Oregon is back on the move in the AP Top 25 after shaking off its ugly Week 2 loss with a demolition of Portland State.
The Ducks, who opened the season as high as No. 2 before tumbling to No. 21 after the setback against Oklahoma State, climbed one spot to No. 20 in Sunday morning’s latest poll. It’s a small step, but it gets Oregon moving in the right direction again after a stretch that threatened to derail a season built around championship expectations.
The bounce came with a little help from elsewhere, too. Texas A&M was stunned at home by Kentucky, and the Aggies dropped from No. 9 all the way to No.
- Oregon didn’t make a huge leap, but the combination of its blowout win and the chaos around it was enough to nudge the Ducks upward.
Now the real test arrives fast. Oregon heads to Los Angeles on Saturday to face No.
12 USC, and a win there could push the Ducks into the top 15 and possibly bring them back toward the top 10. That matchup also starts a critical stretch of ranked games on the schedule, with No.
7 Ohio State and No. 18 Michigan still ahead.
The Ducks also have reason to keep an eye on the rest of the board. Oregon would benefit if teams like UCLA, Nebraska, Illinois, Northwestern, and Washington keep winning, since that would create more opportunities for Top 25 matchups down the line.
For now, though, Oregon’s path is pretty clear. The first two games came against unranked opponents, but Boise State and Oklahoma State are still being viewed favorably by voters.
Oklahoma State sits at No. 30 with no votes, while Boise State is right behind at No. 31.
In the end, the poll won’t decide Oregon’s season. That part is still in the Ducks’ hands. If Dan Lanning’s team keeps taking care of business, the rankings should sort themselves out - starting with USC.
In Other News...
Oregon's Blowout Clarified One Position Battle Fans Need To Watch
Oregons rout gave the Ducks exactly the kind of late-game runway a staff wants when the score gets out of hand early: starters could ease off, younger players could stack reps, and a few rising names had a chance to show where they fit next. Jordon Davison, Kendre Harrison, Messiah Hampton, Dylan Raiola and Nasir Wyatt all popped in their own ways, a reminder that the depth chart in Eugene is still very much alive as the season moves forward.
Carl Williams IVs situation is the one worth watching most closely after the dust settled. His injury and the way Oregon adjusted during the blowout could open the door for someone else, while Simeon Prices absence only added another layer to the picture. For a team that just showed how much talent it can roll onto the field, the real question now is which young pieces turn a strong outing into a longer-term role. [Read more 🡒]
Kendre Harrison Concern Just Clouded Oregons Next Big Stretch
Oregons win over Portland State came with a reminder of how quickly the Ducks tight end room can shift from a strength to a concern. Freshman Kendre Harrison kept making an impact in the passing game before leaving in the fourth quarter after appearing to get hurt, and his production was a welcome part of an offense that has leaned on young playmakers early this season.
Jamari Johnson has also been sidelined, which puts more pressure on Oregons depth if Harrisons issue lingers beyond the weekend. For a team heading into a more demanding stretch, the health of that position group suddenly matters a lot more than it did before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Dan Lanning Has Oregon Fans Debating One Part Of This Rout
Oregons 84-0 win over Portland State was the kind of result that usually gets buried under the numbers and moved on from quickly, but this one lingered for a different reason. The Ducks piled up a historic scoring total for the program, and Dante Moore and Dylan Raiola helped drive the avalanche with more than 400 passing yards and seven touchdowns between them.
Dan Lanning still ended up fielding a different kind of postgame attention, as some fans took to social media to question the teams aggressiveness even with the game long out of hand. For Oregon, the margin was the headline on the field, but the conversation afterward turned to how far is too far when a powerhouse keeps its foot on the gas. [Read more 🡒]