Oregon Ducks Kickoff Season with Special Sauce, Hold the QB

The Oregon Ducks, ranked No. 7 nationally and expected to make another run at the College Football Playoff, begin the 2025 season with an unusual yet comforting blend of elite talent, tactical secrecy and unflappable swagger. Whatever wunderkind Oregon coach Dan Lanning is serving up, bottle it and sell it. Only Lanning’s magic elixir of charisma, dedication, hard work and positivity could heal the collective trauma of Ohio State ripping out his team’s still-beating heart in last year’s Rose Bowl.

If this time of year gives you butterflies, well, it should—butterflies and diarrhea. Nothing is certain; all is chaos; cautionary tales abound. One need look no further than USF’s 34-7 blowout of Boise State earlier this week. Last year’s sizzling, all-beef playoff team is this year’s cold burger. The Ducks are not immune to this reality, as evidenced by last season’s near-catastrophic fiddle-fart against the Idaho Vandals.

So, now we have finally arrived at the season opener against Montana State and there are, well, questions. But why not sprinkle in some suspense to spike the cortisol, especially for this aging Ducks fan desperate for a national championship in a sport involving a ball? Mr. FishDuck couldn’t wait to get into Betwinner login for some gaming fun to ease the tension of the new football season.

Quarterback who?
While most programs name a starting quarterback to, say, prepare for a football game, Oregon continues to keep its cards close — so close, in fact, that no one outside the practice facility officially knows who’s under center. With four options available, Lanning decided the element of surprise is worth more than a depth chart. We can all make an educated guess that Detroit five-star product Dante Moore will be taking snaps, but are you willing to put your money down? Choosy moms choose JIF. Ansy fans choose Dante.

Montana State
Saturday’s home opener pits Oregon against FCS title hopeful Montana State, a team with a strong running game, a transfer quarterback, and just enough preseason buzz to fuel “upset alert” headlines. Unlike Oregon, the Bobcats have a national title under their belt (1984) and 20 playoff appearances over the years. Still, with the Ducks’ size, speed, and depth, most expect the reigning Big Ten champs to handle business before halftime.

Then again, it is Week 1, and stranger things have happened. Probably not here, but still. The ongoing sleep paralysis demon for every Oregon fan is that the Ducks emerge from the Autzen tunnel this afternoon flat and uninspired. Or they come out like Yosemite Sam, hollering and hopping mad, blunderbuss barking. Yeehaw.

An obligatory fan photo reminding the Buckeyes they suck. Photo by Eric Becker

Injury Watch
A few Ducks are banged up — a torn tendon here, a broken leg there — but overall, Oregon enters the season in solid shape. While wide receiver Evan Stewart is out for the season, linebacker Devon Jackson remains questionable for the opener and freshman defensive back Trey McNutt will miss several weeks, key returners are expected back. The Ducks appear far healthier than usual for an opener. Hey, it could be worse. We could be the Washington Huskies.

Oklahoma State
Looking ahead to Week 2, Oregon will host Oklahoma State, which just lost its starting quarterback to a broken foot. Enter Zane Flores (Cough, ahem, who?), a new face no one knows from Adam with limited experience and no shortage of pressure, walking into one of the loudest stadiums in college football. Oregon’s coaching staff, presumably, has already pulled the game tape — all 10 throws of it.

Recruiting
In the background, Oregon’s recruiting machine hums along. The Ducks are in hot pursuit of Tytan McNeal, a dual-sport phenom who may play football and basketball in Eugene, because why not? Oregon’s pitch remains simple: great facilities, national exposure, and total flexibility — all wrapped in highlighter-yellow threads and playoff potential. Plus, enough NIL money to make Davey Crockett blush.

Bottom Line
With a top-10 ranking and a head coach unfazed by public expectations, Oregon enters the 2025 season right on brand and just mysterious enough to keep things interesting. The Ducks kick off Saturday at 4 p.m.

Jordan Ingram

Jordan is a lifelong Duck fan currently living in San Diego. Jordan graduated from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, after serving a prestigious fellowship with the Washington State House of Representatives.  Upon graduation, he worked as an English language teaching assistant for the Spanish Ministry of Education’s Ambassadorial Program in Monforte de Lemos, Spain.  Jordan has worked as a journalist, writer, and editor in Oregon, Washington, Montana, and California, covering a wide range of topics, including sports, local politics, and crime. He is VERY excited to be writing about his beloved Oregon Ducks.