Oregon Ducks 2026 College Football Preview & Predictions

Oregon enters the season as the No. 2 team in the country. Could they be the next Big Ten team in line, following the path of Michigan, Ohio State, and Indiana by returning most of their talent from a championship contender, scarred, motivated, and ready to take the next step?

Oregon Ducks Snapshot

• 2025 Record: 13-2 (8-1) | Big Ten Finish: 3rd
• P. Poll: No. 7 | Coaches Poll: No. 2 | SP+: No. 2
• Head Coach: Dan Lanning (5th Year) | Record: 48-8
• Offensive Coordinator: Drew Mehringer (1st Year/5th at Oregon)
• Defensive Coordinator: Chris Hampton (1st Year/4th at Oregon)

Or could they be this season’s Penn State? Dan Lanning’s team broke through with a pair of CFP wins in 2025 before getting outclassed in the semifinals, mirroring PSU going into last season.

Oregon Futures Odds (DraftKings)

• Regular Season Wins: OVER 10.5 +100 | UNDER 10.5 -120
• Conference Wins: OVER 7.5 +105 | UNDER 7.5 -115
• National Championship Odds: +800 | CFB Playoff Odds: YES -320 | NO +235
• B1G Championship Odds: +240 | To Reach B1GCG: +100

With one regular-season loss over the past two seasons combined, the Ducks are among the most respected programs in college football and have met the challenge of joining the Big Ten head-on. They are right behind Ohio State as B1G favorites and third or fourth in the pecking order when it comes to making the CFP and winning the National Championship. Among Power 2 conference teams (Big Ten & SEC), only Indiana is given better odds to finish the regular season undefeated.

Oregon Preview: Why You Should Buy

• 12th in Returning Production (66 percent)
• Returning Production Offense: 65 percent | Defense: 66 percent
• 200 Returning Starts Lead the Big Ten

This team is stacked on both sides of the ball. Most importantly, key seniors returned, passing up the opportunity to enter the 2026 NFL Draft. The biggest win was the return of quarterback Dante Moore (3,565 yards, 30 TDs), who was projected by most to be a top-five pick. Having that continuity with a Heisman favorite (+1100/third) at the most important position has many believing this is the season Lanning gets his team over the hump. The running back (Jordon Davison & Dierre Hill Jr.) and receiver (Dakorien Moore, Evan Stewart & Jeremiah McClellan) rooms are deep and talented, and they return another top NFL prospect at tight end in Jamari Johnson.

On the other side of the ball, Oregon returns four senior starters on the defensive line. Edge defenders Matayo Uiagalelei and Teitum Tuioti, as well as defensive tackles A’Mauri Washington and Bear Alexander, all have drawn the interest of NFL scouts. The 330-pound Washington is appearing on most NFL Mock Drafts; Tuioti is coming off a 9.5-sack season, and Uiagalelei has 18.5 career sacks, including 10.5 in 2024. Alexander has finally found a home and had his most productive season (50 tackles). This could be the nation’s top defensive line.

Oregon Preview: Why You Should Sell

• Oregon Lost Three Offensive Line Starters
• Only Two O-linemen Have FBS Starting Experience

There’s only one unit that has major question marks going into the season, and that’s the offensive line. After quarterback, that’s the one unit most likely to derail a potential championship run with an elite roster. Look at Ohio State’s 2025 campaign as an example: The Buckeyes dominated the regular season but were exposed in the trenches in the B1GCP and CFP when they allowed 10 sacks in their two losses.

Iapani Laloulu is a stud at center, and Dave Iuli returns at guard. The remaining three starters have to prove themselves, including both offensive tackles. The favorite to protect Moore’s blindside is sophomore Fox Crader, who impressed in spot duty last season. Transfer Michael Bennett III is likely to hand the right side. It’s not the first time the Ducks have used the portal to plug along the offensive line, but Bennett III is making a big jump from Yale. Fifth-year senior Kawika Rogers is expected to take over at left guard. They took a risk by not adding a more established blocker in the portal.

Oregon Breakout Player: EDGE Nasir Wyatt

• 4-Star Recruit in Class of 2025
• True Freshman: 11 tackles, 4 Tackles for Loss, 3 Sacks

Even though the Ducks return two highly productive starters at EDGE, some believe sophomore Nasir Wyatt might be their most talented pass rusher. As a true freshman, he finished third on the team with three sacks and seven pressures, despite limited opportunities (32 pass rush situations per Duck Territory). Bigger and stronger, he’s going to force his way on the field. EDGE coach Kam Araghi has called him “a Swiss Army Knife,” so don’t be surprised to see him at multiple positions in 2026.

Oregon X-Factor: New Coordinators

• Former OC Will Stein Is the Kentucky Head Coach
• Former DC Tosh Lupoi Is the Cal Head Coach

Dan Lanning’s coaching staff isn’t as intact as their roster, as both of Oregon’s coordinators left for head coaching jobs. Former offensive coordinator Will Stein is the head man at Kentucky, while former DC Tosh Lupoi took the job at former Pac-12 rival Cal. Lupoi has been with Lanning since Year 1, and Stein joined them the following season. Since Lanning plays a larger role in coaching the defense, the loss of Stein is more significant.

Like the offensive line, the Ducks didn’t go out and make a big-splash hire, opting to promote from within, with former tight ends coach Drew Mehringer taking over the offense and Chris Hampton elevated from defensive backs coach. On the plus side, this allows for continuity; however, are they up for the challenge in what’s expected to be a championship season in Eugene? The questions are: how valuable were Stein and Lupoi? And were Mehringer and Hampton the right hires?

Oregon Schedule Analysis

• SP+ SOS Rank: 21
• Phil Steele Toughest Schedules: 20

Oregon’s schedule is tough, but nothing compared to what Ohio State, Michigan, or USC will face in 2025. The Ducks avoid Indiana, the only team to beat them in the regular season over the past two years and the only team to beat them in 2025. But they have to visit OSU, with games against USC (road), Michigan (home), and Washington (home); that’s four of the six top-20 teams in the Big Ten (not including Oregon). Among non-ranked teams, traveling to Illinois might not be easy.

Five of their Big Ten games are at Autzen Stadium. However, they also play a rare out-of-conference road game at Oklahoma State. Their non-conference games are unlikely to result in an upset; however, they are tougher than last season (aggregate score of 169-23). The Cowboys should be among the most-improved teams in the country, and Boise State replaces Oregon State.

Oregon Best Bet, Long Shot, & Prediction: OVER/UNDER 10.5 Wins

• Win Total: OVER 10.5 Wins (+100 @ DraftKings)
• Best Bet: OVER 7.5 Conference Wins (+105 @ DraftKings)
• Long Shot: Undefeated Regular Season (+550 @ DraftKings)

Over the past two seasons, Oregon has lost three games, two in the College Football Playoffs, and all three to the eventual national champions. Pretty sure you can only play the national champ just once in the regular season, so where exactly is their second loss coming from (even if we assume the fall in Columbus)?

USC is tough at home, and Michigan could be sneaky as Kyle Whittingham’s team heads to Eugene the week after Oregon plays Ohio State. Still, the Ducks will be favored in 11 games, all by at least a touchdown. The Trojans, Wolverines, and Huskies are all at least a tier below Oregon, and two of those games are at home. At +550, Oregon, running the table for the second time in three seasons, is worth a sprinkle.