Coaching changes and offensive line woes cast doubt on Oregon's championship hopes, potentially derailing their season with a significant win-loss tumble.
The Oregon Ducks are set up to compete for the College Football Playoff national championship this season.
With quarterback Dante Moore returning, the Ducks should have a player competing for the Heisman Trophy during the regular season. Oregon has playmakers all over the defense, at receiver and at running back.
The biggest question mark for Oregon coming into the season is if the offensive line will hold up against elite teams. Indiana and Texas Tech exploited the Ducks’ offensive line, causing serious issues for Moore.
Brad Crawford of CBS Sports identified another potential problem for the Ducks. After losing defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi to Cal and offensive coordinator Will Stein to Kentucky, the changes to the coaching staff could cause inconsistency this fall.
Crawford argued that the Ducks could go 8-4 this season, which would be a brutal way for the season to end after being labeled as a clear preseason threat to win the national championship.
"Dan Lanning has never lost more than two conference games in his four seasons as Oregon's coach, but let's say the coordinator departures from his 2026 staff come back to haunt the Ducks," Crawford wrote.
"Maybe Oklahoma State -- with an entirely new team under Eric Morris -- shocks Oregon in Stillwater early before the Ducks go 1-3 against the likes of USC, Ohio State, Michigan, and Washington. Is it really that far-fetched?"
A loss to Oklahoma State would likely blow up the season for Oregon. Frankly, that shouldn't happen to a Ducks team with an elite quarterback running the show.
It's hard to see this roster losing four games.
Crawford is optimistic that Oregon can go 11-1 in his best-case scenario for Lanning and Co. The Ducks will face early tests against Boise State and Oklahoma State that should prepare the team to face stiff Big Ten competition.
How far the Ducks go will likely rest on the arm of Moore. He was expected to be a first-round pick if he came out for the 2026 NFL Draft.
Moore should have the talent to take this team to the CFP. If he wins the national championship, he could become the No. 1 pick in the 2027 draft.