College football Top 25: After a disappointing end to the 2024 season, No. 4 Oregon looks for playoff success
Now that it's August, there are less than two weeks until Kansas State and Iowa State meet in Dublin to begin the 2025 regular season. And since the season is quickly approaching, we're rolling out our preseason Top 25.
Next up in our rankings is the No. 4 team, and the rest will be revealed in the coming days. (All odds are from BetMGM.)
Previously: Nos. 11 through 25, No. 10 Miami, No. 9 Alabama, No. 8 Notre Dame, No. 7 LSU, No. 6 Ohio State, No. 5 Georgia
No. 4 Oregon
2024 record: 13-1
Odds to win national championship: +900
College Football Playoff odds: -275
2024 in 100 words
The only undefeated regular season team in college football suffered an ignominious defeat in the Rose Bowl to Ohio State. The Ducks took down the Buckeyes 32-31 in the regular season as time ran out on Ohio State's final drive in Eugene.
The Ducks didn't have another close game again until a late-season visit to Wisconsin. The Badgers mucked the game up just enough but didn't have the offensive firepower to pull the upset in Oregon's 16-13 win. The Ducks then beat Penn State 45-37 in the Big Ten title game before getting blitzed 41-21 by the Buckeyes in Pasadena to end Oregon's playoff hopes.
The quarterback
Dante Moore
The transfer from UCLA spent the 2024 season as Dillon Gabriel's backup. With Gabriel in the NFL, the 2025 season is the chance for Moore to be the third straight Oregon QB to be a Heisman finalist.
Moore played in nine games as a freshman at UCLA in 2023. He was 114-of-123 passing for 1,610 yards and 11 TDs with nine interceptions. He appeared in five games in 2024 and threw just eight passes.
The former five-star recruit was the top player in Michigan and the No. 3 player in the country in the class of 2023 when he committed to the Bruins. Oregon head coach Dan Lanning applauded Moore's patience at Big Ten media day as the junior inherits a very quarterback-friendly offensive system.
'I think probably what impressed me most with Dante is not wanting to be in a microwave society, not wanting to just get it fast because there's an opportunity in front of him, but to have the slow-cooked meal, to have the opportunity to sit back and mature and learn, learn from experiences that you don't necessarily have to be on the field to feel. The same goes for [QB Austin Novosad]. The same goes for [QB Luke Moga] and the other guys in our program.
'Those guys have learned from great quarterbacks that have done it at a really, really high level. For him to have that opportunity, show maturity, develop in his leadership, I think it's going to create great opportunities for our team.'
Moore should have the opportunity for a lot of completions in Oregon's offense. Bo Nix set the FBS record with a 77.4% completion percentage in 2023 and Gabriel completed 72.9% of his passes in 2024. Both players threw for at least 30 TDs. If Moore comes close to those numbers, Oregon's offense shouldn't miss a beat.
Non-QB to watch
S Dillon Thieneman
Thieneman arrives at Oregon after spending his first two seasons at Purdue. He was a second-team all-Big Ten selection in both years and had 106 tackles and six interceptions as a freshman. He failed to grab a pick in 2024 but still had 104 tackles to lead a Purdue defense that was on the field far too often during a rough season.
The junior should immediately step into the starting lineup at safety as Oregon had to replace three starters at defensive back. The Ducks allowed just 186 passing yards per game in 2024 as opposing QBs completed less than 56% of their passes.
Best position group
Running back
It was a toss-up between the backfield and the guys blocking up front, with a slight edge to the running backs. After Jordan James rushed for 1,267 yards and 15 TDs in 2024, Oregon added Tulane running back Makhi Hughes in the transfer portal. Hughes rushed for 1,378 yards and seven TDs as a freshman in 2023 and had 1,401 yards and 15 rushing touchdowns in 2024.
Noah Whittington also returns after rushing for 540 yards and six touchdowns. Don't sleep on former D2 All-American Jay Harris either. He rushed for over 1,400 yards in 2023 at Northwest Missouri State before redshirting at Oregon in 2024.
Biggest game
Sept. 27 at Penn State
We get a Big Ten title game rematch in the first month of the season. Penn State carved Oregon up on the ground in that game while Oregon WR Tez Johnson had 11 catches for 181 yards and a TD. The Nittany Lions have a new defensive coordinator in former Ohio State assistant Jim Knowles, and Oregon will need to rely on new faces at receiver with Johnson in the NFL and Evan Stewart likely to miss part or all of the season with a knee injury he suffered in the spring.
Why Oregon is at No. 4
That game against Penn State clearly looks like Oregon's toughest of the season barring a surprise somewhere else in the Big Ten. The Ducks travel to Iowa and Washington, but get Indiana and USC at home and avoid both Michigan and Ohio State.
That friendly schedule should put Oregon in the driver's seat for a second straight Big Ten title game appearance.
The Ducks will also have a very experienced offensive line that could gel quickly. Oregon added Emmanuel Pregnon (USC) and Isaiah World (Nevada) in the transfer portal and are hoping for a healthy season from Matthew Bedford. He played in just one game due to injury after transferring from Indiana in 2024.
World was one of the most sought-after offensive linemen in the transfer portal and should start at left tackle.
There are a couple questions at receiver with Stewart's absence and the departure of TE Terrance Ferguson. Malik Benson arrives from Florida State and there should be enough depth, though Oregon would be thrilled to have a clear No. 1 target emerge like Troy Franklin in 2023 and Johnson in 2024.
Linebacker Bryce Boettcher is also back after leading the team in tackles (94) in 2024. Matayo Uiagalelei steps into the starting lineup full-time after recording 9.5 sacks in 2024 and Teitum Tuioti is also back after he had 5.5 sacks. The defensive line also adds former four-star recruit Bear Alexander after stops at Georgia and USC. Alexander redshirted in 2024 after playing four games for the Trojans.
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