Oregon is entering the season with real national title buzz, and the numbers back it up. ESPN’s preseason FPI has the Ducks at No. 4, putting them behind only Ohio State, Texas and Notre Dame in the race for the championship.
That ranking comes with a pretty clear message: this roster has the kind of talent that can make noise all season. Oregon is bringing back one of the most loaded groups in college football, and it starts with quarterback Dante Moore, who sits at the center of everything the Ducks want to do.
ESPN’s FPI gives Oregon a 9.8 percent chance to win the national championship. Ohio State leads the way at 17.1 percent, with Texas next at 13.2 percent and Notre Dame at 10.5 percent. The Buckeyes, under coach Ryan Day, are looking for redemption and are viewed as the strongest bet to claim their second national title in three seasons.
The Big Ten picture is crowded behind Oregon, too. Indiana, the defending national champions, checks in at No.
- USC is No.
13, Michigan is No. 15, Penn State is No. 17 and Iowa lands at No.
- Oregon will see both USC and Michigan next season, and those games are expected to matter in the Big Ten title race.
Still, if the Ducks are going to turn this preseason optimism into something bigger, Ohio State may be the hurdle that defines everything. Oregon’s road trip to Columbus on Nov. 7 is shaping up as one of the marquee games of the year, and there’s a chance the two teams could meet again after that.
The Buckeyes have already damaged Oregon’s championship hopes once before, rolling to a 41-21 win over the Ducks in the CFP Quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl two seasons ago. That loss came after Oregon went unbeaten in its first Big Ten season and beat Penn State to win the conference title.
The Ducks’ recent playoff setbacks have followed a frustrating pattern. In losses to Ohio State and Indiana, turnovers and shaky defense did the damage, and both defeats featured Oregon allowing more than 40 points.
That’s part of why Moore’s return matters so much. Beyond the national title chase, he came back to sharpen his maturity as a quarterback, especially his leadership and his ability to cut down on turnovers.
Last season’s Peach Bowl loss to Indiana was a rough example of the issue. Moore threw an interception on the opening play and also lost two fumbles. Oregon’s hopes this season will depend heavily on how steady he is in big moments and how well he runs the Ducks’ high-powered offense.
There’s also a new look on the sideline. Chris Hampton is set to take over as Oregon’s defensive coordinator, while Drew Mehringer is stepping into the offensive coordinator role. Both will face pressure to validate their promotions after Tosh Lupoi and Will Stein moved on.
In Other News...
Maddox Molony Just Put Oregon's Omaha Hopes In Limbo
Oregons infield picture got a lot more complicated when shortstop Maddox Molony came off the board in the 2026 MLB Draft, landing with the Detroit Tigers in the sixth round at No. 187 overall. Molony still has a year of college eligibility left, which keeps the Ducks in the conversation for one more run, but it also puts him in the middle of the familiar summer tug-of-war between a pro opportunity and a return to Eugene.
The timing matters because Oregon did not lose just one name on draft day. Second baseman Ryan Cooney went to the Blue Jays, commit Andruw Giles was taken by the Pirates, and pitcher Cal Scolari went to the White Sox, leaving the Ducks to sort through multiple draft decisions at once. Molonys choice will loom largest because of what he means to the lineup and because his path could help shape whether Oregons Omaha push stays intact or starts to thin before it even gets going. [Read more 🡒]
Why Koi Perich Could Change Oregon In More Ways Than One
Koi Perich arrives in Eugene with the kind of profile Oregon can use in more than one phase of the game. The former Minnesota safety is expected to matter on defense and on special teams, bringing a blend of vertical athleticism and ball disruption that should fit neatly into the Ducks plans. His ability to affect field position is part of the appeal, too, after showing real value as a returner.
Perichs college tape already points to a player who can change the feel of a game without needing a full workload to do it. He has been productive as a playmaker in the secondary and has also handled punt and kickoff returns, giving Oregon a versatile piece with a chance to influence games in ways that go beyond the usual safety responsibilities. The bigger question now is how quickly those traits translate once he gets fully plugged into the Ducks system. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Just Got A Ryan Cooney Update Fans Were Dreading
Ryan Cooneys draft stock finally turned into a real decision point for Oregon baseball, and it came with the kind of uncertainty Ducks fans were bracing for. The second baseman was taken in the third round of the 2026 MLB Draft, a sign that pro teams see enough upside to make the college-to-pro jump a legitimate option, even with more development still available in Eugene.
Cooney still has college eligibility left, which keeps Oregon in the conversation for now, but the clock is already ticking toward a July 27 decision. He is not the only Duck in that spot, either, with Cal Scolari and Maddox Molony also expected to hear their names called and then weigh the same choice between returning to campus and starting their pro careers. [Read more 🡒]