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Kirk Herbstreit Snubs Oregon Ducks? Ranking Best College Football Teams

Popular football and ESPN GameDay Analyst Kirk Herbstreit released his best college football teams in the nation and did not include the Oregon Ducks. The Ducks' defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi did make Herbstreit's rankings for best performing coaches of the week, at No. 3.
Ally Osborne|
Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi rallies the defense as the Oregon Ducks host Portland State in the Ducks season opener Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore.
Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi rallies the defense as the Oregon Ducks host Portland State in the Ducks season opener Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Oregon Ducks

Oregon Ducks fans are currently riding a high not seen since 2012 as Oregon is 8-0.

Oregon is fresh off a 38-9 domination of No. 20 Illinois, which marks the Ducks' third victory over a ranked team. With four games left to go against unranked and mostly unstable teams, chances are good for the Ducks to appear in the newly created 12-team College Football Playoff. Oregon is a dominant program primed and ready for a playoff berth.

ESPN broadcaster Kirk Herbstreit (left) talks with Oregon Ducks athletic director Rob Mullens before the game against the UCL
Oct 23, 2021; Pasadena, California, USA; ESPN broadcaster Kirk Herbstreit (left) talks with Oregon Ducks athletic director Rob Mullens before the game against the UCLA Bruins Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

So why didn’t the No. 1 Oregon Ducks make Kirk Herbstreit’s best performing teams list?

Released weekly, ESPN College Gameday Analyst and football commentator Herbstreit shares his top performing teams, coaches, and players for that week. On his highest performing teams list for Week 9, Herbstreit listed the Texas A&M Aggies at number one after their 38-23 comeback win against the LSU Tigers. Currently, the Aggies top the SEC standings with a 5-0 conference record and a 7-1 overall record (their sole loss came from No. 8 Notre Dame at home).

His next-ranked teams are the group five pair of Tulsa and Kennesaw State. Kennesaw State beat Liberty at home week 27-24 and Tulsa beat UTSA, 46-45, in a nail biter. Both teams are at the bottom of their respective conferences, but their first conference win for each program earned them a spot on Herbstreit’s list.

Next up on Herbstreit’s breakdown is No. 13 Indiana who beatdown the Washington Huskies 31-17, the No.14 Alabama Crimson Tide who shutout No. 25 Missouri at home 34-0, the No. 18 Pittsburgh Panthers who beat Syracuse at home 41-13, and the No. 22 Washington State Cougars rounded out the list with their on the road win against the San Diego State Aztecs 29-26.

Undefeated Oregon did not make the best performing teams list.

However, the Ducks' defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi did make Herbstreit's rankings for best performing coaches of the week, at No. 3.

Other coaches joining Lupoi on the list include Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko and offensive coordinator Collin Klein taking the top spot, then Colorado’s Deion Sanders, with Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden at No. 4, Pittsburgh defensive coordinator Randy Bates, Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack, and Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Allen rounding out the list. Five of the seven coaches Herbstreit shouted out are defensive coordinators.

Herbstreit is a big supporter of Oregon and when says University of Oregon in Eugene is his favorite location for ESPN College GameDay to go to.

“We come all over the country, we get asked all the time, 'Where’s your favorite to take College GameDay?'" Herbstreit said. “I say every time, Eugene, Oregon.”

Oregon has only made Herbstreit’s top teams list once this season when the Ducks beat Ohio State at home 32-31 during week seven. They were the No. 1 spot on the ranked list that week, beating out LSU, Penn State, Texas, Arizona State, Nevada, and Iowa State. That week, Dan Lanning made the top coaches list and Dillon Gabriel made the top players list.

Let’s see if Herbstreit ranks the Ducks next week after they take on the reigning National ChampionMichigan Wolverines at the “Big House” in Ann Arbor Saturday, November 2nd at 12:30pm PT.

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Ally Osborne
ALLY OSBORNE

A born and raised Oregonian, Ally Osborne has a passion for sporting events across her home state. She began writing for Oregon Ducks on SI in 2021. Currently a morning talk show host and sports reporter for KOIN 6 and Portland's CW in Portland, Oregon, Ally is engrained in her community. Finding and sharing stories that highlight the unique culture and connectivity sports creates is a part of her DNA. She frequently contributes sports content to KOIN's broadcast and streaming platforms while hosting talk show "Everyday Northwest" and video podcast "Tower Talk Live" every weekday. With Portland being her third-worked television market (second in Oregon), Osborne brings hard-news and feature-reporting experience to compliment her expertise for sports storytelling. Her journalistic endeavors and art creations (many of which are inspired by the Oregon Ducks) can be found on her social media pages. Ally graduated from the University of Oregon's School of Journalism and Communications in 2021 after interning for the Oregon Sports Network with experience working on live sporting broadcasts for ESPN, FOX Sports, the PAC 12 Network, and Runnerspace. 

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