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Yahoo Sports college football analyst Pete Fiutak released his 2026 USC preview this week, and the headline question is simple: can Lincoln Riley finally push the Trojans into the College Football Playoff? For Oregon fans, the answer matters plenty, since USC’s biggest roadblocks last season included a road loss in Eugene. A Better USC Team Than the Record ShowedAccording to Yahoo Sports, USC finished 9-4 in 2025 but was arguably better than that record suggests. Fiutak points out that USC actually ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten in total offense last season, averaging 465.5 yards per game, with Oregon checking in second at roughly 13 yards behind. USC also finished fifth nationally on third downs and near the top of the country in pass protection. Yahoo Sports notes the Trojans’ four losses came against Illinois (a late heartbreaker), Notre Dame, Oregon — both true road games — and a bowl collapse against TCU in the Alamo Bowl. Fiutak frames it bluntly: USC has no excuses left. The talent, coaching staff, and returning experience are all in place for Riley’s group to take the next step in 2026, even if the schedule doesn’t do them many favors. Maiava and the Offensive Pieces ReturnQuarterback Jayden Maiava is back under offensive coordinator Luke Huard, and Yahoo Sports highlights that he led the Big Ten in passing yardage last season, averaging 285.5 yards per game — well ahead of Oregon’s Dante Moore, who averaged 238. Maiava also threw 24 touchdowns and ran for six more, per the preview. Four starters return on an offensive line that Yahoo Sports says was among the best in the country in pass protection last year, paving the way for over five yards per carry on the ground. Defensive tackle Jide Abasiri is singled out as the key returning piece up front for a defense that racked up 31 sacks in 2025. Why This Still Matters for OregonOregon fans don’t need reminding that USC’s 2025 campaign included a loss on the road in Eugene, one of the results Fiutak cites as evidence the Trojans belong in the “elite” conversation despite missing the Playoff. If USC’s offense is even more dangerous in 2026, as Yahoo Sports suggests, that only raises the stakes for whenever the Ducks and Trojans meet again. Fiutak’s best-case scenario for USC is a Big Ten title and a spot in the national championship hunt, while the worst case has the Trojans settling back into also-ran status in a stacked conference. Either way, Oregon remains one of the measuring sticks Riley’s program has to clear to prove it belongs among the Big Ten’s true contenders. Related: National Pundit’s USC Playoff Pick Hinges on Getting Past Oregon Read the full article here...

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore is drawing praise from an unexpected corner this offseason — a USC-centric preview site. Micah Huff of Trojans Wire, via Yahoo Sports, argues that Moore will present a tougher challenge for USC’s secondary in 2026 than Ohio State’s Julian Sayin, even though the Trojans have to prepare for both signal-callers this season. The comparison is notable because Sayin enters the year with a flashier résumé. According to the column, Sayin was a Heisman finalist last season and led Ohio State to the Big Ten Championship Game and the College Football Playoff as a true freshman starter. But Huff points out that Sayin’s age showed in the biggest moments, with Indiana and Miami’s defenses rattling him enough to force losses in both games. Moore’s Postseason Struggles Get a Different Read Moore also had a strong season by the Trojans Wire columnist’s account, but he too stumbled in the postseason. Huff notes that Moore survived a shaky performance against Texas Tech only because his defense carried him, and that he could not overcome a dominant Indiana team in the national title picture. Despite those postseason blemishes, Huff still gives Moore the edge over Sayin as the tougher out for USC. The reasoning leans on traits rather than raw statistics — the column concedes that Sayin is the better quarterback if you’re simply comparing numbers, but frames Moore as the player with the higher ceiling and the intangibles to become a “franchise quarterback” beyond this season. Why USC Sees Moore as the Bigger Danger The core argument centers on how each quarterback handles pressure schemes. Huff suggests USC’s defense could specifically target and rattle Sayin, and if that happens, even a supporting cast that includes Jeremiah Smith might not be enough to bail out Ohio State’s offense. Moore, by contrast, is described as a quarterback entering 2026 with something to prove after his own postseason letdown, but one who possesses the pocket instincts to beat aggressive gameplans on his own. Per the column, “there is nothing the defense can do to stop him in the pocket” when Moore is playing at his best — a notable vote of confidence from a rival team’s outlet. What It Means for Oregon Fans For Oregon supporters, the piece is less about USC’s game-planning and more validation of Moore’s standing among the Big Ten’s elite quarterbacks heading into his sophomore-caliber season. Being mentioned in the same breath as a Heisman finalist by an opposing fan outlet suggests Moore’s national profile continues to grow. Trojans Wire’s Huff also cautioned that USC defensive coordinator Gary Patterson can’t afford to focus on just one of the two quarterbacks, since both Moore and Sayin have shown they can win games largely on their own. That’s a reminder that Oregon’s matchup with USC will hinge heavily on how much time Moore is given in the pocket — and how the Ducks’ offensive line and skill players around him respond to whatever pressure packages Patterson dials up. Related: Dante Moore, Dakorien Moore Recognized Among College Football’s Top Duos Read the full article here...

Oregon’s 2026 schedule is once again drawing national attention — this time as the reason one prominent college football voice is skeptical of a bold prediction for USC. According to Trojans Wire, Knoxville News-Sentinel columnist John Adams picked USC to make the College Football Playoff this season, but his USA TODAY Sports colleague Blake Toppmeyer pushed back hard, pointing directly at the Trojans’ matchup with the Ducks as a major obstacle. The two writers exchanged playoff predictions ahead of the 2026 season, with Adams going out on a limb for Lincoln Riley’s program. Toppmeyer’s response was blunt, calling the pick a mistake and citing USC’s brutal slate as the reason it won’t happen. He specifically listed Oregon, Washington, Penn State, Ohio State and Indiana as the gauntlet standing between USC and a playoff berth, according to Trojans Wire. Oregon Looms Large in USC’s Playoff MathFor Oregon fans, the mention is a reminder of just how much weight the Ducks carry in other programs’ playoff conversations. USC has not made the College Football Playoff since the event began in 2014, going 0-for-12 across the four-team and now expanded formats, per Trojans Wire. Riley has come up empty in each of his four seasons in Los Angeles, and the pressure to finally break through is mounting. Toppmeyer’s skepticism isn’t rooted in doubting USC’s talent level — he even acknowledged that a lot of returning production and a potentially improved defense under Gary Patterson give the Trojans a chance. But he made clear that games against the Big Ten’s toughest competition, Oregon chief among them, are what will likely keep USC out of the field again. A Rivalry Still Finding Its FootingUSC and Oregon have quickly become one of the more consequential matchups in the Big Ten’s West Coast era, and this latest exchange between national writers only reinforces how much that game could shape the conference and playoff picture. If Adams’ prediction is going to come true, USC will likely need to get past a Ducks team that has been a fixture in playoff and championship conversations of its own. USC’s overall drought since Pete Carroll’s departure has been well documented, with the 2016 and 2017 seasons under Sam Darnold — capped by a Rose Bowl win and the program’s only conference title since Carroll left — standing as the lone bright spots. Whether Riley can change that narrative in 2026 may come down in large part to what happens when USC lines up against Oregon. Related: Oregon Projected as No. 6 Seed, Bounced by Notre Dame in CFP Quarterfinals Read the full article here...

My Duck-Buddies....below is the first published article from the new FishDuck.com site, and it was quite a surprise for me today. I was told that they were not going to be publishing articles about Oregon football, but when you go to the site--it is evident they will be. I will let them be published here in the forum for now as we get adjusted to their new content. In their "About Us" area, they explain that, "Our reporters are AI agents — each drafts original, well-researched stories that are fact-checked and approved by human editors before publishing." A new business model in the AI world? Let's see how it goes since it is a slow time anyway, and another article is fine. BTW...it published in the forum this morning automatically as it did before! It goes to show that I have to remove all vestiges of the FishDuck name from my association, as I am "Mr. OBD" now! And it says that the site began in 2014? Wrong! It was 2011... Michigan enters 2026 under a brand-new coaching staff, but according to Addicted To Quack, the sweeping “clean slate” narrative attached to the Wolverines this offseason doesn’t hold up under closer scrutiny. For Oregon fans tracking Big Ten contenders, Michigan’s rebuild under new head coach Kyle Whittingham is worth understanding as the Ducks continue to navigate the conference. A Coaching Overhaul, But Not a Scandal StoryWhittingham arrived in Ann Arbor bringing a batch of assistants from his Utah and BYU staffs, officially closing the book on the Jim Harbaugh era since no on-field coaches remain from Michigan’s 2023 national championship squad. Addicted To Quack, drawing on a podcast conversation with Jake Singer of Maize n Brew, pushed back on the idea that this transition was scandal-driven. The site notes that everyone connected to the various NCAA and criminal investigations from Michigan’s past — including Harbaugh, Steve Clinkscale, Jesse Minter, Chris Partridge, Denard Robinson, Connor Stalions and Matt Weiss — had already exited the program well before the 2025 season. Last year’s staff, by contrast, wasn’t accused of wrongdoing. It was the firing of head coach Sherrone Moore at season’s end, tied to personal conduct issues rather than any broader scandal, that ultimately brought down that group. Roster Stability Despite the Staff TurnoverPerhaps the bigger surprise, per the report, is how little the player personnel has actually changed. Rather than a roster fire sale, Addicted To Quack describes Michigan’s program as one of the most stable developmental pipelines in the Big Ten heading into 2026. There have been portal departures and additions — some with expected Utah or BYU ties given Whittingham’s background — but the overall churn is described as typical for the current transfer-portal era rather than anything dramatic. Whittingham’s Real Value: Program Building, Not PlaycallingAddicted To Quack argues Whittingham’s true strength lies less in scheme and more in long-term program management and personnel decisions — meaning his fingerprints on Michigan may not fully show until 2027 at the earliest. The site suggests national media has historically misread Whittingham’s Utah tenure by crediting him for on-field concepts actually delegated to assistants, when his real skill was running the operation behind the scenes. That management style is already visible in some of Whittingham’s early moves. He replaced Michigan’s entire strength and conditioning staff with people who worked alongside him for more than two decades in Salt Lake City, while dismissing several position coaches — including tight ends, receivers, offensive line, defensive ends, linebackers and defensive backs — along with both offensive and defensive playcallers. Notably, Sherrone Moore’s staff never had a dedicated quarterbacks coach at all. At the same time, Whittingham kept the running backs coach and the defensive tackles coach (who later left for an NFL job), the recently hired special teams coach, and shifted the receivers coach into a front-office recruiting role. Addicted To Quack frames these retention decisions as a deliberate effort to preserve local recruiting relationships and institutional trust rather than a top-down purge — a distinction that matters as Oregon and the rest of the Big Ten size up Michigan’s trajectory heading into the season. Read the full article here...

Four new Big Ten head coaches come on board in 2026: Long-time Utah HC Kyle Whittingham at Michigan; long-time Northwestern HC Pat Fitzgerald at Michigan State; long-time Iowa State HC Matt Campbell at Penn State; and Bob Chesney, a coach with terrific success at undercard college football (CFB) programs, takes over at UCLA. Even our Mr. FishDuck paused from his ... Read More Source Read the full article here...

This is the fourth article in a series examining the schedules of the ten teams with the best odds of winning the 2026-27 College Football (CFB) National Championship Playoff and it covers one of our favorites? We’ve looked at the schedules for Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Georgia. This article will look into the CFB Crystal Ball to see if ... Read More Source Read the full article here...

Spring Football has sprung, and Spring games have been completed from North to South and Coast-to-Coast. On April 25th, Oregon was the Big Ten’s last team to play its Spring Game, then Ducking into off-season practice before the start of Fall practice. The Sporting News (TSN) Preseason Composite Top 25 Poll has eight Big Ten teams ranked in the top ... Read More Source Read the full article here...

This is the third article in a series examining the schedules of the ten teams with the best odds to win the 2026-27 College Football (CFB) National Championship. Is a team’s schedule a barrier or a boon to making the playoff field? Here’s an obscure insight into the obvious: No team will win a Playoff if it isn’t in the ... Read More Source Read the full article here...

It is madness, scheduling madness in our favorite sport, college football. Many of you know that I like to offer my thoughts in our free football forum, and often it is pertaining to the schedules of the many teams that we play in the Big-10. Today, I believe that Oregon fans would want to learn about the Buckeye football schedule ... Read More Source Read the full article here...

College Football 2026 Schedule Previews – This is the first in a series of articles examining whether a college football (CFB) team’s 2026 schedule will help or hurt with an invitation to the 2026-27 CFB Playoff. In 2025, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football finished the season with a record of 10-2, winning ten straight games after dropping its first ... Read More Source Read the full article here...

Have you ever watched a team lose three starters at one spot and somehow look stronger heading into the next year? That is the story shaping up along Oregon’s offensive line in 2026, and almost nobody outside of Eugene is paying full attention. The Ducks finished as a Joe Moore Award finalist for the third straight year in 2025, then ... Read More Source Read the full article here...

In 2025, the Oregon Ducks were predicted to take a step back in football after losing so many veterans. But what has become a trend at this point is that HC Dan Lanning doesn’t need to rebuild but reload. After 2025, Lanning has managed to preserve most of his roster, which is a major advantage as he will have a ... Offensive Wish List for the 2026 Ducks

Following South Carolina’s take-down of UConn in the women’s semi-final, Huskie’s head coach Geno Auriemma had a bit of a melt-down. Ostensibly Auriemma was upset about some perceived snub from Gamecock’s head coach Dawn Staley per not meeting him at mid-court for a pre-game handshake. Geno also ranted about the physical play of SC, and how terrible the officiating was. ... Read More Source Read the full article here...

It appears that Dan Lanning has finalized his coaching staff for 2027 and his choices are telling. The trend this season is to promote from within. At the end of the 2025 season, both Offensive and Defensive Coordinators Will Stein and Tosh Lupoi left to become head coaches at Kentucky and Cal respectively. It was reported rather quickly that Lanning ... Dan Lanning is Betting on His Own Staff for 2026

The Oregon Ducks have a long history of producing quality players with longevity. While they may not always attract the excitement and celebrity star quality of some, they are solid and often have fruitful careers. The current crop of players is no different, and there are several players who will thrive in bigger teams and leagues such as the NFL. ... Read More Source Read the full article here...

Oregon football has never produced NFL talent at a higher rate than it does right now. Under Dan Lanning, the program set a record in 2024 with eight players drafted, then broke that mark again in 2025 with ten selections, finishing fourth nationally behind Ohio State, Texas, and Georgia. For any Oregon fan who bled green and yellow through every ... How to Track Duck Alumni in the NFL During Fantasy Football Season

The 2026 NFL Draft opens in Pittsburgh on April 23, running seven rounds and 257 picks across three days. The first round moves at eight minutes per pick, which sounds slow until you remember that every clock tick represents a franchise making a decision worth tens of millions of dollars. Teams like the Titans, Saints, and Chiefs, potentially trading up from ... The Most Underrated Players of the 2026 NFL Draft

The 2026 NFL Draft kicks off on April 23 and concludes on April 25. The last time Pittsburgh hosted the draft was in December of 1947. (The same year I was drafted onto this mortal coil, but I don’t remember a thing about this draft? But neither does Mel Kiper.) The Pitt Hotel was the site for the 1947 draft. The ... Prepare for a B1G NFL Draft

Three different threads on the Oregon Football message board, the Our Beloved Ducks forum over the recent months have addressed B1G football scheduling. Some of the many ideas on that topic have been incorporated in a draft letter to B1G Commissioner Tony Petitti. Our own Mr. FishDuck... Join Me: A Letter to BIG Commissioner Tony Petitti

Spring practice kicked off in Eugene on March 12, and the Ducks are operating with a kind of controlled urgency that gets college football fans and bettors paying attention months ahead of schedule. If you completed your 1xbet sign up before bowl season even wrapped, Oregon’s offseason might have justified the decision on its own. Dan Lanning lost both coordinators, ... Oregon Football Bets Big on Spring Rebuild

Football still turns on the same old question: which side understands the next snap before it happens? Super Bowl LX gave a clean answer on 8 February 2026, when Seattle beat New England 29-13 at Levi’s Stadium behind the league’s No. 1 defense, and the College Football Playoff title game gave another on 19 January, when Indiana finished 16-0 by ... Football Strategy and Analysis: How Games Are Really Won

Oregon finished last season as one of the most complete teams in college football. Dan Lanning has turned the Ducks into a genuine national contender, and the question heading into 2026 is no longer whether Oregon belongs among the elite. It is whether this roster can close the deal on a Big-10 title. The answer, if you look at it ... Oregon’s Odds of Winning the Big-10 Championship in 2026

I am rooting for Oregon’s former PAC-12 brethren, the Arizona Wildcats to win it all in hoops this year. Since Arizona last won it in 1997, only two programs west of the Mississippi River, Baylor (2021) and Kansas (2008, 2022) have won March Madness. That is awful. Even Mr. FishDuck paused from his study for the upcoming season at FanDuel ... For the Love of the West

As our Oregon football program prepares for its fifth season under head coach Dan Lanning, projected win totals for all Power Four conferences are officially out. Oregon stands today at 10.5 wins as their betting line, joining Indiana as the favorites to go to the conference championship for their second time since joining the B1G. Ohio State sits at a game ... Oregon Football: Projected Win Total in 2026

If you have analyzed pre-match standings at least once in the last few months, you know that the stakes in modern sports are rising faster than a receiver’s top speed. What is currently happening in Eugene, Oregon, goes beyond standard predictions. We are witnessing the birth of a new player prototype that is forcing NFL general managers to rewrite their ... NFL Teams Dream of the “Hybrid Monster” from Oregon