The Oregon Ducks enter the 2026 season as one of the favorites to win the national championship, coming off a year when they reached the College Football Playoff semifinal but fell far short of expectations. Now, it's all laid out for them, with a long list of veterans returning to try to take them a step further this time around.
It's not going to be easy, though. The Ducks have one of the tougher schedules in the Big Ten, with a closing stretch that features games against the Ohio State Buckeyes, Michigan Wolverines, and Washington Huskies in the final month of the season.
It's also becoming increasingly clear that the early portion of Oregon's schedule might be no cakewalk, either.
While many teams try to go up against smaller, less-imposing schools early in the year, the Ducks have a couple of potentially dangerous games to kick off the 2026 campaign. On Monday morning, the preseason Associated Press Top 25 is set to be released, and there's a real chance that both the Boise State Broncos and Oklahoma State Cowboys find their way into the rankings.
Earlier this offseason, FOX Sports' Joel Klatt placed the Cowboys as his No. 25 team in the nation, thanks to the transfer of QB Drew Mestemaker and RB Caleb Hawkins, plus former North Texas head coach Eric Morris taking over.
"I think that this is a really good football team that can turn it around quickly," Klatt said. "Remember, in a conference in the Big 12 where everyone's kind of mashed together, so all of a sudden you start winning some close games, and you can have a big bump in year one. I think that might happen for Eric Morris there at Oklahoma State."
The Broncos are also picking up some Top 25 buzz, with Athlon Sports recently predicting that they will come in as the final team to earn a ranking. Spencer Danielson's group is widely expected to lead the Pac-12 this year and likely vie for a spot in the College Football Playoff as the Group of Six representative.
The Ducks will face Boise State in Week 1, favored by more than three touchdowns. They will then travel to face Oklahoma State in Stillwater for a Week 2 clash.
Ultimately, both games could end up being ranked matchups for Oregon. If that's the case, you could simply add them to the list of games where rankings will likely be involved for the Ducks this year. Nothing will be confirmed until the AP Poll comes out on Monday, but there's a high chance USC, Ohio State, Michigan, and Washington will all be ranked, along with Boise State and Oklahoma State. On top of that, could a potentially undefeated UCLA Bruins team be ranked when Oregon hosts them in October? What about the Illinois Fighting Illini?
It's still early, but it appears that as many as seven or eight of the Ducks' 12 opponents in 2026 could be ranked inside the Top 25 at some point. Expectations are high for this Oregon team, and if they can get through and achieve their goal, they will have earned it.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Will Oregon Ducks have pair of Top-25 non-conference matchups?
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