Oregon, Notre Dame Rearranged in Preseason Rankings

The Oregon Ducks and Notre Dame Fighting Irish are right at the top of these college football preseason rankings.

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman during the Blue-Gold spring game at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, April 25, 2026, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Oregon Ducks enter the 2026 college football season seeking a third straight trip to the College Football Playoff. This team will have high expectations heading into the year.

Joel Klatt Ranks Oregon No.1, Notre Dame No. 2

Jan 2, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; Fox Sports broadcaster Joel Klatt emcees the Holiday Bowl trophy presentation at Snapdragon Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

College football announcer and analyst Joel Klatt of Fox revealed his post-spring top 25 rankings for the 2026 season. Klatt has Oregon ranked No. 1. Right behind them at No. 2 are the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Klatt has eight Big Ten teams in his top 25. 

No. 1 Oregon Ducks
No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes
No. 4 Indiana Hoosiers
No. 10 USC Trojans
No. 12 Michigan Wolverines
No. 15 Penn State Nittany Lions
No. 19 Washington Huskies
No. 21 Iowa Hawkeyes

Thoughts on @joelklatt's Post-Spring Top 25? 👀 pic.twitter.com/AIMQ6aAGp3

— The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football on FOX Pod (@JoelKlattShow) May 4, 2026

Out of these seven other ranked Big Ten teams, Oregon will play four of them during the regular season.

Sept. 26 at USC
Nov. 7 at Ohio State
Nov. 14 vs. Michigan
Nov. 28 vs Washington 

The Ducks have been getting closer each season under coach Dan Lanning to appearing in a national championship game. In 2024, they made it to the playoff quarterfinal. In 2025, they made it to the semifinal. Lanning has an overall record of 48-8 with the Ducks.

The Big Ten has began to take control over college football over the past few seasons. Each of the last three national champions were from the Big Ten: Michigan, Ohio State, and Indiana. This ended a long streak of dominance from the SEC, who used to reign supreme in college football. 

It also just hasn’t been the same Big Ten team winning in these three seasons. It has been three different programs. Will a fourth different Big Ten team get it done this season?

National Title Betting Odds

Jul 23, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Oregon head coach Dan Lanning speaks to the media during the Big Ten NCAA college football media days at Mandalay Bay Resort. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images | Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

The current favorites to win the national championship according to DraftKings Sportsbook is Ohio State with odds off +650. Notre Dame is second at +700. The Ducks have the fifth best odds at +800. 

Oregon is still chasing their first national championship win in program history. They have been close and have appeared in two national championship games since 2010, but have just not been able to get over the hump. 

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning gathers his team during a timeout as the No. 1 Oregon Ducks host the Washington Huskies Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Conference titles on the other hand have not been a problem for Oregon. Since 2009, the Ducks have won six Pac-10/Pac-12 championships and one Big Ten championship. DraftKings Sportsbook tabs Oregon with the third best odds to win the Big Ten championship in 2026. 

Their odds are +270. Ohio State is the favorite at +175 and Indiana is second at +245. 

Oregon won the Big Ten in their first season as a member of the league in 2024. They went undefeated in the regular season and capped it off by winning the conference title game over Penn State. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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