Toughest Three Game Stretch of Oregon Ducks Football Schedule

The Oregon Ducks’ 2026 schedule is out, featuring a mix of marquee matchups and highly winnable home games at Autzen Stadium. Under coach Dan Lanning, Oregon has lost just one regular-season game over the past two years, a 2025 setback to the Indiana Hoosiers at Autzen.

Here’s an inside look at the Ducks’ 2026 slate, highlighted by what could be the most demanding three-game stretch Oregon has faced in years

Oregon’s non-conference schedule is fairly straightforward. It includes home games against Boise State and Portland State, and a trip to Stillwater, Oklahoma, to take on the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

Ducks Schedule Begins to Look Scary in November

Oregon Ducks Dan Lanning Dante Moore Ohio State Big Ten Conference Michigan Wolverines Autzen Stadium Michigan State — Oregon coach Dan Lanning greets fans at the Moshofsky Sports Center before the College Football Playoff game between Oregon and James Madison Dec. 20, 2025. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The schedule for the Ducks is fairly manageable up until November 7, when Oregon begins a three-game stretch that includes an away game to Ohio State in Columbus, a home matchup at Autzen Stadium against Michigan, and a road trip to East Lansing to take on Michigan State.

Oregon Ducks vs. Ohio State

The Ducks will hope that their regular-season success against the Buckeyes continues when they meet for a game that will certainly be a candidate for “game of the year”. Oregon defeated Ohio State back in 2021 in Columbus under now Miami coach Mario Cristobal and then Lanning's team defeated the Buckeyes at Autzen Stadium back in October of 2024.

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Ohio State is returning two players who will have serious Heisman Trophy hopes in quarterback Julian Sayin and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. The Buckeyes will also be returning a good portion of their defense, as well as running back Bo Jackson. Should the Ducks get past the Buckeyes in Columbus, a home date with Michigan looms just seven days later.

The Wolverines will have a new look to them in 2026. While Michigan will return quarterback Bryce Underwood, they will have a new coach in Kyle Whittingham, who signed a five-year contract with the Wolverines after leaving Utah to take over in Ann Arbor. The Ducks last saw Michigan in 2024 in a road game that the Ducks were able to win 38-17.

Michigan State Offers Potential as a "Trap Game"

The Michigan State Spartans may seem like an easy matchup on paper, but the travel to East Lansing has to be considered. After what will most likely be two emotional games against both the Buckeyes and Wolverines, the Spartans could play a role in what could be seen as both a “trap game” and a “look-ahead” spot with the Huskies on the Ducks' schedule just a week later.

While the Ducks' early games in the 2026 season are manageable, they will play eight straight weeks after having an early bye week after week four. Oregon will need to be playing their best football throughout November to make it through a gauntlet of a back half of their schedule.