After spending much of the back half of the 2024 season ranked No. 1 in the national polls, Oregon is looking for a big regular season again in 2025. With the Ducks competing in the Big Ten, the weekly grind is expected to be more challenging than it was in the old Pac-12 days. But Oregon has drawn a relatively favorable schedule, missing several of the top Big Ten contenders in the regular season.
Oregon can probably put itself legitimately in the College Football Playoff hunt with a 10-2 regular-season record. A 9-3 mark might arguably do the job, but if the Ducks want to be safe, they probably need 10 wins. Here’s a rundown on the biggest regular season challenges on Oregon’s 2025 schedule.
Top 5 challenging regular-season games on Oregon’s 2025 football schedule
5. Washington
After a national title game appearance in 2023, Jedd Fisch’s first season with the Huskies was an ugly 6-7 affair. Oregon blasted Washington 49-21 late in the season. The two teams will face off again. Demond Williams is an interesting dual-threat QB who could make things interesting, particularly if Oregon finds itself looking past the Huskies and into the B1G title game.
4. Iowa
The Iowa Hawkeyes are always a daunting defense, but in recent seasons, the offense has been incredibly inept. Last year, the Hawkeyes jumped from 17.7 and 15.4 points per game in the previous two seasons to 27.7 points per game. FCS superstar Mark Gronowski has an impeccable resume at South Dakota State and could be a good enough player to lift the Hawkeyes into the upper echelon of the Big Ten.
The teams meet for the first time in 31 years, with the game to be played in Iowa on November 8. The Hawkeyes might not be the most imposing team, but their defense is upset fuel.
3. Indiana
A season ago, Indiana took college football by surprise with a shocking 11-win season. There are plenty of reasons to think the Hoosiers take a step back in 2025, but Curt Cignetti certainly won’t go away easily. QB Fernando Mendoza is in from California to replace Kurtis Rourke. Oregon and Indiana have played once in the last 60 years, but IU pulled the upset in that 2004 game. The No. 19 Hoosiers could be fierce, even at Oregon.
2. USC
The USC Trojans are a team that, in a couple of months, might look reasonably slated here or could be on the verge of falling apart entirely. Lincoln Riley probably can’t survive another 7-6 season, which could make the Trojans dangerous or doomed. The x-factor on this game is the timing; the Trojans may have fallen apart by November 22 when the teams meet, or they could be in the thick of the Big Ten race.
The QB position will be in the able hands of junior Jayden Maiava, unless freshman Husan Longstreet overtakes him, which may be the case by late November. USC has hit the transfer portal hard, and a retooled offense could get them back to 2022 and 2023 levels, when they scored over 41 points per game. But if not, USC will fade, and this game will be one of the easier ones on Oregon’s schedule, especially at home.
1. Penn State
There is no doubt about the toughest game on Oregon’s schedule. Penn State opens the season ranked No. 3 and will have a bye week ahead of hosting Oregon on September 27. Everything about this game sets up well for Penn State. Yes, Oregon took down Penn State in the Big Ten title game a year ago, but this PSU team looks well-loaded for revenge.
Senior QB Drew Allar could be a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate, and the Nittany Lions return a pair of 1,000-yard rushers. If PSU can mark a fifth straight season of allowing under 20 points per game, they’ll be in the thick of the CFP hunt and look like the biggest threat on Oregon’s regular season schedule by a wide margin.
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