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Oregon football history: Ducks and USC Trojans migrating from Pac-12 to Big Ten

As the Oregon Ducks make the move to the Big Ten, they're going to get to face off against the USC Trojans in their new conference. That's a good thing.

By Ethan Lee

Oregon tight end Terrance Ferguson breaks through a gap in the USC defense as the No. 6 Oregon Ducks host the USC Trojans Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore.
Oregon tight end Terrance Ferguson breaks through a gap in the USC defense as the No. 6 Oregon Ducks host the USC Trojans Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA
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Two of the biggest brands in college football left the Pac-12 in search of greener pastures. As the Oregon Ducks and the USC Trojans leave the Pac-12 to join the Big Ten, we are losing some of the regionality that makes college football great, but we’re also getting to preserve a bit of a regional rivalry. 

And that’s not a bad thing. It’s not the best thing ever, but it’ll be fun to see future Big Ten meetings between these two West Coast programs. Especially considering that, for a while, these two Pac-12 powerhouses produced some incredible and memorable moments over the years.

It’s going to be fun to see this series preserved (even if it’s happening in a very different conference).

Oregon football history vs. USC Trojans

The rivalry got underway all the way back in 1915 as the Oregon Ducks managed to get a 34-0 win in the first-ever meeting between these two teams. 

So, how did the USC Trojans respond to that defeat? In a rather convincing way. The USC Trojans went on to win the next EIGHT meetings, including the 1931 53-0 beatdown that Oregon suffered on the road in Los Angeles, California. 

There’s absolutely no way that game was fun to be part of or watch.

In recent years, there have been periods of dominance owned by both of these teams. But, with Oregon’s rise to national prominence under Mike Bellotti and Chip Kelly, things started going Oregon’s way somewhat regularly. Oregon has won four of the last five meetings between the two teams as well as seven of the last 10. Dating back to 2000, the Ducks have only lost six meetings with USC. Meanwhile, they’ve won 10. It’s safe to say that things have changed a bit since this series started all those years ago.

Oregon football vs. USC Trojans series summary:

  • First meeting: November 8, 1915 (Oregon 34, USC 0)
  • Last meeting: November 11, 2023 (Oregon 36, USC 27)
  • Oregon's record: 23-39-2
  • Total games: 64
  • Oregon’s largest margin of victory: Oregon 34, USC 0 (1915)

The Trojans aren’t on Oregon’s 2024 football schedule, but this series has been preserved a bit considering that both of these teams are making the move to the Big Ten. And here’s to looking forward to the future of what this rivalry looks like.

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