Oregon Ducks Football Schedule, Toughest In Big Ten? Penn State, Iowa Upsets Loom?

The Oregon Ducks finished the 2024 regular season as the No. 1 ranked team in the nation. Oregon lost in the College Football Playoff against Ohio State and is looking to make a further push in 2025.

College Football News ranked each team’s strength of schedule ahead of the 2025 season. Within the Big Ten the Oregon Ducks are ranked No. 8 with the toughest schedule, putting them in the middle of the conference.

Arguably the toughest matchup on Oregon’s schedule is on Sept. 27 against the Penn State Nittany Lions. It is not just an away game for the Ducks, which is already a tough location to play based on atmosphere and travel, but Penn State will also be holding its annual White Out. The White Out is one of the toughest atmospheres in college football as it will be a challenge for the Ducks.

Jan 1, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning arrives before the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Aside from the atmosphere, the Penn State Nittany Lions had a strong 2024 season, finishing the season with a 13-3 record, going 8-1 in Big Ten conference play. The team also retained three of its top offensive weapons, quarterback Drew Allar, and running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen.

The Nittany Lions have a tough defense as well, and with the energy in the stadium, there will be immense pressure on Oregon. Oregon and Penn State faced off in 2024, with the Ducks taking the win 45-37.

Jan 9, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin before the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Iowa Hawkeyes are an underrated tough matchup. It will take place on Nov. 8 in Iowa City, which does add a travel factor. The Hawkeyes have struggled offensively in recent years, but continue to generate a physical defense. South Dakota State transfer quarterback Mark Gronowski is the projected starter for the Hawkeyes in 2025.

Gronowski led South Dakota to two FCS National Championship wins, and is coming in with high expectations. With some unknowns regarding Iowa’s offense, this could be a sneaky matchup for the Ducks.

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Oregon also has some easier opponents on the schedule. Oregon will kick off its season against the Montana State Bobcats. The Bobcats did win the Big Sky Conference in the FCS last season, but the Ducks are expected to run away with the matchup. It could be a good opportunity for Oregon coach Dan Lanning to test out quarterback Dante Moore and Austin Novosad.

The other nonconference games Oregon will face are Oklahoma State and Oregon State.

While no conference game is ever easy, the Ducks will not have to face some tough teams, such as the Ohio State Buckeyes or Michigan Wolverines. Not having to face the reigning National Champion Buckeyes does make Oregon’s schedule slightly easier.

Dec 20, 2024; Notre Dame, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti during the first half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Some matchups could turn out to be tougher than predicted and could go either way. The Ducks will face Indiana on Oct. 11. The Hoosiers made it to the College Football Playoff. Even if Oregon does win, Indiana coach Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers could put up a fight.

The USC Trojans are another matchup that could put up a strong fight against the Ducks. The two former Pac-12 teams did not face off in 2024, but the Trojans will travel to Autzen Stadium in 2025. The Trojans had a poor record in 2025, going 4-5 in Big Ten conference play, but they stayed in every game and even took Penn State into overtime.

Jan 1, 2025; Pasadena, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning during a timeout in the first quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

Oregon’s first Big Ten game of the season will be against the Northwestern Wildcats. The Wildcats finished the season with a 2-7 record, going 4-8 in the Big Ten. While Northwestern will likely improve from last season and despite being an away matchup for Oregon, the Ducks should be able to take the win. This will set the tone for the conference play as the Ducks look to go back-to-back regular seasons with an undefeated record.

While the Ducks will face some tough opponents, Oregon does not have the most difficult schedule either. Lanning and the Ducks should be able to make it back to the College Football Playoff next season with a shot at making the National Championship.

The Big Ten teams ranked with the hardest schedules are the No. 1 UCLA Bruins, No. 2 Wisconsin Badgers and No. 3 Purdue Boilermakers. The team with the easiest schedule is the No. 18 Penn State Nittany Lions.

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