The No. 2 Oregon Ducks are heading into a 2026 season that already has people penciling in big things, even if Dan Lanning wants no part of the preseason hype. One analyst, though, sees the path to another run at the Big Ten title and a possible third straight College Football Playoff appearance coming with a couple of road bumps.
CBS Sports college football analyst Tom Fornelli laid out his schedule read on the Eye on Oregon Ducks broadcast, and his take was pretty direct: Oregon should be very good again, but the road trips could bite. He said the Ducks will be in the mix for the Big Ten crown and among the 12 playoff teams, yet he also pointed to two games that look most likely to hand them a loss.
"I have a sneaking suspicion that Oregon is going to be pretty good once again," Fornelli said. "And they will be competing in the Big Ten Conference once again for a Big Ten title, but you look at the schedule - there are tough games on here.
You have to go on the road to face USC who I think is going to be a better team than we saw last year. I think the offense will be strong and I think their defense has been improving."
"You're on the road for Ohio State," Fornelli added. "Those are the two games I look at, and I say, 'They are the most likely losses for the Oregon Ducks this year.'
I do think that in these other games, like Michigan is tough, but you have them coming to Autzen. They are going to be favored in every other game.
I think they are going to win every single other game."
Fornelli also left room for Oregon to drop just one of those big road games, with Ohio State his main pick, but he still expects at least one stumble along the way.
That kind of outlook probably won’t shock a lot of Duck fans. A trip to "The Horseshoe" is a major assignment, especially with Oregon visiting there for the first time since the coach Mario Cristobal-era win in 2021.
Ohio State still looks loaded entering 2026, with games against USC, Indiana, and Texas on the schedule before the Ducks arrive. Quarterback Julian Sayin returning for his junior year only sharpens the picture, and the Buckeyes also bring veteran pieces like junior Jeremiah Smith and senior Brandon Inniss into the mix.
USC is a different kind of challenge, but still a serious one. Oregon’s first true test of the season comes on the road against a Trojans team that will be looking for payback after the Ducks beat them 42-27 in Autzen Stadium in 2025.
Lincoln Riley went aggressive in the 2026 offseason, stacking a large recruiting class that was aimed heavily at the wide receiver group and at fixing issues up front and in the secondary. The early-season timing of the game, along with the uncertainty around how those younger players will fit in, could matter.
The rest of the road slate has its own traps, even if Ohio State and USC get most of the attention. Oregon’s schedule also includes a cross-country trip to Illinois in between home games against UCLA, Nebraska, and Northwestern.
The Fighting Illini went 5-4 in Big Ten play last season, and running back Ca’Lil Valentine gives them another threat if transfer quarterback and presumed starter Katin Houser can keep the passing game moving behind a veteran line. Bret Bielema’s teams are usually built to run and hit, which makes this one feel a lot like Oregon’s close call at Iowa last year.
Then there’s Michigan State, which comes right after the Ducks host Michigan. That one is on a Friday, giving Oregon a short turnaround before facing Pat Fitzgerald’s new team on the road. Fitzgerald arrives with a defensive reputation built over years at Northwestern, and his presence makes the matchup worth a harder look, especially with the quick turnaround.
For now, all of it is still speculation. Oregon opens the season on Sept. 5 against Boise State, and that’s when the real answers start coming. Until then, the Ducks are still the subject of plenty of national guesses, and Fornelli just gave fans another one to argue about.
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