CBS Sports’ college football panel didn’t split hairs when it came to Oregon’s ceiling this season. In the middle of previewing the No. 2 Ducks’ opener against Boise State, studio anchor Emily Proud put the question to the group plainly: “Raise your hand if you think Oregon is going to win the national championship,”
Proud, Damien Harris, Danny Kanell and Kenjon Barner all answered the same way, lifting their hands together. That made the panel’s stance crystal clear: Oregon is their pick to win the 2026 national championship.
It’s a bold call, but not a random one. Oregon is back with Dante Moore at quarterback after he chose not to enter the NFL Draft, and the roster around him is loaded. Dan Lanning remains in charge, and that combination was enough for the CBS Sports crew to back the Ducks to finally break through.
The program has spent years knocking on the door. Oregon reached the national title game in 2010 and 2014, losing to Auburn and Ohio State, and it has come close plenty of other times since then. Last season ended with another shot at the sport’s biggest stage, only for the Ducks to fall to eventual national champion Indiana in a College Football Playoff semifinal blowout.
For now, though, CBS Sports is betting that the ending changes this time. The Ducks open their season Saturday at home against Boise State, with kickoff set for 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS.
While the CBS Sports group is unanimous on Oregon, the Kalshi market has its own read on where the Ducks and the rest of the national title contenders stand as the season unfolds.
In Other News...
Oregon Faces An Early WR Twist Fans Didn't Expect
Oregons season opener against Boise State brought an early shakeup to the receiver room, with Iverson Hooks not dressed for warmups and set to miss the game. That is a notable development for a transfer who arrived from UAB as one of the Ducks more interesting offseason additions and even landed on the Preseason Biletnikoff Award watchlist, raising expectations for what he might add to the offense right away.
Freshman Jalen Lott was also not dressed, which opens the door for other Oregon wideouts to pick up snaps and prove their place in the rotation. For a team trying to establish rhythm early in the year, the absence of two receivers changes the look of the depth chart before the first kickoff is even in the books. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Opens With An Early Jalen Lott Concern Fans Will Watch
Oregons build toward its 2026 season opener against Boise State at Autzen Stadium got a little more complicated before kickoff when freshman wide receiver Jalen Lott and transfer Iverson Hooks were not spotted in pregame warmups. Lotts absence stood out most, given the attention he brought into camp and the fact that he was reportedly dealing with injuries suffered during the preseason stretch.
Because this is a non-conference game, the Ducks do not have to put out an official injury report, so the full picture remains unclear for now. What is clear is that Oregon may need to lean on some of its younger receivers sooner than planned, which adds another layer of intrigue to a first game that was already supposed to offer an early look at the depth chart. [Read more 🡒]
Dante Moore Enters Boise State With Oregon Hype Reaching A New Level
Dante Moore heads into the Boise State matchup with Oregon carrying a level of buzz that goes well beyond the usual preseason chatter. Prediction markets on Polymarket have given the Ducks quarterback an 11% chance to win the Heisman Trophy and a 12% chance to go first overall in the 2027 NFL Draft, a striking sign of how quickly his profile has grown in the eyes of bettors watching the Oregon offense.
Those same markets also suggest a more nuanced view of how Moore fits in the Ducks attack. Traders expect a balanced offensive role and see a low probability that he will simply pile up the most passing yards on the team, which speaks to the design of Oregons system as much as it does to Moores individual ceiling. For Oregon, the intrigue is less about one big prediction than what kind of season could make either of those lofty futures look reasonable by the time 2026 arrives. [Read more 🡒]