'It's Their Turn': College Football Powerhouse's Breakthrough Is 'Inevitable'

The Big Ten conference rules college football right now. The conference has won three straight national championships, with all three coming from different teams.

Oregon Is Waiting to Break Through

The question for 2026 is whether someone can knock the Big Ten off the pedestal or whether the conference will continue its dominant run. One of the teams generating a lot of the offseason hype is the Oregon Ducks.

The Ducks have had six straight double-digit win seasons, not including the COVID-shortened season. They've been so close to winning their first national championship, but haven't quite been able to get over the hump.

The last two seasons, Oregon made the College Football Playoff, but its run was cut short after losing to the eventual national champion. The Ducks return 66% of their production from last year, which ranks tied for No. 10 in college football.

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore takes a snap as the Oregon Ducks face the Indiana Hoosiers in the Peach Bowl. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Dante Moore's Return Changes the Ceiling

One of the biggest returnees is quarterback Dante Moore. He threw for 3,565 yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, while completing 71.8% of his passes. He was projected to be a top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, although he elected to return to Eugene to pursue a national championship.

"The Athletic's Ralph Russo appeared on "The Paul Finebaum Show." He was asked what team he thinks will break through. Russo said it feels like it's Oregon's time.

"I think Oregon, it does feel like it's Oregon's turn now," Russo said. "It felt like it was Penn State's turn last year, and we all know how that worked out... that Dan Lanning's program has gotten to the point where it almost feels a little... breakthrough is inevitable."

Oregon's Ceiling Problem in Big Moments

Dan Lanning has built a powerhouse at Oregon, but similar to what has been the story for Oregon for over a decade, the Ducks have been close but can't get over the hump.

Since 2008, the team has had 13 double-digit win seasons. They've made the College Football Playoff three times and have made the national championship game twice since 2008.

The first appearance was in 2010, when they lost to the Auburn Tigers 22-19 on a late-game field goal. The issue is, since then, Oregon has been dominated in the national championship or College Football Playoff games to end their season. They lost all three times by 20 or more points.

Now, they have won three playoff games in that timespan; the issue is that when the competition rises, the Ducks have been dominated. That's the narrative that Lanning has to change in 2026.

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