The Oregon Ducks haven’t played a game yet, and they’re already sitting in territory the program has never occupied before.
Oregon enters the 2026 season ranked No. 2 in the AP preseason Top 25, behind only Ohio State. The Ducks received 14 first-place votes from the 69 media members who participated, and it’s the highest preseason ranking in program history. Oregon had previously started as high as No. 3 four times.
That’s quite a compliment. It also raises an interesting question: Is starting this high actually a good thing?
For Oregon, I think it is.
There are obvious drawbacks. Every opponent knows exactly what beating Oregon would mean. Every close game will bring questions about whether the Ducks are overrated, and every bad Saturday could produce a much larger reaction because of where they started.
But Oregon isn’t sneaking up on anyone anymore. That part of the program’s evolution ended a while ago.
Under Dan Lanning, Oregon has become one of the programs expected to compete for championships. The Ducks went 13-2 last season and reached the College Football Playoff semifinals before losing 56-22 to eventual national champion Indiana. Oregon has now won 13 games in consecutive seasons.
The roster gives voters plenty of reasons to believe another run is coming.
It starts with Dante Moore, who decided to return to Eugene rather than enter the NFL Draft. Moore completed 71.8% of his passes last season for 3,565 yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Oregon also returns receivers Evan Stewart and Dakorien Moore, while Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr. give the Ducks talent in the backfield. Davison’s fall camp injury, which is expected to keep him out for part of the regular season, is something to watch.
The defense has plenty of experience as well, particularly up front with Bear Alexander, Matayo Uiagalelei, A’Mauri Washington and Teitum Tuioti returning. Minnesota transfer Koi Perich also joins the secondary after Oregon lost first-round NFL Draft pick Dillon Thieneman.
There are questions. The biggest might be the offensive line, where Oregon lost three starters, Emmanuel Pregnon, Isaiah World and Alex Harkey, to the NFL. That’s a lot of experience to replace for a team with championship expectations.
Still, there’s a difference between being ranked highly because voters recognize your logo and being ranked highly because the roster deserves it. Oregon looks much closer to the second category.
And strangely enough, No. 2 might be the perfect place to start.
The Ducks get nearly all the respect that comes with being No. 1 without carrying the actual No. 1 label. Ohio State gets the biggest target. Oregon gets to chase the Buckeyes, and the Ducks will eventually have an opportunity to settle that debate themselves when they travel to Columbus on Nov. 7.
The schedule provides other chances to prove the ranking is legitimate. Oregon opens against Boise State on Sept. 5, travels to Oklahoma State the following week and begins Big Ten play at USC on Sept. 26. Later come trips to Illinois, Ohio State and Michigan State, plus home games against Nebraska, Michigan and Washington.
Yes, being No. 2 creates pressure. But pressure shouldn’t scare this Oregon program anymore.
The Ducks recruit like a national championship contender. They attract transfers like one. They have reached the College Football Playoff in consecutive seasons under Lanning, and they keep assembling rosters capable of competing with the best teams in the country. At some point, the expectations have to match what the program has become.
That’s where Oregon sits entering 2026. A nine-win season isn’t going to feel particularly satisfying in Eugene. Simply making a bowl game or hanging around the Top 15 isn’t the standard anymore. Oregon should expect to spend December competing for a Big Ten championship and, ideally, still playing for a national championship.
Of course, preseason rankings guarantee absolutely nothing. The AP poll can’t protect Oregon from injuries, offensive-line problems, an upset or the general weirdness that shows up every college football Saturday.
But the Ducks shouldn’t be afraid of being ranked this high.
The No. 2 ranking is another indication of how much Oregon football has changed. The Ducks aren’t viewed as a program trying to join college football’s elite anymore.
They’re being treated like they’re already there.
Now they have to prove everyone right.
