducks Fans One Big Reason To Worry
Tae Walden Jr. has already given Oregon fans plenty to like. The four-star two-way athlete in the Ducks 2027 recruiting class has turned heads at both wide receiver and defensive back, and his commitment fits neatly into a class that is already shaping up as one of the stronger groups in the cycle, especially at the skill positions.
Still, there is at least some reason for unease. Ole Miss has continued to push for Walden, and he has already been on campus there with another visit planned later in the season, which is the kind of attention that can test even a firm commitment. For Oregon, the recruitment is less about where things stand now and more about whether it can keep one of its more intriguing future pieces from getting pulled deeper into the SEC conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Faces A Much Different UCLA Test Than Fans Remember
A familiar name is back in Oregons path, but this UCLA team brings a very different look than the one Ducks fans might remember. No. 13 Oregon heads into the matchup against No. 21 UCLA with the Bruins showing clear improvement this season under Bob Chesney, who made the jump from James Madison and has helped stabilize a program that has played with more confidence and consistency than in recent years.
The history between the programs still matters, but so does the present, and this one carries real stakes with both teams ranked. Oregon has its own case to make in the national picture, while UCLA arrives with enough momentum to make this more than a routine conference test, which is why the early read on the game points to a tighter contest than the series history might suggest. [Read more 🡒]