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Can Oregon Survive USC? The Truth About this Big Ten ShowdownUSC vs Oregon could define the season for Lincoln Riley, Dan Lanning, Dante Moore and two Big Ten programs fighting for College Football Playoff credibility and control of the West Coast. George Wrighster breaks down the five biggest factors that will decide Oregon vs USC, beginning with the battle at the line of scrimmage. USC entered the season talking about increased physicality under Lincoln Riley, but Oregon comes into the Coliseum with its own questions after a disastrous performance against Oklahoma State. How much pressure is actually on Lincoln Riley? USC has one of the most talented rosters of his tenure, Oregon suddenly looks vulnerable, and another loss to the Ducks would raise serious questions about when Riley's program is finally going to break through. Dante Moore also enters one of the biggest tests of his season. After Oklahoma State and Indiana created problems by generating pressure while dropping defenders into coverage, Oregon needs Moore to show that opposing defenses haven't discovered a blueprint for slowing him down. George also examines USC's quarterback play against elite competition, Gary Patterson's defense, Dan Lanning's new coordinators, Oregon's defensive front and the massive recruiting battle taking place between USC and Oregon in Southern California. This game isn't only about one Saturday night. USC and Oregon are competing for Big Ten championships, College Football Playoff appearances, elite California recruits and control of West Coast college football. George gives his final Oregon vs USC prediction and explains why he believes Oregon can use this matchup as a get-right game after the Oklahoma State loss.

Ducks vs Them | 2026 Oregon Football Game 3 | “Back to the Basics"Presenting Game 3 of 2026 Oregon Football Ducks vs Them. Oregon Football defeated Portland State 84-0 at Autzen Stadium on Friday, September 18.

Everything Dan Lanning said ahead of Oregon’s road showdown with USCDan Lanning discusses Oregon’s 84-0 win over Portland State, previews Saturday’s Big Ten opener at USC and provides several injury updates. https://247sports.com/college/oregon/longformarticle/everything-dan-lanning-said-ahead-of-oregons-road-showdown-with-usc-290299816/

Happy to see Kingston balling out. He was the reason that Cal won at Syracuse. Three picks; the third one returned for the winning score. It would also have been great to have retained all of the young D-line talent that portaled out. But in today's game, you can't stack a roster as you could before NIL and wide-open free agency. If the vets stick around, younger players will leave and get paid more by another program. Can you imagine the NFL with no restrictions on free agency? The billionaires who own NFL teams cooperate. In CFB? Ohio State paid $20 million for the roster that won a title in 2024. This season, the Buckeyes roster costs $40+ million.

NO, it's not. The bench was emptied, and would the opponent have been happier if Oregon took the foot off the gas up 40, 50, or 60 to nothing? Portland State received needed money, and a lot of players on the Vikings squad from Oregon were able to experience playing in Autzen Stadium. And after the Week 2 game, Dan needed to let the Ducks out.

Stinks, but perhaps OBD can find a Messiah? 😁

He is out indefinitely with a broken foot. https://www.oregonlive.com/ducks/2026/09/oregon-wide-receiver-jeremiah-mcclellan-suffers-broken-foot-out-indefinitely.html

At this time I don't think we can have a full view of what the coordinators are capable of as our sample size is three. The system is still Lanning's system and I think it has some problems and needs a fresh set of ideas in it but we don't know enough yet to say who should stay and who should go... but I do feel at the end of the season these should be some real questions that need answers.

Starting DR against the Toejams, could throw them off a little...

Maybe put DR out there for a few series in upcoming games, while going back to DM for the most part, to throw a two-headed QB curveball at opposing defenses. See what happens.

Huh? In less than five seasons, Dan Lanning has won 50 football games. What other head coach in Oregon history has come close to this accomplishment? Kirby Smart is 0-2 in the 12-team playoff. Dan is 2-2. If Dan were in it only for a paycheck, he'd be coaching at Alabama or somewhere else in the SEC and making $2 million or more a year. If in it only for the money, Dante would be collecting a 1st-round draft pick paycheck in the NFL. Bo Nix didn't win the biggest games. Gabe didn't win the biggest games. Marcus Mariota didn't win the biggest game. Dante Moore has won a lot of football games at Oregon. Raiola entered a 7-on-7 contest, or more like 11-on-Zip, and with what passed for an opponent on life support, he played well. Big whoop. In Week 1, Dante came through in the 4th quarter to win a game against a G6 opponent Oregon could have lost. He never lost his poise. Dante was terrible versus Oklahoma State. What Oregon coach and player was not terrible in this game? Of course, you are entitled to your opinion. But may I humbly ask, what coach would prefer to Dan Lanning?

We also need to consider that when Raiola was on the field he had s3cond and third stringers on the offensive line. Moore was sacked twice with the starters, Raiola was not sacked at all. Raiola was scanning the field as he was dropping back, Ala Marcus Mariota. Moore would fixate on his primary receiver.

He was in bits and pieces at Nebraska. In a loss to Minnesota, he was sacked nine times. He was running for his life.

On3Oregon Starting Wide Receiver Suffers Broken FootOne of Oregon's starting wide receivers will be out for some time with a broken foot.Bummer:(

Agreed. I felt that way about Akili Smith Jr. as well. (tough kid playing out there playing ball) It looked like he ran the ball two times just to get the feel of contact. I don't know how big he is, but he reminded me a bit of Clydesdale, I mean Cardale Jones!

I don't know if it's a coaching thing, but the players sure looked like they were just "going through the motions" expecting things to work out like practice, and not really playing the game as it came to them, or better yet, forcing their will on Boise and OSU. They looked a lot more motivated against PSU, and I'm sure the coaches influenced that! USC will show a lot about who this team is. One thing about the PSU game, I have great hope for the future after seeing some of the young players waiting for their turn.

Chris Hampton was defensive coordinator at Tulane when they beat USC in a bowl game. He clearly had much less talent than he has now. How much of HIS defensive strategy is or will be used is something none of us know. However, I do believe he is supremely qualified to do the job. As for NIL making players less motivated. Hmmmmm not so sure. If their motivation was purely money the entire defensive line would have gone to the NFL. NIL money is nice but it is not NFL money.

The biggest issue was the optics of scoring again with 29 seconds left. My question, is 12 TD's really that much worse than 11?! Not to me. I believe the issue is mostly cuz it's Oregon. Don't know why exactly, but we seem to be a team some love to hate on. That and peops who haven't played sports (mostly moms) who are afraid of hurt feelings. Remember the TV intro to 'Wide World of Sports', "the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat". That guy falling off the ski jump had to live with that for years! Those PSU players will always remember they played against Oregon. Not whether it was 11 or 12 TD's. Sco Ducks! Overwhelm the Condoms!

People said a lot of the same things about Bo Nix while he was at Auburn. Turns out a terrible team makes the QB look terrible too.

Imagine pairing him with Jett Washington on the field...

Charles, you are right on the money. The Duck defense or lack of defense is one of the main reasons we lost to OSU. The Duck defense had trouble getting off the field against BSU and OSU. Darn, it is hard to score if you don't have the ball. Ponder on this time of possession fact; OSU had the ball for almost 37 minutes and the Ducks just over 23 minutes. The Duck O had the ball barely over a quarter and a half. As poorly as the Duck O played, they took a 31-30 lead in the fourth quarter. And the D could not shut down the Cowboys. The D did not deliver in crunch time. That must change or this team will not make the CFP. No CFP berth, thus no shot at the elusive Natty. Get off the field and get the ball back to the offense. It is a simple part of the game of football that seems to elude this Duck D. Now in fairness the D did score points in the OSU game. And the Duck offense was lackluster and dropped 4 passes that all would have been firstdowns. 2 would have been touchdowns. That would have changed the outcome of this game. The much criticized O line gave DM the time to throw downfield and he delivered the ball on the money. He found the open receivers. They simply lost focus and dropped those passes. Sometimes it just happens to the best players. There will be games that your offense will not deliver. But no matter how poorly the O plays the D must come thru. Defense wins titles. The NFL is next season. 2026 is now. Man up, play together and get it done. This 46 year Duck fan has very little confidence in the defense and its schemes. They will not come thru against the Trojans. If the Duck D forces the Trojans to punt just 2 or 3 times, then Ducks will win 52-49... Go Ducks!

Actually the O only scored 17 points in the OkSt game. The D had a pick 6 and the D also set up one of the TD's on the one yard line. I give that one to the D. That puts the average score to 20.5 in the 1st two games.

Fun stats . . . Since Riley arrived at USC, the Trojans are first nationally in yards per play, third in points per game and fifth in yards per game. Under Riley, USC is an elite offensive program. Defensively, USC is just offensive. I know we are supposed to keep the forum un-political . . . but can't we ask for four more years?

On Saturday, SC is fini! 😁 My rotating screen saver just featured a beautiful Duck taking off to heights unknown! Shake a tail feather, baby! Traveler is toast!

As a high school JV basketball coach, I have been on both ends of the spectrum. When my team is getting their collective butts kicked, I don't want mercy from the other coach. I want my team to learn what it takes to win. Frankly, it's more embarrassing for me and the players if the other team "takes it easy." Last season, we lost two games by 30+ points. We watched film, worked hard, and beat each of those teams in the rematch and the postgame celebrations were fantastic! I'm not sure that would have happened had our opponents took it easy on us and let the final score look more competive than the game actually was. When my team is doing the butt kicking, I'll take out the starters and not press and perhaps even play zone D. But no way I am going to tell the reserves not to play hard. They have been working hard in practice and this is their time to shine. And it can be a cancer to a team to ever instruct a team to stop doing what I have taught in practice. In other words, play the reserves, don't employ any exotic strategies, and coach up your reserves to keep executing and playing hard. Just lilke the Ducks on Friday night! \