Oregon’s next two weeks come with a familiar rhythm, and that may matter more than it looks on paper.
The Ducks will head to No. 11 Ohio State on Saturday, Nov. 7, then turn around for a home game against Michigan on Nov.
- That matchup with the Wolverines is set for 12:30 p.m.
PT and will air on FS1, which means Oregon avoids a night kickoff in Autzen Stadium for a November showdown.
That detail could be a small break for Michigan. Oregon hasn’t hosted many night games in Autzen this season, and while the Ducks did beat Nebraska at home after a late kickoff, most of their home games have been played in the 12:30 window. So the Ducks will be operating in a time slot they know well.
The timing also creates an unusual stretch for Oregon, which will face Ohio State and Michigan in back-to-back weeks while playing in the same kickoff window on different networks.
Both teams enter the matchup with quarterback questions, though the issues look different on each sideline.
For Oregon, Dante Moore has not played since suffering a concussion against USC, and Dan Lanning said after the Ducks’ loss to Illinois in week 8 that he is not expecting Moore back this season. Dylan Raiola came on in relief of Moore against the Trojans and helped Oregon to a 41-27 win, but he struggled in his first start, a home loss to No.
5 UCLA. Oregon then turned to Brock Thomas, only to bench him in favor of Raiola, who has started the past two games.
Raiola appears to be the quarterback choice for Lanning and Oregon’s new-look offensive staff after the firing of Drew Mehringer.
Michigan’s situation has played out differently. Bryce Underwood opened the season as the starter and has thrown for 924 yards in six games, completing 58.1 percent of his passes with five touchdowns and six interceptions.
That opened the door for backup Tommy Carr, and he has taken advantage of it. Against No.
6 Indiana, Carr went 20 of 32 for 167 yards and one interception. Against Rutgers, he completed 22 of 27 passes for 266 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, while also rushing for two scores.
Carr has since been named the starting quarterback by Whittingham.
The series between Oregon and Michigan is dead even at 3-3. Oregon won the most recent meeting, a 38-17 victory at The Big House in 2024. The Nov. 14 game will also be the first time Michigan has played Oregon in Autzen Stadium as a Big Ten conference game.
Michigan has been to Autzen once before. In 2003, the then-No. 3 Wolverines lost 31-27 to the Ducks.
Before that showdown arrives, Oregon still has Ohio State in front of it. The Ducks and Buckeyes kick at 12:30 p.m.
PT on Saturday, Nov. 7, while Michigan hosts Michigan State the same day at 4:30 p.m. PT.
In Other News...
Na'eem Offord Gets His Biggest Oregon Test Yet Against Ohio State
After the win over Northwestern, Oregons attention turns quickly to a far bigger measuring stick: an 11th-ranked Ohio State team that will bring plenty of national attention and a familiar storyline with it. Cornerback Na'eem Offord sits right at the center of it, not just because of the matchup, but because he was once an Ohio State recruit before flipping to Oregon and becoming one of the more interesting figures on this weeks radar.
For Ducks fans, it adds another layer to a game that already carries weight. Offord now gets a chance to show what he can do against the program that once wanted him, and hell be doing it against an Ohio State offense that is missing key players. However the matchup plays out, it gives Oregon one of its most intriguing individual tests of the season and a spotlight moment for a defender whose path to Eugene already made him a talking point. [Read more 🡒]
Bucky Irving Just Gave Oregon Fans Another Reason To Dream
Bucky Irving keeps giving Oregon fans plenty to track on Sundays, and his latest outing was the kind that turns heads far beyond Tampa Bay. In a 16-0 win over the Atlanta Falcons, the former Ducks standout carried the offense in a way that felt almost old-school, piling up career highs with 27 carries and 170 rushing yards while finding the end zone once.
The Buccaneers also made franchise history with 323 rushing yards, and they did it in a game where they did not complete a pass, a rare feat in the Super Bowl era. For Irving, it was another sign that his rookie-to-second-year surge is real, with his season now on pace to be his best yet as he continues to build a reputation as one of the leagues most reliable young backs. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Heads Into Ohio State With A Worry Fans Cant Ignore
Oregon got past Northwestern, but the win came with the kind of injury fallout that can linger into a much bigger week. The Ducks took hits at running back and on special teams, with Jordon Davison leaving with a leg injury, Dierre Hill Jr. getting banged up and returner Dakorien Moore also dealing with an issue as the team turned its attention to Ohio State.
Dan Lanning said Davison will need further evaluation, while Hill is still being described as a little banged up. Moore, though, is expected to be ready for the Buckeyes, and Jeremiah McClellan is back practicing as he works his way back from a broken foot. Even with some encouraging signs, Oregons depth is about to be tested in a game where every healthy body matters. [Read more 🡒]