Oregon football schedule among toughest in the nation, per CBS Sports
With spring practices in the rearview mirror, the Oregon Ducks are turning their attention to one of the country's toughest schedules in 2026.
Make no mistake, the Oregon Ducks are expected to return to the College Football Playoff in 2026 after lasting until the semifinals last season. Throughout the season, the Ducks battled a narrative of playing an easy schedule with few ranked foes, outside of their October loss to Indiana. This season, that is not likely to be the case again.
CBS Sports' Brad Crawford ranked the toughest schedules for CFP contenders around the country , and the Ducks are among those facing a gauntlet on the schedule in the Big Ten . Oregon placed 11th on Crawford's list, trailing Ohio State (3), Michigan (4) and USC (8) within the conference. Texas and Oklahoma took the top two spots, respectively.
"The opener against Boise State and trips to Oklahoma State and USC in September should show us everything we need to know about the Ducks," Crawford wrote. "Then there's the reality of facing Ohio State, Michigan and Washington over the final four weeks -- teams that don't just beat you, they expose you if you're not complete. These are roster-check games where physicality at the line of scrimmage and depth in the fourth quarter will decide the winner.
Oregon won't be able to out-talent everyone the way it might against lesser competition; execution becomes non-negotiable for Dan Lanning's group in November. " The Ducks will be well-traveled, playing games from out west in Eugene and Los Angeles all the way out to Illinois and Ohio. Oregon also won't have as forgiving a non-conference schedule this time around.