Polls can't agree on the Ducks, but they get to define themselves Saturday

Every time Oregon wins another game, the pundit and critics class counts up their ranked wins and demands, who have they beaten?

The answer is everyone on their schedule except No. 2 Indiana in a game that was tied 20-20 in the fourth quarter with the Ducks not playing very well, but the three major polls don't agree on what that means.

After 12 weeks of the college football season the 9-1 Ducks are ranked No. 5 in the Coaches Poll newly updated Sunday morning, No. 6 in the Week 13 edition of the AP Poll, up one spot from last week after beating Minnesota 42-13, and No. 8 in the College Football Playoff Rankings, which will be revised and reviewed on the third installment of CFP committee's show Tuesday night on ESPN.

Oregon is either 5, 6 or 8, depending on who is doing the ranking. None of the polls truly matter until the College Football Playoff Committee announces the bracket and final ranking on Sunday afternoon December 7th.

The Ducks have an opportunity to shape their own destiny and make a statement about how good they are when they host AP No. 16, Coaches Poll No. 16, CFP No. 17 USC on Saturday.

The Trojans are the highest-ranked team the Ducks have faced since dismantling then-No. 3 Penn State in Happy Valley on September 27. That game was close and physical, going to two overtimes, but the loss appeared so devastating for the Nittany Lions that their season imploded after a 3-0 start.

At least that's the narrative among Duck fans. It either gets obliterated or validated depending on how well they handle the Trojans, a motivated team coming off an emotional win over Iowa with a load of offensive weapons.

Lincoln Riley's 2025 squad features two standout wide receivers in Makai Lemon and Jakobi Lane that have combined for 111 catches and 1,675 yards, 12 touchdowns, the bulk of that damage by Lemon, a 5-11, 195 junior from Los Alamitos, California.

In body control, speed, route-running and hands, Lemon is the receiver Dakorien Moore has the potential to become, a marvel when the ball is in the air, who punishes defenses with his big-play ability and knack for drawing pass interference penalties.

This Air Raid Trojan attack is not one-dimensional. Running back King Miller averages 7.3 yards a carry, 99 rushing attempts for 719 yards and five touchdowns. He broke a 75-yard run against Missouri State, a 49-yard burst against Michigan and zoomed for a 55-yarder versus Northwestern.

The Trojans will be fired up to face the Ducks, playing a team that's lorded over them in national relevance over the last 20 years, a new blood that challenges their blueblood status. For Riley and the Men of Troy, a win in Autzen catapults them into the playoff race and wakes the echoes of a proud tradition. For Oregon it's a chance to show they've improved since their last matchups with a potent offense, Indiana this year and Ohio State at the Rose Bowl last January.