Think back a moment to August and the expectations Duck fans had then. While the goal is always to win every week and win a national championship, what were the realistic expectations when Oregon began Fall Camp?
The team had a new starter at quarterback, four new starters on the offensive line and a completely new secondary. The linebacker group seemed good but not elite. News came out that Evan Stewart tore his patellar tendon in June and would probably miss most or all of the season.
With a marquee star like Stewart out, who would Dante Moore rely on as a go-to wide receiver? Then Dillon Gresham got hurt in camp after five-star Jurrion Dickey left the team.
The year before they'd won the Big Ten Championship in their first year in the league with a perfect regular season, defeating Penn State in the title game, only to suffer a drubbing in the first round of the playoffs, losing to a pissed-off, determined Ohio State team in the Rose Bowl, down 34-0 in the second quarter.
Back in August, one 'expert' called the Ducks 'this year's Florida State'
A look at the schedule showed tough road games to Penn State, Iowa and Washington with a redshirt sophomore quarterback, a transfer from UCLA with five career starts. Many experts, including Bruce Feldman at Fox, projected Oregon to finish 9-3 and miss the playoff.
Four months ago, a 10-2 finish and making the College Football Playoff seemed an ambitious goal. It was important to show progress, win a first-round playoff game and make the quarterfinals.
The Ducks have won a first-round playoff game and a quarterfinal. They are +400 to win it all. With a tough game against Indiana coming up, do you define the season as a success? Obviously, you want them to finish, but would you term it a success based on what's already happened?
— Dale Bliss (@AutzenZoo_Bliss) January 2, 2026
The Ducks exceeded all those expectations. They lost one game to the No. 1 team in the nation, though it turned out to be Indiana rather than preseason Big Ten favorite Penn State.
By any reasonable measure, Oregon's 2025 season is already a success. They are playing on house money now, and they have every opportunity to let it rip in the semifinal and perhaps the championship.
Oregon's first natty is as close as it's ever been. Under Dan Lanning the team has shown progress every year:
2022 10-3 won Holiday Bowl --finished No. 15 in the AP Poll
2023 12-2 won Fiesta Bowl --finished No. 6 in the AP Poll
2024 13-1 won Big Ten Championship, lost Rose Bowl --finished No. 3 in the AP
2025 13-1 won first-round, won CFP quarterfinal, reached Peach Bowl semifinal vs Indiana
Currently Lanning is 48-7. If his team wins the national title he'd reach 50 wins in his first four seasons while leading the Ducks to their first National Championship in program history.
That's an exciting place to be. Having already exceeded expectations, the Ducks are free to let it rip in the attacking, aggressive style that got them here.