Oh, what a long off-season! So many questions, and such anticipation for the 2025 season just makes waiting for the first game interminable. So as your “Schedule-Maven,” I thought I would delve further into Oregon’s 2025 football opponents, which begins with our neighbors to the north, Beavis. Even Mr. FishDuck took a break from his fun at my11 to review the next set of games on Oregon’s schedule with me.
WEEK 4 – September 20, 2025 – Autzen Stadium – Oregon State Beavers – From Somewhere up North.
In theory, in 2024, the Beavers won the Pac-2 title, defeating Washington State 41-38 in the Pac-2 title game. In reality, Beavis finished 5-7 and Dam It, they had to stay in Corvallis over the Bowl Season.
One area where Oregon State is consistent is the payment of legal fees. After bringing suit against the 10 departing members of the Pac-12, Beavis is currently suing the Mountain West Conference, challenging an agreement it entered into less than 12 months ago in which Oregon State agreed to make significant exit fee payments for Mountain West teams that it poached.
In its heroic effort to create the Pac-7 plus Gonzo, the always righteous Beavis poached, but it doesn’t want to pay the agreed-upon exit fees. Something about situational ethics crosses the mind, no?
The Beavers have used one and a half million dollars of the money purloined from the Breakaway 10, to bring in quarterback Maalik Murphy. Murphy has had an interesting college football journey beginning in the SEC with Texas, and then Duke of the ACC, followed by a move to Group of 6 team, Oregon State. Murph, is Linfield next?
Here’s hoping that the Beavers will slink into Autzen with a 0-3 record with losses to Cal, Fresno State, and on the road in Lubbock against Texas Tech.
Named for an OSU alum? Gotta love it! (Screenshot from Gridiron on “X”)
Famous Alum – Thomas J. Autzen, (An Oregon Agricultural College alum) who had the good sense to have his son, Thomas E. Autzen, graduate from Oregon. Tom E. put up $250,000.00 of the $2.3 million Oregon AD Leo Harris raised to build the stadium, and earned the right to name the stadium after his Dad. (Thanks, son!) The Stadium opened in 1967 with a loss to Colorado. Four weeks later Oregon won its first game in the new stadium, 31-17 over Idaho, the only home win of the season.
SERIES RECORD: Oregon 87– Oregon State 44 -1 Tie. It’s not very Civil, but I’m hoping the series will conclude on September 20th with Oregon capturing win Number 88.
WEEK 5 – September 17, 2025 – Penn State Nittany Lions – Beaver Stadium – University Park, Pennsylvania
Every season sees big college football games…games that stand out when two highly ranked teams go at it. This game on the road at Penn State is a BIG B1G Game. Preseason No. 3 Penn State will be taking on the No. 6 Oregon Ducks in one of only three games in 2025 that will see top-four conference title contenders, Ohio State, Penn State, Oregon, and Michigan play one another.
Coming into this game has Penn State off a bye week the Saturday prior, will be 3-0, and Oregon is favored to be 4-0. This is one of the most anticipated early games of the 2025 season, and will see 106,572 plus raucous fans in sold-out Beaver Stadium. Fans who are hungry to see coach James Franklin bag what could be his first Top-5 win at Penn State.
Penn State did not win the National Title this last year as it did in 1982 with a win over Georgia, and in 1986 with a win over Miami, but 2024-25 was a historic season for the Nittany Lions. Penn State finished 13-3 for its most wins in the history of the program, and James Franklin’s 11 seasons at the helm.
Penn State’s new OC has the ‘Lions scoring much more, especially at home. (Photo by Mark Selders, Courtesy of Penn State Athletics)
Penn State played for its first conference title since it last won a conference championship in 2016, where it battled Oregon up to the last possession in a loss before later routing SMU at home in the 1st round of the playoff. Then the ‘Lions defeated Boise State in the second round 31-14, before giving up the lead and losing in its semifinal game against Notre Dame. Drew Allar threw a gut-wrenching late interception, and a subsequent field goal gave the Irish a 27-24 win.
Penn State is losing some great players from the 2024 team including Mackey Award winner tight end Tyler Warren, and edge rusher Abdul Carter, who is expected to be one of the top-3 picks in the 2025 NFL draft, but has many excellent players on both sides of the ball returning in 2025.
Quarterback Drew Allar returns for his third season as the starter for the Lions. Running back Kaytron Allen, 14 carries 124 yards against Oregon in the B1G title game, and running back Nick Singleton, 10 carries, 101 yards, and a TD reception are back. Four starters return on the O-line bolstered by transfer TJ Shelton from Texas A&M. To help out Allar, Penn State is bringing in wide receiver Kyron Hudson from USC and Devonte Ross from Troy, which sent a ‘pretty good receiver’ to the Ducks in Tez Johnson.
Thirteen draft-eligible starters with high NFL draft grades return. This is the same formula used by Michigan and Ohio State in their Championship runs. Five of the top starters on the defense are included in this group, and Penn State added a quality defensive tackle from Michigan, along with a defensive end who played significant minutes at Texas A&M.
Penn State has an incredible 106,000 fan capacity home field edge. (Photo by Steven Walter, Courtesy of Penn State Athletics)
And, by the way, after losing DC Tom Allen to Clemson, Penn State opened up the wallet to bring in DC Jim Knowles from Ohio State where in 2024-25, Knowles put the number one college defense on the field for the National Champion. Somehow, some way, the Ducks in future odds are a three-point favorite? Get your popcorn, and IPAs ready for this BIG B1G game.
Famous Alums – Heisman Winner John Cappelletti, along with Franco Harris of ‘Immaculate Reception’ fame, and too many other quality football players to mention.
Series Record – Penn State 3 – Oregon 2. Oregon is 1-0 on the road and 0-1 at home. Last game played, B1G Championship – Oregon 45 – Penn State 37. Is another shoot-out coming up?
WEEK 6? It is a bye week before Indiana comes to Eugene for the first of back-to-back games in Autzen versus 2024-25 playoff participants. (The only two such games in 2025)
If the good Lord is willing and the creek don’t rise, I’ll be back on FishDuck.com in the near future with the next five games on the slate, saving ‘old friends’ USC and UWho for last.
Jon Joseph
Aiken, South Carolina
Top Photo by Craig Strobeck
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Jon Joseph grew up in Boston, Massachusetts but has been blessed to have lived long enough in the west to have exorcised all east coast bias. He played football in college and has passionately followed the game for seven decades. A retired corporate attorney Jon has lectured across the country and published numerous articles on banking and gaming law. Now a resident of Aiken South Carolina, Jon follows college football across the nation with a focus on the Conference of Champions and the Ducks.