5 questions Oregon Ducks will have to answer the rest of the season

The Oregon Ducks have been nearly flawless through five weeks, winning all five games — four by a comfortable margin — and passing their biggest test of the season in Week 5, out-dueling the Penn State Nittany Lions in a 30-24 double overtime win. They debuted as the No. 2 team in the nation in the latest Coaches Poll, just behind the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Coming into the season, there were plenty of questions facing head coach Dan Lanning's team. Chief among them was the quarterback position, as former five-star passer Dante Moore won the starting job. He disappointed during his time at UCLA in 2023, appearing unpolished and not quite ready for the big stage. What would a year sitting behind sixth-year senior Dillon Gabriel and learning offensive coordinator Will Stein's system do for his development?

It was astoundingly positive for Moore, as it turned out. Through five weeks, he was the odds-on leader to claim the Heisman Trophy, given to the nation's most outstanding player. He was nails against Penn State, showing poise and a calm, cool and collected nature that had eluded him as a freshman. Some national pundits have called Moore the top quarterback in all of college football.

While the question of how Moore would look has been answered, it gives way to more questions. As does the Ducks' true freshman excellence at a number of positions, Lanning's motivational tactics, dominance at the line of scrimmage and — the biggest of all — determining what success looks like for the program throughout the rest of the season.

With Oregon's Week 6 bye upon us, we'll flip each of those observations from the first five games and turn them into questions that the Ducks will have to answer from next week against the No. 9 Indiana Hoosiers to the end of the 2025 season.

What Does Success Look Like — and How Can They Achieve it?

The most significant long-term question at this point for the Ducks, it seems like there a singular answer: a national championship. Anything but a championship would be considered a failure — much like last year's team, which finished 12-0 in the regular season, won the Big Ten title, claimed the No. 1 seed in the expanded College Football Playoff, yet fell in devastating fashion to Ohio State.

If Oregon once again runs the table and finishes the regular season undefeated and defends its Big Ten title, it's difficult to classify that as any sort of failure if the season doesn't end with them hoisting the trophy on January 19th in Miami, FL, the site of the national championship game. But from what we've seen through the first five games, that's simply the reality that has to be faced.

The talent is here to win a national title. The ability is here to win a national title. The coaching staff is here to win a national title. The Ducks have all that they need to win the first championship in program history — they just have to do it.

Not an easy task in the slightest, but one that is increasingly possible if they keep building on this brilliant start.

Can Dan Lanning's Motivational Tactics Continue Against Inferior Big Ten Opponents?

There should be no shortage of motivation for Oregon's Week 7 meeting with Indiana — but what about their final six games, all coming against teams that are currently unranked? While it may seem like a cakewalk of a schedule, a single misstep would be extremely detrimental to the Ducks' resume and drop them in the CFP rankings.

There should be no doubt that Lanning will have his squad ready for the final two games, coming against the rival Washington Huskies and USC Trojans, who have one of the top offenses in the nation and very well could be ranked by then.

But the four-game stretch before then could be a different story. Those games, in chronological order, as follows: on the road in New Jersey against Rutgers, home against Wisconsin, on the road against Iowa and home against Minnesota on a Friday night.

Lanning has been able to motivate the Ducks for early season matchups with Montana State and Oklahoma State, but the book is out: don't piss him — or anyone in the program, for that matter — off during a game week against Oregon.

The Ducks were slow out of the gates against Northwestern, leading 17-0 at the half but in an unconvincing manner. That was against an undermanned Wildcats team that is amongst the worst in the Big Ten; what will an uninspired effort look like against the rugged Hawkeyes or Golden Gophers, in which quarterback Drake Lindsey and running back Darius Taylor form a talented duo in the backfield?

It's not a shot at Lanning, who should be a favorite for every coaching award at this point. It's simply human nature. If the two best opponents on Oregon's schedule — Penn State and Indiana — have been defeated, it'll be a battle for the Ducks to stay focused on the task at hand, finish the job and avoid an upset loss.

Will Freshman Dominance Continue?

"I think that every week we've come in here and said, 'Watch, his role is going to continue to grow and continue to grow.' And when you take advantage of opportunities, it'll continue to grow."

That was Lanning talking about true freshman running back Dierre Hill Jr., who's emerged as the leading rusher for the Ducks and, per Lanning's words, will see increased opportunities moving forward.

We know how Lanning feels about putting the best players on the field. It doesn't matter what class they are or how old they are. If they're ready, they're old enough, as he's referenced before.

A number of true freshman have been vital to the Ducks' success early in the season, with Hill and fellow running back Jordon Davison, wide receiver Dakorien Moore and cornerbacks Brandon Finney and Na'eem Offord among them.

The easy answer to this question is that each of those players will be given the opportunity to continue to dominate, but it's up to them to hold that standard.

How Does Dante Moore Handle Draft Talk?

Coming into Week 5, there were murmurs nationally of the sudden rise of Moore's draft stock, whether it be in the 2026 or 2027 NFL Draft.

But after his performance (29-for-39, 248 yards and 3 touchdowns with 35 rush yards) against Penn State, his draft stock has gone from suddenly rising to downright meteoric. He's viewed by some draft experts as the top quarterback in the '26 class if he is to declare — the big "if" question.

Assuming he continues to play excellent football, it's something that will follow Moore like a cloud over his head. The chatter won't stop; it will only intensify.

While it's highly unlikely that he'll make any sort of decision during the season and will try to keep the Ducks' season at the forefront of his mind, that's far from an easy proposition.

It's a good problem for Moore to have — but one that's certainly difficult to maneuver.

Does the Line of Scrimmage Continue to Be Won By the Ducks?

The winning formula for the Ducks has been the complete stranglehold they've had on both sides of the line of scrimmage. Save for Northwestern (who had a 79-yard rush touchdown in the final minute), they've out-rushed each of their opponents.

Against Penn State, Oregon's defense, led by a standout performance by defensive tackle Bear Alexander, held the Nittany Lions' rushing attack to 139 yards and just 4.0 yards per carry. Coming against a potent running back duo of Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, that's a significant win.

Offensively, Stein has been able to fully lean into and trust his offensive line in crucial moments. Facing multiple fourth-and-short situations against Penn State, Stein called successful runs right into the teeth of the defense. The talented core of running backs at his disposal is certainly a big help, but the offensive line is the main difference-maker.

If both sides continue to do their part in dominating the trenches, the Ducks will like their chances of achieving every goal in front of them.

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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: 5 questions for Oregon Ducks to answer the rest of the season