The Oregon Ducks represent intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Oregon from Eugene. The university has 18 varsity teams, but Oregon is arguably best known for its football team. It has helped the hometown of Eugene gain a reputation as ‘Track Town, USA.’ So, with their popularity rising rapidly, let’s take a look at how Oregon’s premier football team coped in the 2024 Big Ten season, whether they made any mistakes along the way and how they can rectify them, as well as a glance on what the future may bring for the Ducks.
A Strong 2024 Big Ten Season
It won’t be an understatement to say that the Oregon Ducks Football team had an unforgettable 2024 Big 10 season. Of course, the Ducks represented the University of Oregon as a member of the Big Ten Conference, and they were led by Dan Lanning. Home games were played at the Autzen Stadium in Eugene.
What made the season more impressive was the fact that it was the Ducks’ first season in the Big Ten. Even from the early days, it seemed like all stars aligned for the Ducks. The 35-0 away win against Purdue marked the first 7-0 series by the Ducks since 2013.
More flagship results soon followed suit – a 49-21 win against archrival Washington helped them achieve their first undefeated regular season since 2010. Then, the Ducks wrapped up the season with an astonishing 13-0 record after winning their first-ever Big Ten Championship by defeating the Penn State Nittany Lions 45-37.
This was the first time the Ducks appeared in a Big Ten title game – all while debuting in the Big Ten itself. On the other hand, it was Penn State’s second time playing in the Big Ten title game, which made the Ducks’ triumph even more impressive.
Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq races toward the end zone against Penn State on Saturday night during the Big Ten Championship Game vs Penn State. (Photo by Eric Becker)
The occasion was also the fifth time these two schools met, but the last matchup occurred back in the 1995 Rose Bowl, where the Nittany Lions won 38-20, but fortunes were to turn this time around.
Unfortunately, the Ducks had a rather disappointing end to the season as they lost the Rose Bowl to the Ohio State Buckeyes 41-21. Despite this loss, both the Wolfe Ratings and Anderson & Hester (big NCAA selectors) named the Oregon Ducks national champions.
Big Ten 2025 Format
Now, preparations for the 2025 football schedule are up and running. The Big Ten Conference announced the new schedule, which marks the second season with 18 teams and no divisional format. Moreover, as in 2024, the 2025 season will feature the Flex Protect XVIII model. It represents a mashup of each participating university’s so-called ‘protected’ and ‘rotating’ opponents.
Each university will get to play nine intra-conference games per season, and teams will face all other conference opponents at least twice – home and away. No one will play rotating opponents more than three times in five years.
Per tradition, the 2025 season will finish with the Big Ten Football Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium. It will be a match between the best two universities in the conference standings at the end of the season. The winner will get the Big Ten Championship under its belt.
Noah Whittington runs against Maryland, and will be back for 2025. (Photo By Eric Becker)
Predictions for 2025 – Oregon Ducks as Frontrunners
The Ducks did something in 2024 that no one anticipated them to do. They debuted in the Big Ten Conference and beat every single team in their path to the conference championship at the end of the year. By doing so, the Ducks washed away concerns linked to their ‘West Coast’ style of play and how it will adapt to the Big Ten Conference.
The Oregon Ducks were not the only surprise of the 2024 season. Indiana’s playoff run, Penn State’s break season, as well as Bret Bielema and Illinois’ surprising 10-win season leave plenty to look forward to in 2025, and make the job of predicting the Championship much more difficult.
This year may see similar contenders emerge in the Big Ten, as Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State and Michigan being arguably the easiest picks for strong seasons. Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, and Washington should also aim high.
The experience with Oregon taught us that we shouldn’t overlook underdogs in 2025. Wisconsin, Michigan State and UCLA are some of the teams that can make some unforeseen runs into prominence.
Early odds by bookmakers place Oregon, the reigning champion, as the favorite to retain the crown in 2025. The Ducks will be lucky as they won’t play against Ohio State next season, but one of the mouth-watering games they can look forward to is the one against Penn State at Beaver Stadium – a rematch of the Big Ten Championship game.
Beyond-the-Field Fan Enjoyment
The buzz around the Oregon Ducks’ success continues to build, and fans want to stay connected to their favorite sports in more ways than one. It becomes possible with numerous football-themed online slots available on virtual gaming platforms on the web. Such websites also provide numerous extras to increase the fun.
One of the most attractive ones is spins wager-free – these lucrative deals allow users to claim extra spins on their preferred slot machines without meeting any wagering requirements before cashing out their winnings. It means you can enjoy some of the most popular games and potentially collect rewards — all while waiting for the Ducks’ 2025 season to kick off.
Oregon will have the “Autzen Advantage” versus B1G opponents. (Screenshot from B1G Network Video)
Challenges Ahead for the Ducks
So, can the Ducks repeat the tricks and be the best team in the Big Ten this season? This is the big question in the offseason, and it is one that is hard to answer – regardless of the early odds mentioned above. Let’s not overlook the fact that the Ducks are seeing several talented players leave for the NFL this spring.
Some of the names that will be gone include:
Dillon Gabriel
Jordan James
Tez Johnson
Terrance Ferguson
Josh Conerly
Jordan Burch
Jeffrey Bassa
Jabbar Muhamad
There is a big job ahead for coach Dan Lanning and Marshal Malchow (Chief of Staff at the Ducks) in terms of replacing those players. Fortunately, they have proved to be more than capable of building a competitive team over the past few years, so there is every optimism that Oregon will be in a strong position to defend the Big Ten title next season.
The team didn’t make many mistakes, given their almost perfect score en-route to the Big Ten Championship trophy. As such, there is not too much to improve on, but the bar is definitely raised very high. Oregon may have a tough time replicating its 2024 campaign. Of course, Dan Lanning deserves the benefit of the doubt as he seeks to retool and rebuild his roster of players, but no one will judge them if they take a minor step backwards in 2025.
History is full of teams – across all sports, that have had standout and near-perfect seasons, only to fall back to reality the next term. Oregon fans may need to brace themselves for a similar scenario, given the loss of personnel mentioned above.
On the flip side, some would argue that the massively successful 2024 campaign will serve as a springboard for the Ducks’ program going forward, and that we may be in line for their multi-year domination.
OregonReigns
Lakeside, Oregon
Screenshot from Peacock Sports Video
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OregonReigns is an occasional contributor to FishDuck and loves his Ducks!