Why Oregon's Season Was Still A Success Despite Peach Bowl Loss

The Oregon Ducks' season is over after their 56-22 loss to the Indiana Hoosiers in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Peach Bowl. Despite this disappointing ending, the season as a whole should still be looked at as a success.

2025 Season Was A Success For Oregon

Oregon Ducks Indiana Hoosiers Quarterback Dante Moore College Football Playoff Semifinal Peach Bowl Big Ten Dan Lanning — Jan 9, 2026; Atlanta, GA, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning reacts during the first half of the 2025 Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff against the Indiana Hoosiers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Ending back-to-back season with lopsided defeats is something Oregon coach Dan Lanning and company will have to improve upon, but the Ducks are moving in the right direction in Lanning's fourth year as a head coach.

The season should not be labeled as a failure just because of their semifinal loss and the fashion in how it happened. There is no doubt seeing the Ducks look uncompetitive in the biggest game of the season was a tough pill to swallow, but there are many reasons why it was a successful season overall.

Oregon's Best Wins

Oregon won 13 games for the second season in a row. The Ducks finished with a record of 13-2, with both losses coming to Indiana. The Hoosiers are 15-0 and looked poised to win the national championship in their next game against the Miami Hurricanes. Oregon's losses weren't to a bad team, and instead the No. 1 ranked team in the country.

Oregon's top wins in the regular season were against Penn State, Iowa, and USC while also taking care of the Oregon State Beavers and Washington Huskies. They practically dominated each and every rival they played.

Semifinal Appearance

Oregon made it to the playoff semifinal for the first time since the 2014 season. The Ducks had been knocking at the door to make it to the final four for a decade and achieved that this season with two playoff wins over James Madison and Texas Tech.

This was a step in the right direction from last year as Oregon got knocked out in the quarterfinal against Ohio State in 2024. Will 2026 be the year they take another step forward and are playing for the national title?

MORE: Oregon Running Back Noah Whittington Injury Adds Another Test of Adversity

MORE: Oregon Fans Won't Like Dante Moore's New Projected NFL Team

MORE: Oregon Ducks' Peach Bowl Uniforms Make History

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER HERE!

Dante Moore's Growth

Heading into the season, there were unknowns about quarterback Dante Moore. The only time Moore had been a starter in is collegiate career was as a freshman with UCLA in 2023. It did not go well there, but Oregon had confidence in Moore after he transferred to Eugene in 2024. He proved Oregon right. Moore started all 15 games this season, throwing for 3,280 yards and 28 touchdowns.

Moore is currently projected as the No. 2 quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft, a spot he wasn't close to being projected before the season. The question with Moore is if he will end up staying at Oregon for another season or declaring for the draft.

If Moore comes back, Oregon has to feel very confident in their quarterback position in 2026. If he doesn't, the Ducks will likely make an aggresive move in the portal. That has not been something they have shied away from in the past.