We are less than a month away from the start of the 2024 Oregon football season and polls are starting to come out to show just how highly people think of the Ducks.
The Coaches Poll came out on Monday and Oregon was ranked the No. 3 team in the country and yet surprisingly had no first-place votes while teams like Michigan and Texas raked one in. That was a bit surprising given the fact that the Ducks are unanimously considered to be a top-five team and arguably the best team not named Georgia or Ohio State.
Well, just because the coaches didn't rank Oregon No. 1 doesn't mean that the media will be the same when that poll comes out.
In fact, one prominent college football reporter believes that Oregon is the best team in the country heading into the 2024 season.
My preseason @AP_Top25 ballot from No. 1 Oregon to No . 25 Kansas. Thanks in advance for agreeing w/me on every team & where they’re ranked. As an added bonus, I listed the next best 15 for my top 40. Incredible, I know. Enjoy https://t.co/qiqnMiuJ9u
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) August 5, 2024
It's refreshing to see someone take a stance other than the lazy "Georgia is No. 1 and Ohio State is No. 2" opinion. While Georgia is the easiest choice as the best team in the country (just look at the past three seasons), Oregon has a legitimate case and it seems as if McMurphy realized that and gave the Ducks the nod.
If there's anyone who could push Kirby Smart, it's his former student, Dan Lanning. The former Georgia defensive coordinator has done nothing but win since taking over in Eugene.
Now he's added an elite recruiting class to the roster for 2024 along with two of the top quarterback transfers in the country to replace Bo Nix. The offense shouldn't skip a beat and the defense should be elite. There's nothing really to not like about this team.
Is Oregon No. 1-worthy?