It’s just three weeks into the college football season, but the race for the new 12-team College Football Playoff bracket is beginning to take shape.
With many variables at play in this new playoff landscape, fans of the Oregon Ducks face added complexity as their team transitions to a new conference.
Rivalries are essential for any fanbase. Here are three teams that could become significant rivals for the Ducks, providing fans with teams to watch closely (and possibly root against).
**Ohio State Buckeyes**
This is the most straightforward rivalry. At the start of the season, Oregon was ranked No. 3, while Ohio State held the No. 2 spot. However, as the season has progressed, the Ducks have not performed as expected, and Ohio State has maintained its strong performance. Currently, Ohio State is ranked No. 3 in the AP Poll, while Oregon has dropped to No. 9 despite being undefeated at 3-0.
For Oregon, the path is clear: they need to win. In this playoff format, champions from the Power Four Conferences (Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, and ACC) will secure spots in the CFP, along with the top team from the Group of Five. This accounts for five of the twelve available spots, with the remaining seven teams chosen as at-large selections by the College Football Playoff Selection Committee.
Oregon’s upcoming game against Ohio State on October 12 in Eugene is likely circled on every Ducks fan’s calendar. A victory over the Buckeyes could pave their way to a Big Ten Championship game and a playoff berth—though achieving this will be challenging.
**Penn State Nittany Lions**
Assuming Oregon wins its next two games against UCLA and Michigan State and enters its matchup with Ohio State undefeated at 5-0, what if they lose to the Buckeyes? This scenario complicates their playoff aspirations.
The two top teams from the Big Ten will compete in the conference championship game. If Oregon falls to Ohio State, they may find themselves in a tight race for a playoff spot against Penn State. The two teams do not face each other this season and have similar schedules ahead.
Penn State’s remaining opponents include No. 24 Illinois, No. 11 USC, and No. 3 Ohio State.
Oregon also shares Illinois and Ohio State as opponents and will face No. 18 Michigan in Ann Arbor. These shared opponents could be crucial.
According to Big Ten tiebreaker rules, if two teams finish with identical records in conference play, they will first compare head-to-head results before looking at records against common opponents. If Penn State defeats Ohio State while Oregon loses to them, Oregon could be eliminated from playoff contention.
Thus, Penn State could emerge as a familiar rival for Oregon fans—especially with a trip to Penn State scheduled for next season.
**Nebraska Cornhuskers**
Nebraska is a historic program that dominated college football in the 1990s with three national championships in four years but has struggled since then.
However, they are off to a strong start this season at 3-0 under true freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola, who has drawn comparisons to Patrick Mahomes due to his impressive arm strength.
Raiola has completed 73.8% of his passes for 670 yards with five touchdowns and just one interception so far this season. The Cornhuskers are currently ranked No. 22 nationally and are likely to continue rising in the rankings.
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