Oregon is up for big things this season, under head coach Dan Lanning the team is on the hunt for the first National Championship in school history. However, there is a long road to glory and Lanning knows it. As to avoid distractions on campus, the Ducks head coach made a clear statement on the program’s ranking.
Oregon took down Ohio State in Eugene on October 12th. The team followed up that statement win with a dominant 35-0 triumph over Purdue. The team’s recent performances and their unbeaten record (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) have made waves all over college football during their first season since moving on from the Pac-12. The Ducks have hit the ground running in the Big Ten Conference and are looking like bona fide contenders.
Along with their great outings and an offense led by Heisman Trophy candidate QB Dillon Gabriel, the Ducks have been favoured by the Texas Longhorns disasterclass against the Georgia Bulldogs. Because of it, Oregon is now ranked on first place in the AP Top-25 NCAA rankings.
However, head coach Lanning is not losing any sleep on the rankins, focused on the bigger picture instead: “Who cares?” Lanning said, per On3. “Our messaging hasn’t changed. You don’t sit halfway through a meal and say you’re done eating. There’s a lot we still want to accomplish.”
Through seven games, Oregon averages 458.6 total yards and 34.6 points (third most in the Big Ten). Senior-year Dillon Gabriel has passed for 2,080 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions, with an average QB rating of 84.4.
When was Oregon last ranked No. 1 in AP Poll?
Almost twelve years passed since the Oregon Ducks were last ranked on first place in the AP Poll. November of 2012, to be exact. However, the top honor did not last long in Eugene, as the Ducks would fall to the fifth spot after a loss to Stanford. A dozen years later, Oregon hopes to stay undefeated and keep their reign in the rankings.
Oregon has been ranked number one in nine ocassions, since the list’s inception in 1936. The first appearance on the top seat was in 2010.
First test as the best program in college football
The Ducks are now on the spotlight. Their second-to-none rank is theirs to lose and they know every team is coming after them. As the saying goes: if you come at the king, you best not miss. No. 1 Oregon will host No. 20 Illinois in a significant matchup for the Ducks, although Lanning insists the ranking does not have any bearing on his team.