With a 3-2 record, the Oregon Ducks find themselves in an unfamiliar place under coach Dan Lanning: unranked. It’s the first time since Sept. 6, 2022, that the Ducks are unranked, following their recent 17-15 home loss to the No. 12 UCLA Bruins. It also ends a 60-week streak of the Ducks being ranked in the AP Top 25.
It’s an unfortunate reality for a Ducks team that began the season ranked No. 2 and with massive expectations to win their first national championship in program history.
The Ducks essentially need to win out to make the College Football Playoff for the third consecutive year. Before the Ducks even worry about winning out, their first focus is on their home matchup on Saturday against the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Despite the Ducks' 3-2 record, ticket prices remain high. According to SeatGeek, tickets are as low as $50. Since the Ducks joined the Big Ten in 2024, the Cornhuskers are the only team that Oregon has yet to face. They’ll get that first opportunity on Saturday night at Autzen Stadium.
Challenges Nebraska Cornhuskers Gives Oregon Ducks
Ahead of Saturday night’s matchup against the Cornhuskers, the Ducks are currently 7.5-point favorites over Nebraska, per DraftKings Sportsbook. The over/under line is 52.5 points. Nebraska is coming off a heartbreaking 20-17 loss to the No. 5 Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium, where they had the defending national champions on the ropes, only to see a 17-6 lead slip away.
Despite the loss, UNLV Rebels transfer quarterback Anthony Colandrea looked the part as Nebraska’s new starter. Through six games this season, Colandrea has thrown for 1,406 yards, 13 touchdowns, and three interceptions.
Colandrea’s play on Saturday night will be an X-factor in the Cornhuskers going on the road and upsetting the Ducks, as his running ability could give the Ducks' defense trouble. Against the Hoosiers, Colandrea, in addition to his 263 passing yards and a touchdown, had 17 carries on the ground for 47 yards and a touchdown.
Cornhuskers wide receiver Jacory Barney Jr., who recorded nine catches for 108 yards in the loss to the Hoosiers, will also present a challenge for the Ducks' defensive secondary, which had seen its fair share of struggles in its first season under defensive coordinator Chris Hampton.
One thing that helps the Cornhuskers is that the Ducks aren’t ranked. With the recent loss to the Hoosiers, Cornhuskers coach Matt Rhule moved to 0-10 against AP Top 25 opponents. It’s a crushing record that has held Rhule and the Cornhuskers back during his tenure in Lincoln.
The Cornhuskers currently have two ranked opponents remaining on their schedule, including matchups against the No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes (Nov. 21) and the No. 17 Iowa Hawkeyes (Nov. 27). A win over the Ducks on Saturday would do a lot for Nebraska, potentially winning nine games, while a loss for Oregon would further dismantle their season.
Dylan Raiola Faces Former Team
Even after he struggled against the Bruins, resulting in him being benched, Oregon coach Dan Lanning remains supportive of Raiola as the Ducks approach the matchup against his former team, the Cornhuskers, on Saturday.
“A lot of you never go through life where you’re on the stage in front of the whole world, and you get replaced in front of the whole world. That’s really hard, man. I don’t know how most normal people would handle that situation,” Lanning said.
“I thought Dylan handled it with unbelievable grace in that moment and was really humble. There’s no way you’re not disappointed that you’re getting pulled from that moment, right? He handled that extremely well,” Lanning continued.
Before being benched, Raiola threw for 43 yards and two interceptions on 6-of-19 passing. After he was benched, third-string quarterback Brock Thomas came in and threw for 156 yards and one touchdown on 11-of-15 passing.
As for which one of those quarterbacks will earn the start on Saturday, it is still unclear, as starter Dante Moore continues to recover from the concussion he suffered in the Ducks' 41-27 win over the No. 19 USC Trojans. If Raiola earns the start, he’ll look to bounce back and lead the Ducks to a win over his former team, which could help his confidence moving forward.
“This game means a lot. Of course, it’s going to be an emotional game for Dylan, being the place that he came from. He’s going to do everything he can to make sure that our team’s in the best situation to have success this week and be prepared and play, you know, play as well as we possibly can. I know he’ll do that because he’s a pro,” Lanning said.
Raiola spent two seasons as the Cornhuskers' starting quarterback, throwing for 4,819 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions, with a 69.7 completion rate. The Ducks and Cornhuskers will kick off at Autzen Stadium at 8 p.m. PT, with the game broadcast on FOX.
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