Two Oregon games appear on ESPN's list of top 100 games in 2025
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
Of the 13 Oregon Ducks wins in 2025, 11 of them came by two scores. Each of their losses to the Indiana Hoosiers came by two scores as well, as they fell by 10 points in Week 7 at home and by 34 in the College Football Playoff Semifinal.
For those reasons, it shouldn’t be a surprise that just two Duck games appeared on ESPN’s list of the top 100 games of the 2025 season, created by college football analyst Bill Connelly.
With 13 of 15 Oregon games being decided by at least multiple scores, that leaves just two one-score games for the Ducks in 2025: road contests against Iowa and Penn State.
Both were present on Connelly’s list, with the Iowa versus Oregon matchup coming in at No. 72.
The setting of the game — Kinnick Stadium with a raucous crowd in a driving rainstorm — had a huge part in how the game played out, as the Ducks held a 12-7 lead at the half. For an Iowa program that always has a stout defense and a grind-it-out offense, that halftime score was certainly fitting.
The pace began to pick up in the middle of the fourth quarter, as the Hawkeyes went on a 12-play, 93-yard drive capped off with a rush touchdown by quarterback Mark Gronowski to give Iowa a 16-15 lead with 1:51 remaining. Considering the rainstorm and the fact that Oregon quarterback Dante Moore had managed to throw for just 65 yards to that point, the Ducks’ chances looked dim.
But Moore did the improbable, completing arguably his best pass of the season to wide receiver Malik Benson up the right sideline that put the Ducks in field goal range. Kicker Atticus Sappington nailed the 39-yard game-winner as time expired, a thrilling finish to a must-win November game for the Ducks.
The only other Oregon game that was present on the list is an obvious one, as the Ducks pulled out a 30-24 double overtime victory at Penn State during the crowds annual “white out,” is ranked at No. 17.
“Everything fell apart in a blink for James Franklin at Penn State in 2025, but we didn’t know it was coming when the Nittany Lions hosted Oregon for one of September’s most anticipated games,” Connelly wrote. “And what began as a war of attrition picked up steam late.
“Touchdowns by Dierre Hill Jr. and Jordon Davison gave Oregon a 17-3 lead early in the fourth quarter, but two Drew Allar-to-Devonte Ross touchdown passes brought PSU even with 30 seconds remaining. Down seven in OT, Oregon converted a fourth-and-1, then got a touchdown from Jamari Johnson; the Ducks scored immediately to start the second OT, but they failed on a 2-point conversion. That opened the door for PSU … and the door immediately closed when Dillon Thieneman snagged an Allar pass to secure the road win. Penn State’s season never recovered.”
At the time, the win was one of the best in program history, as the Ducks took down previous Big Ten power and the then-No. 3 Nittany Lions on the road. Though struggles for Penn State followed, it remains a truly awesome game and easily the best, most entertaining game for Oregon in 2025.
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: Two Oregon Duck games make ESPN’s list of top 100 games in 2025
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos