Oregon is undefeated and explosive, but none of its first four wins came against ranked opponents. With the Ducks sitting inside the AP top 10, questions remain about whether their résumé truly matches their ranking — and a Week 5 showdown at Penn State may provide the answer.
Is Oregon Ranked Too High in the AP Top 25 After Soft Start? originally appeared on The Sporting News
The Oregon Ducks are off to a dream start in 2025. Four games, four wins, and a national profile that has them sitting comfortably inside the top 10 of the latest AP poll. Behind quarterback Dante Moore’s precision passing and an offense averaging more than 50 points per game, the Ducks look every bit like a playoff contender on paper.
But that’s the key phrase: on paper.
None of Oregon’s first four opponents are ranked. Montana State, Oklahoma State, Northwestern, and Oregon State may have provided highlight-reel moments, but they haven’t offered the kind of résumé wins that other playoff hopefuls are already stacking. And that’s where the skepticism comes in.
On a recent episode of The Solid Verbal College Football Podcast, co-host Dan Rubenstein summed up the concern.
“With regard to the Verbaler poll, I think Oregon's probably too high in this moment just because I like to reward teams based on who they've played and Oregon having played both of the OSUs on their schedule this year and Oregon State and Oklahoma State and Northwestern, they've looked terrific, but I don't know how much you can say like, okay, this is a top three, four, five team in the country based on those performances.”
Dominant Numbers, Modest Résumé
Through four weeks, Oregon has looked unstoppable. The Ducks rank 7th nationally in scoring (50.8 PPG), 12th in total offense (523.8 YPG), and are led by a quarterback who’s completing nearly 75 percent of his passes. Moore already has 11 touchdowns to his name, and Oregon has allowed just one sack all season.
But the résumé behind those stats tells a different story. Montana State may be an FCS power, but they’re still FCS. Oklahoma State is a mid-tier Big 12 team. Northwestern has improved under senior quarterback Preston Stone, yet remains far from a contender. Oregon State, meanwhile, has stumbled to a 0-4 start. None of the Ducks’ early opponents are currently ranked, and all project to finish in the middle or bottom of their respective conferences.
That’s the heart of Rubenstein’s argument: Oregon has dominated, but against whom?
What the Competition Has Done
Contrast Oregon’s schedule with other playoff hopefuls:
LSU opened with a road win at Clemson.
Georgia took down Tennessee in Knoxville.
Texas A&M walked into South Bend and beat Notre Dame.
Those are résumé wins. Oregon doesn’t have one yet. ESPN’s FPI currently ranks their strength of schedule 11th out of 18 Big Ten teams, a mid-tier slate that has inflated the Ducks’ national profile without truly testing them.
The Road Ahead
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The good news for Oregon is that the measuring stick is coming. In Week 5, the Ducks travel to Penn State in a top-10 showdown that will immediately recalibrate their national perception. From there, the schedule stiffens with matchups against Indiana, USC, and Washington — all ranked teams with the kind of credibility Oregon’s résumé currently lacks.
If the Ducks win in Happy Valley, they’ll validate their lofty ranking. If not, Rubenstein’s critique will look prophetic: that Oregon’s hot start was more projection than proof. Until Oregon proves itself against a top-tier opponent, their spot among the nation’s elite will remain more speculative than secure.
Category: General Sports
