Oregon opens 2026 season against ESPN FPI's top-ranked Pac-12 team
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In most years, Week 1 of the college football season is reserved for cupcake games that allow high-profile teams to knock the rust off and get a feel for what the new roster can do.
That won't be the case for the Oregon Ducks in 2026.
While the Boise State Broncos may not pose the same test that the Georgia Bulldogs did for Oregon in 2022, it's fair to say this Saturday's matchup will be treated with more care than Week 1 contests against Montana State or Idaho over the past two years. Spencer Danielson's team is on the fringes of the Top 25 ranking and an early favorite to potentially represent the Group of Six in the College Football Playoff.
According to ESPN's Football Power Index, the Broncos are the top team in the Pac-12 Conference this year, ranked No. 50 in the nation and holding a 36.8% chance to win the league in their first year as members. Should Boise State come out on top in the Pac-12, there's a good chance that they can get into the CFP; ESPN's FPI gives them an 11.5% chance to make it to the postseason tournament.
Of course, it may be an intriguing matchup on paper, but Oregon enters this game with a decided talent advantage. With one of the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy leading the offense in QB Dante Moore, and among the top defenses in the nation, there are expectations that the Ducks will get out of this Week 1 clash unscathed. They enter as three-score favorites, per FanDuel, and ESPN's FPI gives them a 94.8% chance to win.
The game will be played at 12:30 p.m. PT and aired on CBS.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon opens 2026 season against ESPN FPI's top-ranked Pac-12 team
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