Bryson Blue
Writer
The No. 5 Oregon Ducks (13-1) have had quite the journey this season, traveling a road leading right to the Peach Bowl. The College Football Playoff semifinal will also feature the No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers (14-0), making for a highly anticipated rematch. Whether the Ducks win and advance to the national championship or lose and go home, this season has already been a success for the Ducks.
Oregon was never supposed to make it to the semifinal, in the eyes of the media. Following the loss to Indiana and the subsequent decline of the Penn State Nittany Lions, Oregon’s resume was heavily criticized. Kirk Herbstreit picked the Ducks to lose to Iowa, as many had them on upset watch. The Ducks were also not favored to beat Texas Tech. The expectations at the beginning of the season were not to make a deep run with this young team. Even in the preseason, the AP ranked the Ducks at No. 7 in the nation.
Last season, the Oregon Ducks were the No. 1 team in the country. It was the Ducks’ year to finally win a national championship. However, they came well short of that goal after losing to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. The loss stung, but a lot of players were ready to move on to other things. Veterans at key positions left for the draft, like quarterback Dillon Gabriel, running back Jordan James, wide receivers Tez Johnson and Traeshon Holden, and multiple starting offensive and defensive linemen. In short, the Ducks looked very different in 2025.
When a team loses those types of players, it makes sense that the expectations on them should be lower. Oregon had to retool, rebuild chemistry, and bring in the next generation of Ducks for development. Luckily for them, they made all the right swings. Dante Moore’s gamble to come to Oregon and sit behind Dillon Gabriel for a year paid off massively. The freshmen received opportunities, like Jordon Davison, Dierre Hill Jr., Dakorien Moore, and Brandon Finney Jr, showed incredible potential, coming up big for the Ducks all year. Players brought in from the portal instantly contributed, and now the Ducks have made a deeper run in the playoffs than that No. 1 team did a year ago.
While this season has been a success, the goal for the Oregon Ducks is clear: win the national championship. Even though everything they are playing with is on the house right now, Dan Lanning and company are hungry. Just because the retooled Ducks were not picked or expected to be there, much like Indiana, Ole Miss, and Miami, doesn’t mean they are fine with just taking a moral victory.
The Ducks are a serious threat. They have the tools to overcome Indiana and win it all. There is NFL talent all over this team, from Dante Moore to Kenyon Sadiq, and that is hard to beat. If their offense shows up in the Peach Bowl, and Moore puts on a top-5 pick performance, the sky is the limit. But in the end, it just simply isn’t championship or bust for the Oregon Ducks.
Cody Croy
Writer
Baylor transfer kicker Connor Hawkins has signed with Ohio State, according to Rivals insider Hayes Fawcett. He will have 3 seasons of eligibility remaining. Hawkins took to social media after his commitment, posting “Let’s roll!!” On X. After some uncertainty regarding the kicking situation, the Buckeyes finally have their guy. Hawkins played two seasons for […]
Bryson Blue
Writer
After almost a week of anticipation, the star quarterback of the Oregon Ducks, Dante Moore, has made his decision on his future.
Cody Croy
Writer
Northwestern transfer tight end Hunter Welcing has signed with Ohio State. The Illinois native will have one season of eligibility remaining. He is a former 3-star recruit in the class of 2020. Welcing, who will be gearing up for his sixth season of college football, spent five of them with the Northwestern Wildcats. Battling injury, […]
