Oregon's Regular Season Games Ranked from Easiest to Toughest

The Oregon Ducks' 2026 season is inching closer each day, and more and more Ducks fans are beginning to circle dates on the Oregon schedule for important games. The Ducks are coming off a season that saw them go the farthest in the College Football Playoff under coach Dan Lanning.

Below is every game on the Ducks' 2026 schedule, ranked from easiest to toughest.

1. Portland State Vikings

The Ducks will host the Vikings at Autzen Stadium on September 19. The Ducks last hosted the Vikings at Autzen Stadium in 2024, defeating the Vikings 81-7. Portland State is the lone FCS program on the Ducks' schedule, and barring a miracle, this should be the easiest game on the Oregon schedule.

2. Boise State Broncos

Oregon Ducks Dan Lanning Dante Moore Michigan State Michigan Big Ten Autzen Stadium Jeremiah Smith Ohio State — Dec 13, 2025; Inglewood, CA, USA; Boise State Broncos punter Oscar Doyle (37), long snapper Mason Hutton (42) and place kicker Canaan Moore (48) on the bench prior to the LA Bowl Game against the Washington Huskies at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Broncos delivered a late scare to Autzen Stadium back in 2024, staying in the game against the Ducks until the very end. There will be no Ashton Jeanty to terrorize the Oregon defense this time around, and the Ducks could pick up their first win of the season against Boise State.

3. Oklahoma State Cowboys

While this could pose as a tricky road game, the Ducks should have no problems in Stillwater. The Ducks had a field day last year against the Cowboys, defeating them 69-3. Oklahoma State has a new coach in Eric Morris and a new quarterback in Drew Mestemaker, both of whom came to Oklahoma State by way of North Texas.

4. Northwestern Wildcats

The Ducks handled Northwestern last season in Oregon’s trip to Evanston, and should have no problem dispatching them this season at Autzen Stadium. The Wildcats finished their 2025 season with a 7-6 record and should be in the middle of the pack once again in the Big Ten.

5. Michigan State Spartans

The Spartans were in free-fall last season, with quarterback Aiden Chiles and coach Jonathan Smith unable to get on the same page all season. Michigan State made moves in the offseason, including the firing of Smith. While East Lansing could pose a trap game for the Ducks, Oregon should have no problem traveling there and coming home with the win.

6. UCLA Bruins

The Bruins are expected by many to take a small step forward this season, with new coach Bob Chesney at the helm. UCLA turned some heads last season by defeating Penn State in Pasadena. While the Ducks should beat UCLA, the Bruins could cause them some issues, especially if UCLA quarterback Nico Iammaleava takes a step forward in the offseason.

7. Nebraska Cornhuskers

The Ducks will welcome the Cornhuskers to Autzen Stadium for the first time since 2017. Nebraska lost its former starting quarterback, Dylan Raiola, to injury last season, and then in the transfer portal as he elected to come to Eugene. The Huskers should have plenty of road fans making the trip to Eugene, making this matchup one of the most highly anticipated Big Ten duels in 2026.

8. Illinois Fighting Illini

The Ducks will travel to Champagne, Illinois, to take on the Fighting Illini on October 24. Illinois finished its 2025 season with an impressive 9-4 record, which included a bowl game win over Tennessee. The Illini feature a new quarterback in transfer Kaiten Houser, who threw for 3,300 yards, 19 touchdowns, and six interceptions last year with East Carolina.

9. Washington Huskies

The Ducks will host Washington at Autzen Stadium for the final game of the regular season. The Ducks and Lanning have enjoyed success against the Huskies, defeating them in each of the last two seasons. Washington will run it back with quarterback Demond Williams, but lost some key offensive weapons to the NFL Draft. Either way, it seems the records of each team get thrown out the window when they meet on the turf.

10. Michigan Wolverines

While the Oregon-Michigan game will be played at Autzen Stadium, this will be an incredibly tough game for the Ducks. Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood showed signs of promise in his freshman season, and new coach Kyle Whittingham hopes to bring over the success he enjoyed in 21 seasons at the helm at Utah.

11. USC Trojans

The Trojans and USC coach Lincoln Riley have been building their roster up to become College Football Playoff contenders, and many experts expect the 2026 season to be the one where things come to fruition for USC. The Ducks defeated the Trojans last season in a back-and-forth game at Autzen Stadium, but with Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava having another offseason under his belt, the road game to Los Angeles should be the second-toughest game for the Ducks in 2026.

12. Ohio State Buckeyes

The Ducks' toughest game of the season will arguably come on Nov. 7 when they travel to Columbus to play Ohio State. Ducks fans were able to celebrate the last time the Ducks visited the Horseshoe, as the Ducks defeated the Buckeyes 35-28 back in 2021 under then-Ducks coach Mario Cristobal. The Ducks' defense will have a tall order as they will have the task of keeping track of Heisman Trophy hopeful wide receiver Jeremiah Smith.

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