Big Ten Schedule puts road blocks in the way of Oregon's bid for a repeat title

Oregon travels 16,770 miles in their 2025 Big Ten football schedule, fourth-most in the country.

After two high-energy home games to open the season they make the first of four long road trips in Big Ten play this season Saturday against Northwestern, an odyssey that will take them to Penn State for a night game on September 27, to Rutgers on October 18, and Iowa on November 8.

No. 4 Oregon (2-0) at Northwestern (1-1) 9 a.m. PT on Fox TV

The teams have met just once before, in 1974 at Northwestern, a game the Wildcats won 14-10.

The Wildcats played at home last Friday, a breather against Western Illinois. In his Wednesday presser Dan Lanning was asked about the quirks of the conference schedule, which has seven different Oregon opponents coming off extra time to prepare, Penn State, Indiana after a bye, Rutgers coming off a Friday game, Iowa following the Hawkeyes' bye on November 1.

Minnesota has 13 days to prepare for the Ducks; Oregon returns to Autzen Stadium for a Friday night game after what's likely to be a Saturday night game at Kinnick Stadium, a short week.

1. Travel well, transition and adjust

The schedule is the schedule, but it's unbalanced in a way to make it as difficult as possible for Oregon to repeat as Big Ten champions. They've got to be road warriors with trips to Northwestern, Penn State, Rutgers, Iowa and Washington, adjust, communicate in hostile environments, bring their own juice.

In Dan Lanning's first three seasons he is 37-6 as Oregon head coach, 20-1 at home, 13-2 on the road, 4-3 in neutral site games.

It's a bigger factor this year with a young team, but the Ducks should be able to handle it. Lanning noted that they are a morning practice team. It's a group with strong internal leadership and pride in performance.

The first road game establishes the habits and routine of handling business.

2. Remain focused and lay off the rat poison

This will be an increasing challenge for this edition of the Ducks. With the talent they have and the explosivenss they've shown already the clamor is growing loud about how great they are. They have to resist the temptation to believe it, remaining focused on how great they could be.

They wear the target and the target will get bigger as the wins mount. Last year a bad Wisconsin team took them deep into the fourth quarter in Madison in November, the Ducks' eighth game in a row without a break. It won't always be as easy as it was in these first two weeks. Every victory has to be earned.

Thus far in his career Dan Lanning is 26-0 against unranked opponents. His teams beat the teams they're supposed to beat, a sign of discipline and coaching.

3. Dial up the disruption

For Northwestern to mount an upset threat or make this game uncomfortably close, the Ducks would have to hurt themselves with penalties and turnovers, and quarterback Preston Stone would have to have a hot hand.

Leading rusher Cam Porter is out with a knee injury. In the Wildcats' 23-3 loss at Tulane in Week One Stone was sacked three times and pressured throughout and he threw four interceptions. South Dakota State transfer Griffin Wilde has been his chief target, a bigger receiver at 6-0, 200. The Ducks have to shut down his YAC and contest the ball.

A power running team, Tulane gashed the NU defense for 269 yards on the ground, 6.4 per carry. Lanning has said he's taking all seven running backs to Evanston. He might as well put them to work.

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