Flock Talk: Against the Wind

 

Even though Oregon came into the season ranked as the No. 7 team in the nation, there is a sense that the Ducks have flown a little under the radar as national media focused on other teams. Given that Texas opened the season playing at Ohio State and the struggles of Alabama against Florida State in that first week, it made some sense that there was very little national attention paid to Oregon’s 59-13 blowout over Montana State. The Bobcats may be an elite FCS team, but that really did not register much.

Then came Mike Gundy’s barb toward the Ducks’ NIL readiness and subsequent 69-3 drubbing of Oklahoma State. Suddenly, the Ducks were once again the talk of college football. Given the level of talent, level of play, and expectations internally, the Ducks once again sit on the precipice of a team capable of winning the national championship.

With the team heading to the road for their first Big Ten game of the season, we will start to see how much of the first two weeks is a team taking advantage of weaker opponents—or how much this team is just one of the best in the nation.

Much like last season, I don’t think we truly know how good this team is until the fifth game – this season against Penn State (last year Oregon played Ohio State in the fifth game of the season). There will be plenty of platitudes ahead of that game should Oregon beat Northwestern this weekend and Oregon State next weekend – but that Nittany Lion team will be the first litmus test of the 2025 season.

Through two weeks, Oregon has looked like a team playing with its food. The Ducks have piled up 128 points, surrendered only 16, and rotated nearly the entire depth chart. That kind of early-season dominance can be misleading—sometimes it says more about the opponents than the team itself. But there’s a sharpness to Oregon’s execution that feels different.

The offense begins with Dante Moore, and the leap he has made from his UCLA freshman season to now cannot be overstated. In Will Stein’s system, Moore looks decisive. His footwork is cleaner, his reads are quicker, and his confidence is unmistakable. He’s throwing on time, using his legs when necessary, and spreading the ball to a receiver room that looks like an NFL combine waiting line.

Jayden Limar and Jordan James have split carries in the backfield, while freshman Jeremiah McClellan has already flashed star potential on the perimeter. The offensive line, anchored by Iapani Laloulu, Emmanuel Pregnon and Alex Harkey, has given Moore a pocket so clean it almost feels unfair. Stein’s offense has the versatility to lean on the run or uncork explosive plays downfield—something Oregon hasn’t always balanced this well.

Defensively, Dan Lanning and Tosh Lupoi are building the kind of rotation they dreamed about when they arrived. Fifty-plus defenders have seen the field already, and the production has been widespread: 28 players recorded tackles against Oklahoma State alone. Freshmen like Tionne Gray and Brandon Finney are flashing in meaningful snaps, while veterans like Devon Jackson and Bryce Boettcher keep the middle organized. Depth on the line allows Lanning to mix personnel, blitz creatively, and keep everyone fresh.

If there’s one area where Oregon still fights perception, it’s NIL. Gundy’s jab about “Nike money” felt outdated, but it also reflected the lingering national narrative. While some schools buy classes with front-loaded guarantees, Oregon has built an NIL system around retention, development, and rewarding players once they’re established.

That approach isn’t as flashy for headlines, but it’s proving sustainable. Players like Jordan Burch last season and several NFL-ready defenders this year chose to stay because of the balance between NIL, culture, and development. For Dan Lanning, that continuity is worth more than a splashy five-star signing day surprise.

Yet it’s also impossible to ignore Oregon’s recruiting momentum. The 2025 and 2026 classes already feature blue-chip players from offensive linemen to skill players who fit perfectly into Stein’s and Lanning’s vision. National media may still lean toward Texas and Georgia, but in terms of roster construction, Oregon belongs in that conversation.

The Ducks sit in a fascinating place nationally: respected, but not always feared. That’s partly geography—West Coast teams always have to work harder for primetime coverage. But it’s also history. Until Oregon wins the ultimate prize, skepticism lingers.

What’s different now is sustainability. The Ducks aren’t chasing lightning in a bottle. This is a program designed to endure: strong recruiting, smart roster management, and a culture that gets buy-in from NFL-level talent. If Georgia under Kirby Smart built its identity on depth and defense, Oregon under Lanning is building its identity on adaptability. They can win with offense, suffocate with defense, and control tempo with either.

The Big Ten gauntlet is still weeks away, but these next two games matter more than they might appear. Northwestern is no pushover, especially in a 9 a.m. Pacific kick on the road. Oregon State, even in transition, always plays with rivalry edge. Survive those, and the Penn State showdown becomes the first true measuring stick.

Last year, the Week 5 visit from Ohio State gained Oregon a different level of national respect following their thrilling last-minute victory over the Buckeyes—only to see much of that hard-earned respect destroyed in their Rose Bowl loss to this same Buckeyes team. That rollercoaster reminded everyone that Oregon was capable of standing toe-to-toe with the elite, but also vulnerable when the margins tightened.

This year, the Ducks are seeking something more sustainable. They don’t just want a moment of validation; they want an entire season of proof. Beating Penn State on the road offers that chance. It’s not just about another quality win—it’s about establishing consistency, showing that Oregon has evolved from a team that peaks in flashes to one that sustains greatness.

Respect is fragile in college football. The Ducks learned that a season ago, when the euphoria of toppling Ohio State gave way to the frustration of a postseason collapse. National narratives shifted in a matter of weeks, and Oregon was once again filed away as “almost there.”

That’s why this stretch matters so much. Northwestern and Oregon State are games Oregon should win, but Penn State is the one they must win. A victory in Happy Valley wouldn’t just boost playoff positioning; it would erase lingering doubts about Oregon’s ability to finish the job when it matters most.

Lanning has built a roster deeper than last year’s, with rotations across the defensive line and receiver room that rival anyone in the nation. Moore is more seasoned, Stein’s offense more flexible, and the program as a whole more grounded in what it takes to navigate an entire season. But the ghosts of last year’s ending linger until the Ducks write a different finish.

The first two weeks told us what we already knew: Oregon is talented, explosive, and disciplined. What we don’t know is how they’ll respond when the spotlight intensifies and the margin for error disappears. Last year gave Oregon a taste of respect, only for it to slip away when the stage grew biggest. This year, the Ducks aren’t chasing validation—they’re chasing permanence.

The calm before the storm is nearly over. Penn State awaits, and with it, the opportunity to prove that Oregon is no longer a team defined by fleeting moments, but one ready to author an entire season of dominance.

“I was living to run and running to live, never worried about paying or even how much I owed.” Bob Seger