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The key to achieving Oregon's first national championship in 2026

In short, the Ducks were explosive, but volatile. In some ways they were like a race car, capable of impressive speed, prone to glitches and breakdowns.

The key to smoothing out their performance and executing with more consistency in big games lies with Dante Moore, specifically in his second-year improvement. Moore produced solid numbers in his first year as a full-time starter but had two terrible games against Indiana.

Autzen Zoo

The key to achieving Oregon's first national championship...

Oregon's nucleus of senior leadership has marked them as one of the way-too-early favorites for the national championship.

REMEMBER, NO DISCUSSIONS ON THIS THREAD!!!

(Start a new thread and move this to that...please.)

Oregon's all-time head-to-head history with each 2026 opponent

Here'a breakdown of Oregon's all-time head-to-head history with each 2026 football opponent.

https://247sports.com/college/oregon/longformarticle/oregon-ducks-ducks-football-2025-football-season-big-ten-ohio-state--275622176/

Ranking college football's deepest WR rooms in 2026: Texas, Miami, Indiana add through portal

Several CFP contenders added major pass-catching weapons through the transfer portal to build elite wide receiver groups

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/college-football-rankings-wr-rooms-2026-texas-miami-indiana-transfer-portal/

Per ESPN, BIG's defining games for '26

Illinois Fighting Illini

Oct. 24 vs. Oregon. The Illini have produced marquee home wins the past two seasons: a 21-7 victory over Michigan in 2024 and a thrilling 34-32 comeback over USC last season. Illinois figures to have an opportunity for its biggest victory yet under coach Bret Bielema against the Ducks, who steamrolled the Illini 38-9 in 2024. -- Jake Trotter

Indiana Hoosiers

Oct. 17 vs. Ohio State. The defending national champions will be under an even brighter spotlight in 2026, but their schedule is largely backloaded without a projected ranked opponent until the Buckeyes come to town. There's a reason the Big Ten announced this game, a league championship rematch, before any others on its loaded 2026 schedule. Indiana hasn't beaten the Buckeyes in Bloomington since 1988, also the last time the Hoosiers recorded consecutive victories against Ohio State. -- Adam Rittenberg

Iowa Hawkeyes

Oct. 3 vs. Ohio State. The Hawkeyes haven't faced Ohio State at Kinnick Stadium since 2017, when Nate Stanley threw five touchdowns as they stunned the Buckeyes 55-24. An early October win over Ohio State could propel Iowa into the Big Ten title and playoff conversations. -- Trotter

Maryland Terrapins

Sept. 19 vs. Virginia Tech. No, it's not the toughest opponent on the schedule, but it's at home against a familiar face -- first-year Hokies coach James Franklin, who was once an assistant with Terps coach Mike Locksley under Ralph Friedgen at Maryland. This is a game that recruits will be paying attention to and a game Locksley needs to win -- not just to boost confidence in the direction of the program, but because it's only going to get more difficult with trips to Ohio State and USC down the road. -- Dinich

Michigan State Spartans

Oct. 17 vs. Northwestern. The Spartans would obviously love to beat rival Michigan at the Big House on Nov. 7. But as new coach Pat Fitzgerald attempts to rebuild Michigan State, getting a win over his former school would be big for him -- and for the Spartans' chances of reaching bowl eligibility for the first time since 2021. -- Trotter

Michigan Wolverines

Oct. 24 vs. Indiana. Ohio State is always the defining game for the Wolverines. But Michigan can prove it's for real again against the defending national champs after two up-and-down seasons under Sherrone Moore. The Wolverines failed to defeat a ranked team last year and didn't win one in 2024 until the stunning victory over the Buckeyes in the regular-season finale. -- Trotter

Minnesota Golden Gophers

Oct. 24 vs. Iowa. The Gophers got embarrassed last season in Iowa City 41-3, and the Hawkeyes have won 10 of the last 11 meetings in the rivalry. To get back the Floyd of Rosedale trophy, the Gophers will have to finally figure out how they can generate offense against Iowa. Minnesota has failed to score more than 14 points over the last four meetings in the series. -- Trotter

Nebraska Cornhuskers

Oct. 31 vs. Washington. Huskers coach Matt Rhule is 0-10 against AP Top 25 opponents since landing in Lincoln (and 2-26 in such games for his career). Nebraska hasn't beaten a ranked foe since 2016. That reality simply has to change if the Huskers are going to take another step in 2026. With daunting home games against Indiana and Ohio State and trips to Oregon and Iowa on the schedule, Nebraska's best opportunity to sort the matter could come with a bit of Halloween magic when Washington pays a visit to Memorial Stadium in Week 9. -- Lederman

Northwestern Wildcats

Oct. 2 vs. Penn State. Northwestern's decades-long wait for a new stadium ends with the unveiling of Ryan Field, the $862 million venture that is the largest stadium project in college football history. After playing their first two home games on campus, the Wildcats will move into their new home for a Friday night showcase game against Penn State, a team they upset last year in coach James Franklin's final game with the Nittany Lions. Northwestern is hopeful that the 35,000-seat facility provides the home-field advantage the program has historically lacked. -- Rittenberg

Ohio State Buckeyes

Nov. 7 vs. Oregon. Good luck finding a tougher schedule in college football than what the Buckeyes face next season. Ohio State travels to Texas, Iowa, Indiana and USC -- any of which could be season-defining games before November. Assuming the Buckeyes can survive that gauntlet, a home bout against the Ducks figures to have major Big Ten title and playoff implications. Beat Oregon, and the Buckeyes should be back in the playoff, even if they stumble once or twice earlier in the season. -- Trotter

Oregon Ducks

Nov. 7 at Ohio State. With quarterback Dante Moore and other key contributors returning, the Ducks enter a season where anything short of a national title could be deemed disappointing. They visit USC in Week 4 and also visit Illinois, but Ohio State likely will provide the first gauge of their championship worthiness. Oregon hasn't forgotten the beating it took from the Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl CFP quarterfinal two years ago. The Ducks won their last game at Ohio Stadium, but that was as a Pac-12 member in 2021. -- Connelly

Penn State Nittany Lions

Oct. 17 at Michigan. If there were a Big Ten schedule tailor-made for a first-year head coach, this would be it. Matt Campbell doesn't have to face Ohio State or Oregon. He gets USC at home. The nonconference schedule includes Marshall, Temple and Buffalo. In theory, Penn State could be undefeated heading into Ann Arbor. It's the first of the team's two toughest road trips, with Washington the other. If Campbell can win the battle of first-year coaches in Ann Arbor, Penn State could make a surprise run at the CFP. -- Dinich

Purdue Boilermakers

Sept. 19 at UCLA. A Week 3 game is not usually season-defining, but Purdue must establish early on that coach Barry Odom's second season will be different, especially in Big Ten play. The Boilermakers went 0-9 in league games last fall while being outscored 309-130. UCLA is in transition under new coach Bob Chesney, and a Purdue win in Pasadena -- the team's first game there since the 2001 Rose Bowl behind quarterback Drew Brees -- could be the catalyst Odom needs. -- Rittenberg

Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Sept. 19 vs. USC. What if -- just what if -- the Scarlet Knights can knock off the Trojans at home and earn a 4-0 September start before Indiana comes to town Oct. 3? If Rutgers is going to reach six wins this year, it's going to have to win early and win at home. The Scarlet Knights avoid Ohio State and Oregon, but an early home upset will be critical with four of the final seven games on the road. -- Dinich

UCLA Bruins

Nov. 28 vs. USC. The Bruins seemingly have a long way to go before they'll be viewed as competitively relevant in the Big Ten, but in this era that can happen overnight. That's why the range of what's possible in Bob Chesney's first year as coach is so broad. There isn't really one game on their schedule that outweighs the rest until the rivalry game in the finale. -- Bonagura

USC Trojans

Sept. 26 vs. Oregon. It could easily change by the end of the year, but USC's trajectory for 2026 will be set by how it fares against the Ducks in the fourth game of the season. A loss to the Ducks will keep USC outside the national conversation just as conference play begins, while a win would signify a meaningful step toward returning to national relevance. -- Bonagura

Washington Huskies

Nov. 21 vs. Indiana. The Huskies should enter 2026 with high expectations and have a relatively manageable schedule over the first two months. However, with Indiana and Oregon to end the year, a strong start to the season could easily get wiped away. A win against the Hoosiers, though, would be the program's biggest win in years. -- Bonagura

Wisconsin Badgers

Sept. 26 at Penn State. Coach Luke Fickell and the Badgers desperately need an early notable win to change the overall trajectory of the program. Could they get it in State College against the Nittany Lions, who are retooling under new coach Matt Campbell? This will be the conference debut for new quarterback Colton Joseph, who transferred in from Old Dominion after being named the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year. QB consistency has held the Badgers back in recent seasons. They are hopeful Joseph can finally solve that. -- Trotter

🤔Hmm...

Washington head coach Jedd Fisch announces he will not hire new OC

After offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Jimmie Dougherty parted ways with the Huskies on February 17, some had theorized that Washington would elevate an assistant already on staff to the position to give them a raise. Former New York Jets assistant Matt Cavanaugh also reportedly discussed a role on Washington's staff around the same time, leading some to believe that he might be the choice for offensive coordinator for the 2026 season.

Fisch was always going to call plays anyway, but he made it official that no staff member will hold the offensive coordinator title during a podcast appearance on Andy & Ari on On3 on Wednesday.

"I am not looking for an offensive coordinator," he said. "I've run the offense the last six years, I'll continue to do that, I'll continue to call the plays...play calling's not going to change, game planning's not going to change."

https://uwhuskieswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/huskies/football/2026/02/26/uw-huskies-football-jedd-fisch-jimmie-dougherty-offensive-coordinator/88868889007/