Oregon Fans Will Love What Josh Pate Said About the Big Ten Championship Race

The Oregon Ducks have a ton of talent and enter the season with high expectations thanks in part to a strong showing in 2025. The Ducks season ended in the College Football Playoff semifinals at the hands of Indiana and coach Curt Cignetti. The Hoosiers would later land themselves at the very top, as they defeated the Miami Hurricanes to win the national championship.

The Ducks have already been labeled as a team to watch for the national championship race in the 2026 season by some quality analysts, but Josh Pate recently revealed his confidence level for Oregon to win the Big Ten on "Josh Pate's College Football Show." The Ducks aren't the only team that Pate believes can win the conference, though.

Josh Pate Talks Oregon Ducks Confidence

Oregon Ducks josh pate college football ohio state big ten dylan raiola koi perich dante moore indiana hoosiers. — Dec 28, 2022; San Diego, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning reacts after the 2022 Holiday Bowl against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

"Ohio State, yes, I have no doubt about that," Pate said. "Oregon, I have no doubt about that."

Pate then would add more about his decision to just mention them as teams he has "no doubt" about.

"I don't want to be disrespectful to Ryan Day (Ohio State Buckeyes football coach) and Dan Lanning (Oregon Ducks football coach)," Pate said. "I'm not going to waste a whole lot of time talking about them here."

The Oregon Ducks roster is one of the deepest in the country, which is just one reason to consider Lanning's team as a top contender for the Big Ten Championship. Pate explained how he has the Ducks rated in terms of confidence, as he pairs the Ducks with the Buckeyes yet again.

"I've got so few questions about Oregon relative to the rest of the Big Ten," Pate said. "So I've got them as a 10 as well (as the Ohio State Buckeyes) on my confidence level that they can win the Big Ten."

The Oregon Ducks have made many eye-catching additions via the transfer portal and the high school recruiting class, which has helped boost their contending chances. The Ducks have added safety Koi Perich, who will be one of the better defenders on the team if he is healthy, along with transfer quarterback Dylan Raiola, who could find himself having an impact at quarterback if that depth is needed at any point.

While anything is possible, it is unlikely that their starting quarterback won't do well, as they are returning last season's starter, Dante Moore. Moore has the chance to have an even better season; she is currently looking to find a way to submit himself as both a first-round pick, but potentially the very first selection in the draft. This would be a huge deal, as the Ducks quarterback is just one of the many talented quarterbacks expected to be selected in the 2027 draft.

The Ducks have a tough schedule ahead of them, as is every schedule in a conference like the Big Ten, but if they hold up to expectations, there could be a situation where the Ducks finally win a national championship.