Oregon Ducks make the top 3 of USA TODAY's Big Ten football ranking
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
The powers in the Big Ten are well established heading into the 2026 season: the Ohio State Buckeyes, Indiana Hoosiers and Oregon Ducks… and then everyone else. But within those three teams, there’s another separator: national titles in recent seasons.
The Hoosiers, of course, won the title after a magical 16-0 season in 2025, following up the Buckeyes’ 14-2 campaign in 2024 that netted them a national title as well. Meanwhile, the Ducks remain title-less not only in recent years, but in the history of the program.
Oregon’s been knocking (pounding?) on the door for the last couple seasons, but it’s just too much to ask to put them above Ohio State or Indiana this fall. USA TODAY’s Paul Myerberg came to that same conclusion in his ranking of all the teams in the Big Ten heading into 2026, putting the Ducks at No. 3 in the Big Ten behind Indiana (No. 2) and Ohio State (No. 1), with the Buckeyes’ supremacy this decade giving them the edge over the Hoosiers.
“Probably the best program in the Bowl Subdivision without a national championship to its name, Oregon played for a pair during the Bowl Championship Series era and then advanced to last year’s semifinals before losing to Indiana,” Myerberg wrote. “The Ducks are 46-8 under coach Dan Lanning and have blended into the Big Ten seamlessly with an unbeaten run to the conference title in their first year and an 8-1 record in 2025.”
Without the national title that the Hoosiers won earlier this year, the Ducks would’ve cleared them by a mile with a number of uninspiring seasons prior to the hiring of head coach Curt Cignetti. But Indiana did what Oregon hasn’t been able to in finishing the deal in the biggest games.
A year from now, we very well may be having a different conversation with all three pitted against each other on the same level with national titles.
Coming off a loss to Indiana in the College Football Playoff Semifinal, the band is mostly back together for Oregon. Quarterback Dante Moore will lead the offense with a talented backfield duo and loads of returning production at the receiving positions. The offensive line, while young, has the potential to be one of the best in the nation once again. The four returning starting defensive linemen will set the tone for a secondary that is ready to dominate opposing offenses.
In 365 days, we’ll revisit this conversation. Oregon fans certainly hope that the Ducks have a case to be included right alongside Ohio State and Indiana — and not as the third wheel in the party.
Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon Ducks make the top 3 of USA TODAY’s Big Ten football ranking
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos