The latest AP Poll painted a pretty stark picture for Oregon football: the Ducks got no votes at all, while Oregon State picked up 10. That slotting would put the Beavers at No. 29 nationally, a notable turn in a season that has gone in very different directions for the two programs.
Oregon State has worked its way into that spot after a rough opening stretch. The Beavers dropped their first two games against ranked opponents, losing to then-No.
23 Houston on the road and then-No. 13 Texas Tech at Reser Stadium.
Since then, though, they’ve ripped off five straight wins and sit at 3-0 in Pac-12 Conference play.
Oregon’s fall has been much steeper. The Ducks opened the 2026 preseason ranked No. 2 in the AP Poll, but now sit at 4-3 overall and 2-2 in Big Ten Conference play. Two of those losses came against unranked teams at the time: Oklahoma State and Illinois.
The betting market has followed the same trend. FanDuel now gives Oregon State better College Football Playoff odds than Oregon. JaMarcus Shephard’s team is listed at +800, while Dan Lanning’s Ducks have slipped to +2200.
For the Beavers, the path to a playoff berth still runs through a conference title, most likely against No. 20 Boise State.
Boise State is 6-1 overall and 3-0 in Pac-12 play, which would make a matchup with Oregon State a major step in that chase. The Beavers head to Boise on Nov. 14 at 3:00 p.m.
PT on the USA Network.
There’s also change brewing on the Oregon sideline. The Ducks have parted ways with first-year offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer after an offense that never seemed to find a clear rhythm. Over the last three games, Oregon has managed only 42 total points.
For the season, the Ducks are averaging 33.1 points and 423.1 total yards per game, numbers that leave them tied for No. 40 and No. 42 nationally, respectively.
Meanwhile, one of Oregon State’s young playmakers is already planning a longer stay in Corvallis. True freshman wide receiver Jesse Legree announced that he intends to return for the 2027 season.
At 5-10 and 170 pounds, Legree has been one of the most productive receivers in the country, leading the nation with 1,000 receiving yards on 46 catches. His 22.6 yards per reception ranks third in the NCAA.
In Other News...
Bo Nix And Bucky Irving Kept Oregons NFL Buzz Alive
Former Oregon standouts kept the Ducks pro pipeline in the spotlight over the weekend, with Bo Nix and Bucky Irving both turning in performances that will resonate back in Eugene. Nix sparked the Denver Broncos with a 62-yard touchdown run and finished with 222 passing yards and a touchdown, while Irving gave the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a jolt on the ground with 106 rushing yards and two scores.
Tez Johnson also found the end zone for Tampa Bay and added rushing yards, adding another layer to Oregons presence across the league. On the defensive side, Dillon Thieneman and Noah Sewell helped the Chicago Bears in their win over the New England Patriots, a reminder that the Ducks NFL footprint is stretching well beyond the usual spotlight names. [Read more 🡒]
Oregons Scoring Problem Just Put Dan Lanning Under Real Pressure
After a 21-10 loss to Illinois, Oregon made a change on the offensive side that had been building for weeks, parting ways with offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer in his first season on the job. For a program that came into the year expecting more from its attack, the move underscored how quickly patience can disappear when the offense stalls and the losses start to pile up.
Dan Lanning did not immediately name a replacement play-caller, leaving the Ducks with an obvious next question as they try to steady things before the season slips further. The timing makes the decision as much about urgency as accountability, and it puts the spotlight squarely on how Oregon plans to fix an offense that has struggled to find consistency. [Read more 🡒]
Oregons Trip To Ohio State Suddenly Feels Like A Real Opportunity
The calendar has finally put Oregons visit to Ohio State on the board, with the Big Ten announcing kickoff time and TV details for the November 7 matchup. It is a game that already carried plenty of weight, but the atmosphere around it has shifted noticeably in recent days as both teams head into it with questions that were not on the table when the schedule was first drawn up.
Ohio State will have to adjust without starting quarterback Julian Sayin, who is out indefinitely with a shoulder injury, and backup Luke Fahey is expected to get the nod. Oregon, meanwhile, comes in unranked at 4-3 after parting ways with offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer, but Dylan Raiolas recent improvement has at least given the Ducks a clearer path into a game that now feels far more open than it did a week ago. [Read more 🡒]