Joel Klatt’s latest read on Oregon comes with a little praise and a little caution.
The FOX Sports analyst, who went into the 2026 preseason with the Ducks at No. 1 and everyone else “not even close,” has cooled on Oregon after an uneven start. In his most recent top 10 on “The Joel Klatt Show,” he slotted the No. 13 Ducks at No. 8, behind Georgia, Texas, Miami, and Notre Dame.
“At No. 8 is Oregon. I still think... we really close our eyes and think hard.
They can walk on any field in America and think to themselves: if we play our best, we can win this game. There's not many teams that can do that.
So, Oregon is still in there. They're at No.
8,” Klatt said.
That mixed verdict fits where Oregon stands right now. The Ducks have already lived through the jolt of a road loss to Oklahoma State and the high of a breakout win in Los Angeles against USC. They’re also one of only two teams in Klatt’s top 10 to have a loss at all, along with Ohio State, and the only one with a defeat to a team outside the AP top 10.
Still, Klatt’s decision to keep Oregon in the mix makes sense given the lack of a true runaway favorite and the talent the Ducks still have on hand. But the road ahead is where this team will keep getting tested.
Saturday brings No. 21 UCLA, and after that the schedule only gets heavier.
Oregon will host No. 2 Nebraska at Autzen Stadium in what could be a revenge game, with backup quarterback Dylan Raiola starting until senior Dante Moore returns from concussion protocol.
Then comes a Halloween visit from a new-look Northwestern team that could bring some familiar discomfort, especially with offensive coordinator Chip Kelly leading the way.
Late November doesn’t get any friendlier. The Ducks will face Michigan and Washington in back-to-back home games at Autzen, and while neither is considered among the conference’s best this season, both have a history of giving Oregon trouble.
With the Ducks’ national profile and their stop-start start to the 2026 season, the outside noise is only going to get louder. Dan Lanning is set to keep answering for everything from the 80-plus points scored against Portland State without shortening the second-half quarters, to Moore’s injury status after USC, to the bigger questions raised by the Oklahoma State loss.
For Oregon, that means the conversation isn’t going away. Not with this schedule. Not with this spotlight.
In Other News...
Dan Lanning Speaks On Tragedy That Hit Oregon Football Close To Home
A heartbreaking tragedy in Oregon high school football has shaken the broader football community, and Ducks coach Dan Lanning took a moment to publicly acknowledge it. Mason Flores, a 16-year-old junior varsity player from Sweet Home High School, suffered a severe brain injury during a game and later died on his 16th birthday after more than a week in critical condition.
Lanning expressed sympathy for Flores family and for the Sweet Home community as it continues to grieve. In the midst of that loss, the family made the selfless decision to donate his organs, a final act that underscores just how deeply this story has struck close to home for Oregon football. [Read more 🡒]
UCLA's New Coach Just Added To Autzen's Pregame Buzz
Bob Chesney already has a memory of what it feels like to walk into Autzen Stadium with Oregon waiting on the other side. Before taking over at UCLA, Chesney led James Madison into the 2025 College Football Playoff first round and came away on the wrong end of a 51-34 decision, but he also left with a healthy respect for the place. He praised Oregons game-day atmosphere at Autzen, the kind of detail Ducks fans probably appreciate hearing from a coach now trying to build something new in Westwood.
Chesneys move to UCLA brought 11 former JMU players with him for the 2026 season, and that group now has its own reason to think about Eugene. Running back Wayne Knight was among those who commented on the effort to recreate the environment ahead of the Bruins upcoming trip to face Oregon, which adds a little more intrigue to a game already likely to draw attention. For the Ducks, it is another reminder that Autzens reputation travels, even with a new coach trying to steady a roster on the other sideline. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Comes Out Of Its Bye With Two Big UCLA Concerns
Oregon heads into its first game out of the bye week with a clear sense of what needs tightening before UCLA comes to Eugene. The Ducks have spent the opening stretch of the season sorting through a few recurring issues, and two of them stand out as especially relevant for this matchup: getting wide receiver Dakorien Moore more involved in the offense and finding a better way to limit what opposing passing games are able to do.
The defensive side brings its own pressure point, with Oregon looking for sharper play at safety after allowing too much production through the air in the first four games. Those concerns do not erase the progress the Ducks have made, but they do frame UCLA as a useful measuring stick for a team trying to clean up details while protecting its place in the seasons bigger picture. [Read more 🡒]