Two weeks ago, Oregon’s College Football Playoff hopes looked shaky enough to feel almost out of reach.
Now the Ducks have a very different runway in front of them.
A 17-14 comeback over Nebraska, paired with Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin injuring his throwing arm in the Buckeyes’ 19-15 win at Indiana, changed the conversation around Oregon fast. Sayin is out indefinitely for No. 3 Ohio State (6-1, 4-0), and that absence has reshaped how Aaron Fentress and George Wrighster view the Ducks’ final stretch.
The shift is especially noticeable with Saturday’s noon game at Illinois (3-3, 1-2) on deck.
What had once looked like one of the most intimidating road games left on Oregon’s schedule now feels more manageable. Wrighster, the former Oregon and NFL tight end, has long believed the Ducks could beat Ohio State on Nov.
- Fentress, who covers Oregon for The Oregonian/OregonLive, wasn’t buying it.
Sayin’s injury made that debate look a lot different.
The reason is simple: Oregon has already lived through a brutal opening run. The Ducks’ first six games included No.
21 Boise State (5-1), Oklahoma State (4-2), No. 9 UCLA (6-0, 4-0), Nebraska (5-2, 2-2) and No.
16 USC (6-1, 3-1). Fentress didn’t downplay the challenge at all: “That’s one of the toughest stretches of ranked teams Oregon’s ever played.”
And yet Oregon came out of that stretch at 4-2, even with quarterback Dante Moore still in concussion protocol and top receivers Jeremiah McClellan and Evan Stewart injured.
The Nebraska win mattered for more than the record. Oregon had to rally in the fourth quarter, and the Huskers had their own quarterback situation after Dylan Raiola was benched the week before in a 17-15 loss to UCLA.
The back half of Oregon’s schedule looks far less punishing. Michigan (4-2, 1-2) has been inconsistent, Washington (4-3, 1-3) isn’t playing well and Michigan State (2-5, 0-4) is tied for last in the conference.
Illinois, meanwhile, lost starting quarterback Katin Houser to a broken hand two weeks ago against Michigan State and now has a true freshman set to start against Oregon.
That leaves Ohio State as the marquee game remaining, and Sayin’s injury has changed the outlook there too. With freshman Luke Fahey stepping in, the Buckeyes no longer present the same level of difficulty.
Oregon also could benefit if Moore returns, and Wrighster said Moore wanted to play against Nebraska but was held out as a precaution. The Ducks have two games before their trip to Columbus, including next Saturday’s home meeting with Northwestern.
Fentress came away from the Sayin news seeing a path to 10-2 if Moore is back. If Moore isn’t, he thinks Oregon could still stumble in another close game, whether against Ohio State or somebody else, in a season defined by parity.
Wrighster is even more bullish. Moore or not, he believes Oregon is headed for a run.
“They’re running the table,” Wrighster said. “I said we were going to go on a run starting with Nebraska and I’m standing ten toes down on it, man.”
He also framed what that kind of finish would mean after the way the season has gone.
“Think about how much stress the season has been and to still end up in the college football playoff after everybody said, ‘They’re dead. They’re over. It’s done for them.’”
If Oregon gets to 10-2 after being on the verge of 3-3 on Saturday, it would leave the 2026 season looking like one of the strangest in program history.
In Other News...
Oregons Offense Looks Thin Entering A Crucial Big Ten Test
The Big Tens first availability report for Oregons trip to Illinois did not do the Ducks any favors, with a few key names on both sides popping up before a pivotal conference matchup. For Oregon, the biggest absence is Dante Moore, the starting quarterback who will not be available, and wide receiver Evan Stewart is also out after his recent arrest, leaving the Ducks to sort through a major personnel change at a time when every Big Ten game already carries weight.
Illinois at least appears to be getting closer to full strength at receiver, with Jayshon Platt listed as questionable but reportedly trending toward playing after practicing recently. For Oregon, though, the early injury and availability picture raises an obvious question about how the offense will function without two of its most important pieces in one of the seasons more demanding road tests. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Needs Answers Fast As Dylan Raiola Faces Early Road Test
Oregons first trip to Champaign in 33 years arrives with more questions than comfort, and the Ducks are bringing a new quarterback situation into a road setting that should tell plenty about where this offense stands. Dylan Raiola is at the center of it for Oregon, while Illinois is turning to Michael Clayton II, leaving both sides to sort through offensive issues at a time when execution is likely to matter more than reputation.
The Ducks have to answer in a hurry on the line of scrimmage, where Oregons protection and Illinois ability to create pressure could end up shaping the game. On the other side, the Ducks will be watching closely to see how their defense handles Clayton II in his first start, because a clean performance there would go a long way toward stabilizing a matchup that already feels like it could hinge on patience and one or two mistakes. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon's Young Receivers Are Suddenly Central To Dylan Raiola's Next Test
With Dante Moore out, Oregons offense has had to lean on a different look at quarterback, with Dylan Raiola and Brock Thomas sharing the load and keeping the Ducks moving while the staff manages injuries at both quarterback and receiver. That has pushed true freshmen into bigger roles sooner than expected, and the results have become part of the weekly blueprint rather than a temporary fix.
Jalen Lott and Messiah Hampton have both been asked to handle more, and Raiolas next test now comes with those young targets central to the plan. Dan Lanning has pointed to the way Oregons younger players have answered the call, noting how many snaps this season have gone to players who began their careers in Eugene, which says plenty about how much the Ducks are relying on development as much as depth right now. [Read more 🡒]