Oregon’s Top 5 NEW Rivalries in the B1G

Oregon is preparing to enter its second season in the B1G. Though rivalries can take a long time to develop, it feels like we have some new rivalries brewing in the B1G. For the sake of simplicity I am not counting USC, UCLA and Washington on this list. They are our established longtime rivals from the Pac-12, and our hatred for those programs outstrips our new B1G foes.

Even Mr. FishDuck had to chime in about the Big-10 resentment brewing toward Our Beloved Ducks after he finished taking full advantage of a sleeper promo code for some gaming fun.

5. Michigan

Oregon: 3, Michigan: 3

The first three matchups between these two teams were played in 1948, 1960 and 1973 — all of which were in Ann Arbor and all resulted in Michigan winning and the Ducks leaving the Big House scoreless.

More recently this game has become more interesting. In 2003 the game was played in Eugene and the Ducks were victorious in a much more competitive game, 31-27. Then in 2007 Oregon traveled to Michigan with its new up-tempo offense run by first-year OC Chip Kelly with Dennis Dixon at the helm. The Ducks scorched the Wolverines 39-7.

Last season Oregon traveled again to Ann Arbor and Lanning and the Ducks put their mark on the stadium with with the now infamous “are you not entertained” Ducks vs. Them video and an Oregon win of 38-17.

This potential rivalry is certainty a blue blood vs. new blood, as there isn’t a blue blood any bluer than Michigan. However, this matchup has a long way to go before it reaches rivalry status in any sense, as there is no hate between the fan bases and Michigan only considers the Ducks an annoyance at best. The Ducks will need to stretch out that win streak a bit more before this rivalry begins to take shape.

4. Michigan State

Oregon: 5, Michigan State: 3

Perhaps the two most exciting games these teams have ever played against each other came in 2014 and 2015. In 2014 Oregon defeated Michigan State en route to the best season in Oregon football history, and it was done on the arm and legs of Heisman winner Marcus Mariota. 2015 was another fun matchup as Vernon Adams with a broken finger, and at times throwing left-handed, kept the game close and Oregon lost on Adams’ overthrown pass to Byron Marshall.

In 2018 these teams met in the Foster Farms Bowl. If you don’t remember that game you can be completely forgiven as it was one of the worst viewing experiences in Oregon history that resulted in a win. Oregon topped Michigan State 7-6 with a late touchdown in the second half.

When Oregon travels to East Lansing next year it will have the makings of a fantastic game as former Oregon State coach Jonathan Smith will be in Year 3 of his rebuild and the Spartans should be out for blood.

3. Wisconsin

Oregon: 4, Wisconsin: 3

Oregon and Wisconsin have a lifetime record of 4-3 and six of the seven games were one-score games, the first meeting in 1977 being the only exception where Wisconsin defeated the Ducks 22-10. But the last three games are where this rivalry was formed.

In the 2011-12 Rose Bowl Oregon, led by Darron Thomas and LaMichael James, matched up against the Badgers led by Russell Wilson. This game was a contrast of styles as the Badgers were a classic power football B1G team while Oregon had a high-flying and high-scoring offense. The Badgers between the solid play from Wilson and the physical running of Montee Ball took long punishing drives. While freshman De’Anthony Thomas ripped off two incredibly long runs and the Duck offense turned the game into a shootout.

In the end the Ducks won when the clock expired before Wilson could get one final play off.

The next meeting was another Rose Bowl in the 2019-20 season in Justin Herbert’s last game in a Duck uniform, and it was Herbert who carried the Ducks on his back as he ran for all of Oregon’s scores in the Ducks’ one-point victory over the Badgers 28-27. This game included a controversial call in the final few minutes as Wisconsin was called for offensive pass interference.

This brings us to the last meeting of these two teams in 2024 in Madison, Wisconsin. If the last two were nailbiters, this one would be no different as it took a last-minute heroic play to close it out, this time by Matayo Uiagalelei with an incredible interception to close out the game 16-13.

These two teams will meet this season in Eugene, and even though the Ducks are a more talented team on paper, it should surprise no one if it comes down to the final play of the game. These teams have “rivalry” written all over them but what is keeping them out of the Top 2 of this list is simply that Wisconsin just isn’t a B1G power currently because they are still in a rebuild.

2. Penn State

Oregon: 2, Penn State: 3

Where this burgeoning rivalry started to take shape was in 1994 when the Ducks made the trip to the Rose Bowl under Rich Brooks. Penn State beat the Ducks 38-20 in an embarrassing loss for what was otherwise an incredible season.

These teams wouldn’t meet again until 2024 in the B1G Championship game. The game was an opportunity for the Ducks to claim the B1G crown in their first year in the conference, while for Penn State it was a rare opportunity for them to win a conference championship as Ohio State and Michigan weren’t playing for it. The game itself was a shootout as Penn State played some of their best offense of the season and Tez Johnson of Oregon put on a show.

The Ducks won 45-37 but what gives this matchup the potential to be a great new rivalry in the B1G is that the two teams will meet again this season at Penn State. That game could have conference championship implications as the winner gets an inside track to the conference championship game.

1. Ohio State

Oregon: 2, Ohio State: 10

Rivalries are supposed to be competitive and on the face of it, this series isn’t competitive. The Buckeyes have dominated this series and before this last season Buckeye fans would think it completely laughable that the Ducks and Bucks could ever see each other as rivals. To a blue blood like Ohio State the Ducks have always been the inferior program who they stomped in the 2009 Rose Bowl and then dismantled in 2014 in the National Championship game. The previous seven games in the series never saw the Ducks score more than 14 points in a single game.

But this matchup gained some rivalry potential in 2021 when the Ducks visited the Buckeyes in “The Shoe” and left with a 35-28 win, the first in the history of the series. However, to the rest of the college football world this game didn’t seem to happen as there was next to no mention of it in the lead-up to the 2024 game.

But where this rivalry really gets its juice is in the regular season game in 2024 where the Buckeyes came to Autzen Stadium and were blown away by the noise and lost by a single point as Oregon won 32-31. Dan Lanning’s coaching brilliance came into play with his 12 men on the field ploy which triggered a mid-season rule change.

This loss is what created the seed of the rivalry. The Buckeyes had never thought much about the Ducks but now they were out for revenge and they got it in the Rose Bowl as they completely dismantled the Ducks 41-21 on their way to a National Championship.

The Ducks are newcomers to the B1G but are already making their mark on the conference. Which teams do you think will become our biggest B1G rivals?

David Marsh 
Portland, Oregon
Top Photo By Eric Becker

 

Natalie Liebhaber, the FishDuck.com Volunteer Editor for this article, works in technology in SLC, Utah.

 

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