The 2026 season has finally arrived! While the Oregon Ducks are still a few days away from kicking off the season, it's finally game week, and the fanbase can focus on hating Boise State. Given the high expectations the Ducks enter the season with, winning this game could set Oregon off on a magical run.
It's always hard for the fanbase to get up for a game where everyone universally believes that your team is going to win big, but it always helps when it's the game that starts the season. While the fanbase may look past the game, Oregon fans can feel confident that Dan Lanning is going to have the team amped up to go out and play their hardest.
Oregon must avoid the rat poison in Week 1
Coaches always have a difficult job when their team is playing a game everyone expects them to win by a wide margin. Dan Lanning's job becomes exceptionally hard with the fact that everyone has anointed his team as a National Championship front runner, and it's almost impossible for the players to block out the noise in this era.
Almost every Oregon starter has made the watch list for a major award, and both major polls have voted the Ducks as the No. 2 team in the Country. Even the oddsmakers think this game will be a cakewalk for the Ducks as according to the FanDuel Sportsbook, Oregon opens as a 24.5-point favorite (-110) over Boise State, while the Ducks are -4000 favorites to win the game. The total for the game is set at 52.5 points.
All lines and odds are subject to change
The Ducks are expected to win this game and to put it away early, and if this is a championship caliber team, that's certainly a fair assumption. The fans can assume a blowout, but the players have to take every game seriously, and they should, given that this is a roster filled with players who can step into any role if the staff feels others are taking the game lightly.
There's great value in winning the game in a blowout, and it's an opportunity you don't want to miss out on. The Ducks have plenty of talented young players who haven't gotten game experience, and getting their feet wet as early as possible only helps the team long term. This could also be an incredibly long season for the Ducks, and keeping players fresh is always a great goal.
The goal for the Ducks this week should be to play with an intensity to prove everyone right after an offseason filled with hype. The best teams use these games as a chance to flex their muscles, and that would be a great accomplishment for the Ducks to start the season.
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