NJDuck Moderator No. 1 Share Posted January 19 Oregon's first year in the Big 10 conference is closing in. The league announced football schedule's late last year. Here is a preliminary ranking of which games will be easiest to toughest in 2024. Ranking Oregon's 2024 football games from easiest to toughest 247SPORTS.COM Oregon's first year in the Big 10 conference is closing in. The league announced football schedule's late last year. Here is a preliminary ranking of which games will be easiest to toughest in... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solar No. 2 Share Posted January 19 I've never seen a writer do such a good job of driving with their rear view mirror. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Marsh No. 3 Share Posted January 20 Washington is going to be intense but with their roster depletion I feel they shouldn't be as tough this year. Also they are down 20 scholarship spots at the moment, that isn't getting filled with 4 and 5 stars. I'd put Ohio State ahead of Michigan. Michigan at Michigan will be tough but they have some significant roster losses as well that probably won't be fixed in a year. Don't get me wrong, I'm not disrespecting Michigan in putting them at the second hardest game with this depleted roster. But they were a team loaded with 5th and 6th year players (like Washington) and many are gone now. Wisconsin... They'll probably be decent to good this year. They're probably close to the right spot. But overall I don't know the B1G nearly as well as I knew the Pac-12. Kinda feel UCLA might be disrespeced a bit for being as low as they are but we'll see if they have someone who can play QB for them this year. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nevada Dawg No. 4 Share Posted January 25 I would definitely say that OSU is the toughest opponent. They probably just set a record for NIL spending in a single year, almost as if they were saying to Michigan don't expect to beat us again in the foreseeable future. Plus Harbaugh just flew the coop with much of the coaching staff in tow I've been told, so it is unclear how much of Michigan's existing roster will still be there after the Spring portal season. OSU also has a very experienced returning roster, kind of like Michigan last year. They will be a tough out for anyone in 2024 I believe, not that It can't be done. But I do expect them to win the B1G. They are loaded my fellow Duck fans. They have to break in a new QB and that can be tough. But when was the last time they had substandard QB play (although I don't think the guy this year will be 5-Star freshman Julian Sayin). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Joseph Moderator No. 5 Share Posted January 25 Where to start? 9. Purdue - T-R-A-P! This game back East falls on the Saturday after Oregon plays back-to-back home games vs. Michigan State and more importantly for trap purposes, Ohio State. Purdue is a place where Ohio State's playoff hopes under Urban Meyer have gone to die. Both Purdue and Illinois between Ohio State and the Michigan games will be 'want to' tests for the Ducks. 7. Boise State - HUH? Forget about the aberrational 0-3. Boise was 8-6 in 2023. Had a nice lead against a UCLA team playing without many opt-outs and was worn down and blown out in the 2nd half. The RB mentioned in the article is legit. Nelson? Was the 3rd string QB at SC. IMO. this game should be somewhere around 9. 8. Maryland - Without the B1G's all-time leading passer, Taulia Tags, in the bowl game the Terps easily beat down an Auburn team that gave Bama all it could handle. No way IMO this game should be ranked as being less difficult than the game Vs. a G5 opponent. Check NFL rosters and you will find a lot of Terps. In fairness to the author, this take was composed before - Ohio State hired Bill O'Brien, found out that all draft-eligible juniors other than Harrison were coming back, and plucked the portal for the 2nd team All B12 QB, an SEC RB Frosh of the Year in Judkins, an SEC Newcomer of the Year and 2nd team AA safety Caleb Downs, and 2024's #1 QB recruit. Among an excellent recruiting class, Ohio State is bringing in 2024's #1 recruit, WR Jeremiah Smith. This was also composed before DeBoer left Seattle and left a denuded Huskies roster. Before Harbaugh decided to take the Chargers job and bring his DC along with him. And what will the roster fallout be from Jim heading West? Ohio State, visiting Eugene on 10/12/24, will bring with it by far the best roster Oregon will face in 2024. The roster will have @15 players that will go in the top 3 rounds of the NFL draft somewhere down the road. All of the returning draft-eligible juniors had no lower than a 3rd round grade. Georgia is the preseason #1 'IT' team. But looking at Georgia's and Ohio State's schedule and with the turmoil at Michigan, I think tOSU should come into 2024 as the No. 1 preseason ranked team. 3. Wisconsin - Because of the late date, the location, and the game coming as the 8th game in a row after playing at Michigan and home vs. Maryland, I do not disagree with this ranking. Depending on the roster fallout as a result of Harbaugh leaving Michigan, if Fickell gets it going in year 2, this team could contend for a spot in the B1G champ game. The team gave LSU all it could handle in its bowl game. No Daniels for LSU but Nussmeier who will start for LSU in 2024 is a capable QB. Will Mari(o)'s 'friend' QB Tyler Van Dyck play at Wisconsin like he did at Miami before Christobal? 4. UW and 5. UCLA - With what's happening in Seattle and with what's not happening on the recruiting front in Westwood, it's hard to slot these games. Yes, UCLA is a road game but Oregon will be coming off an Idle Week while UCLA will be coming off of a game at LSU. Love the post. Let's see what the 'experts' come up with after spring practice and the 2nd portal opening. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Joseph Moderator No. 6 Share Posted January 25 Big Ten powerhouse featured more than any other program in ESPN's 'way-too-early' All-American team WWW.YARDBARKER.COM Everyone loves a good comeback story, and according to Chris Low at ESPN, the this Big Ten team appears to be in prime position to execute one in 2024. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
