Oregon Football: Are the Ducks Postseason-Ready?

It’s early, but it’s already worth asking: Does this 2025 Oregon football team have what it takes to make a legitimate postseason run? Just eight weeks in, has this roster and staff shown enough to prove they’re ready for a real shot at the National Championship?

Head coach Dan Lanning has Oregon sitting at 6-1, a record that some might say comes “in spite of” the team’s inexperience. Even though several of the most impressive freshman debuts in recent Oregon history have kicked off this season, most media outlets have quickly pointed to the lack of veteran presence as the defining flaw of the program and why they can’t go all the way this year.

I couldn’t disagree more. I think the freshmen production against Indiana (and in 2025 overall) highlights Oregon’s greatest strength under Lanning and why the Ducks are ready for a playoff run with five games left to go: Preparation.

Jordan Davison was supposed to be a third-string back at best. He has eight touchdowns on 35 carries and is averaging seven yards a touch in as many games. The wideouts were supposed to be lost without Evan Stewart leading the way. Dakorien Moore leads the room in catches & yards. Jabbar Muhammad was a huge loss to this secondary in the offseason. Brandon Finney Jr. has quickly become one of the best cornerbacks in the country. The best part about each of these guys who have stepped up? They’re all 18 years old. They shouldn’t be this good yet. But they are.

In most worlds, Dakorien ‘Metro’ Moore goes down as the best receiver in Oregon history by the end of his career – Photo via Evan Bernstein

Preparation is what clearly separates this year’s team. Everyone has bought into Lanning’s process. There is no second-guessing, nobody’s taking plays off, and everyone is finishing at 110% every single chance they get. The youngest players on the team are earning meaningful snaps, and that tells me they’re going to win enough games to make the College Football Playoff this year.

Having said that, making the postseason and being ready for it are two entirely different things. Back in 2014, a single loss before the College Football Playoff could derail an entire season. Unless it came against a top-five opponent or happened early enough to build a resume from, you had to count on other top programs losing too. Today, the landscape has shifted. You can lose a tough game like the Ducks did, reset, and then coach your way to redemption against that same team later in the season.

This Oregon team may be young, but youth doesn’t equal unpreparedness. If anything, their growth, adaptability, and relentless preparation make them a serious threat for a College Football Playoff push, and I don’t think we’re anywhere close to seeing what this offense and defense are capable of at their peaks. Ohio State won it all last year with two losses. If there’s even a second loss on this team’s slate ahead, I don’t see it happening until 2026. Let’s see these Ducks fire off five straight wins to close out the regular season and get back to where they belong with Lanning in January. This time, they’ll be ready.

Anyway, enough from me, Oregon fans. What do you think? Is Oregon postseason-ready in week eight? If not, what more do you need to see from them? Is this roster strong enough to not only make it, but win game(s) in January? Let us know your thoughts in the FishDuck Forum with decorum.

GO DUCKS!

Alex Heining
Los Angeles, California
Top Photo By: Evan Bernstein

Alex Heining

Alex Heining is an Oregon alumni from the graduate class of 2021. After studying sports business and media studies, he has moved into the field of digital marketing as a copywriter and content manager in the Los Angeles area. Still, he loves his Ducks and goes to local high school games all over the Los Angeles and Orange County area to check out new recruits of the future (and a SoFi game or two with the pros). On any given Saturday, expect to find him doing martial arts, playing the guitar, or screaming at the tv over a missed holding penalty.