Power Rankings Shift For Ohio State, Oregon Ducks, Texas Longhorns Ahead Of Season

Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning lost several key players from their 2024 football team. Where do the Ducks rank in preseason rankings among the nation's powerhouses like the Ohio State Buckeyes and Texas Longhorns?

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning looks to the clock towards the end of the first half as the Oregon Ducks face the Ohio State Buckeyes Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, in the quarterfinal of the College Football Playoff at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Time is winding down until the start of the 2025 college football season. After clinching the No. 1 seed in the 2024 College Football Playoff and winning the Big Ten Conference Championship, coach Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks are set to embark on a fresh start.

With the losses of several key pieces from the 2024 team, many preseason polls have the Ducks taking a small step back from their position of prominence a year ago.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning looks to the clock towards the end of the first half as the Oregon Ducks face the Ohio State Buckeyes Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, in the quarterfinal of the College Football Playoff at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Except for Pro Football Focus (PFF), which ranked Oregon as the No. 2 team in the nation in its 2025 power rankings. The analytics site used strength of schedule, projected win total and chances of making a bowl game to influence its 10,000 season simulations and determine each team’s ranking.

According to PFF, the Ducks have a 58.08 percent chance of making the College Football Playoffs and a 6.98 percent chance of winning the National Championship. Oregon is projected to win 9.23 games this season, but it’s forecasted to be No. 28 in strength of schedule.

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (2) catches a pass over Oregon Ducks defensive back Nikko Reed (9) during the first half of the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

No. 1 in the PFF preseason power ranking is the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Ducks' Big Ten rivals are predicted to have a 9.92 percent chance to repeat as champions. The Buckeyes’ chances of winning the Big Ten are at 20.72 percent compared to Oregon’s 15.90 percent chance to go back-to-back.

The Texas Longhorns round out the top three in the PFF preseason rankings.  The Longhorns have a 4.52 percent chance of winning it all with an 8.2 projected win total.

While Ohio State and Texas are typically among the top five in every early set of rankings, a lot of preseason rankings put the Ducks in the No. 8 to No. 12 range.

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Despite players such as quarterback Dillon Gabriel, running back Jordan James and wide receiver Tez Johnson heading to the NFL, Lanning picked up important assets in the transfer portal.

Among the transfers who could make a big impact for the Ducks in 2025 are running back Makhi Hughes and safety Dillon Thienman, who both picked up preseason all-American honors. Hughes tallied 1,401 rushing yards for 15 touchdowns last season with the Tulane Green Wave, while the former Purdue Boilermaker Thieneman led Big Ten defensive backs with 104 tackles in 2024.

Offensive linemen Emmanuel Pregnon, Isaiah World and Alex Harkey also join Lanning’s squad, where they’ll look to protect their former five-star quarterback Dante Moore.

Combat Ducks quarterback Dante Moore throws out a pass as the Fighting Ducks face off against Mighty Oregon in the Oregon Ducks spring game on April 26, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It’s still a very different roster than the one that went 13-1 a year ago, and it’s yet to be seen how the team will gel. Oregon’s strength of schedule is what has led many to believe it could enter the postseason with minimal blemishes on its record.

The Ducks are scheduled to play seven of their 12 regular-season games at home. They also don’t play some of the Big Ten’s top programs in the regular season, such as the Buckeyes, the Michigan Wolverines, the Nebraska Cornhuskers or the Illinois Fighting Illini.

Oregon can prove whether or not a top-two ranking is accurate when its season kicks off on Aug. 30 at Autzen Stadium.