Oregon’s September has been a whirlwind, but the latest AP poll suggests the Ducks may be climbing back into the country’s good graces.
Dan Lanning’s team sits at No. 15 after starting the month at No. 2, sliding to No. 6 after a tight win over Boise State, then tumbling to No. 21 after the upset loss to Oklahoma State. Now at 3-1 overall and 1-0 in the Big Ten, Oregon is moving in the right direction again.
That shift in perception looks a lot less dramatic when you zoom in on who the Ducks have already faced. Oregon is now 2-1 against the current Top 25 after No.
19 Oklahoma State and No. 22 Boise State both entered the AP poll in Week 5.
Add in the Ducks’ win over No. 18 USC, and the resume suddenly carries a different kind of weight.
No other current Top 25 team has already played three ranked opponents in the latest poll. That’s the kind of detail that changes how the opening month gets remembered.
The road win at USC matters even more now, since Oregon beat the Trojans when they were ranked No. 12.
The Broncos and Cowboys also make the Ducks’ early stumble look a little different in hindsight. Oklahoma State’s win over Oregon helped launch the Cowboys from unranked and receiving no AP votes into the top 20. Boise State’s narrow seven-point loss to the Ducks, meanwhile, came back to haunt Oregon in the rankings more than it did the Broncos on the field, with the Ducks dropping from No. 2 to No. 6 after that opener.
All of that leaves Oregon with a different kind of spotlight heading into its next game. After a bye week, the Ducks return home to face No.
23 UCLA at Autzen Stadium. The Bruins, who are also making their AP poll debut along with Boise State and Oklahoma State, bring another ranked matchup and another former Pac-12 opponent to Eugene.
The schedule has become tougher than it first appeared, too. WarrenNolan currently lists Oregon’s strength of schedule at No. 17 nationally, which is a sharp reminder that what looked like a manageable September has turned into a real early-season test.
There is some breathing room coming in October, but not much. Oregon hosts undefeated Nebraska, then travels to Illinois before finishing the month back at Autzen against Northwestern. Three of those four games are in Eugene, which gives the Ducks a little help, but not enough to coast.
That stretch could give Lanning’s group a chance to clean things up, get quarterback Dante Moore and the rest of the roster healthier, and steady itself before November arrives. And November is loaded, with Ohio State followed by Michigan, Michigan State and Washington waiting in line.
For now, Oregon’s season keeps circling back to the same question: can the pendulum keep swinging in the Ducks’ favor? After a month that sent them from No. 2 to No. 21 and back to No. 15, that answer is still being written.
In Other News...
USC Quarterback's Response To Dante Moore Injury Has Oregon Fans Talking
A late hit on Oregon quarterback Dante Moore turned a tense stretch of the USC game into something bigger than the final score, and Jayden Maiavas reaction did not go unnoticed. After Moore was diagnosed with a concussion, Maiava stayed near the injured Duck, a brief but striking moment in a game that already had plenty of bad blood because of the targeting call that got USC linebacker Desman Stephens ejected.
For Oregon fans, the scene added another layer to a matchup that had already swung on discipline and physicality. Maiava still put together a strong passing night with 326 yards and two touchdowns in USCs 41-27 loss, but the image of the quarterback lingering after Moore went down became one of the lasting talking points from the game, especially with Stephens later suspended for the next game. [Read more 🡒]
Dante Moore Injury Sparked A USC Reaction Oregon Fans Wont Like
The moment Dante Moore went down late in the USC-Oregon game changed the tone on the field immediately, and not just because Oregon had to turn to Dylan Raiola at quarterback. Moore was knocked out after a hit from USC linebacker Desman Stephens II, and the play quickly spilled into a skirmish as emotions ran high around a call that had everyone in the stadium talking.
On the USC radio side, Pete Arbogast pushed back on the idea that the hit was targeting and questioned whether Moore had slid feet-first, while analyst Shaun Cody saw it differently. For Oregon fans, the frustrating part is less the debate itself than how abruptly their quarterback was taken off on a cart after a night that still had plenty of football left, with Raiola stepping in and throwing for 289 yards and two touchdowns. [Read more 🡒]
Rece Davis Just Raised A Concern Oregon Fans Should Notice
As Oregon settles into the Big Ten grind, the Ducks are already hearing warning bells from one of college footballs most visible voices. ESPNs Rece Davis singled out a few conference teams as potentially underrated threats on the Ducks schedule, pointing to UCLA and Nebraska as programs that could be more dangerous than their names or early reputations suggest.
UCLA, in particular, has looked sharper than plenty of people expected with its 4-0 start under coach Bob Chesney, and the roster has been bolstered by transfers from James Madison, including running back Wayne Knight. Oregon and UCLA already have some recent familiarity through recent matchups and player movement, which only adds another layer to a game that could be trickier than it first appears. [Read more 🡒]