EUGENE — It's debatable whether the top teams in the Big Ten Conference or the depth of quality teams in the Pacific-12 Conference will lead to a tougher schedule, but Oregon will be facing some entirely new opponents this coming football season.
Today, we’ll rank the toughest matchups for the 2024 season and ultimately determine whether conference realignment has translated into a tougher schedule for the Ducks.
1. Ohio State Buckeyes
I was on the fence about putting Michigan in this spot because that game is in Ann Arbor, but I think Ohio State's talent and continuity ultimately won out. Playing the Buckeyes in Autzen Stadium is a big plus, but they're clearly the best-constructed team Oregon will face.
After recruiting at an elite level over the past few years and adding several big-name transfers this offseason, you could make a case that Ohio State will be the best team in college football this year.
2. Michigan Wolverines
The away element of this matchup is what really scares me. If this game had been played in Eugene, I wouldn't have been particularly concerned, but we all know that home conditions make a difference at the collegiate level. Michigan is the only team I predicted Oregon to lose to this year, but with that in mind, this is more of a trap spot than a true matchup issue.
I expect this to be a very competitive, well-played game. Oregon hasn't faced many matches like this in the Pac-12 so far. It's tempting to rank this game as the toughest, but Oregon has a depth advantage over Michigan and should, at least on paper, have a better chance of winning than they did against Ohio State.
3. Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin hasn't made a lot of noise lately, but longtime college football fans know what this team can bring to the table in any given year. Second-year coach Luke Fickell is highly respected in college circles, and we often see teams make big leaps between the first and second years of a new regime.
Camp Randall Stadium is one of the toughest environments in the sport and injuries are likely to impact this game due to it being played so late in the season. Oregon should be the best team to make the playoffs in 2024, but crazy things happen on the road and many good teams have had their seasons ruined by a trip to Madison.
4. Washington Huskies
Washington won't be the threat it was last year after losing coach Cullen DeBoer and many of its elite 2023 players, but that doesn't mean it won't be dangerous. New coach Jedd Fisch has a track record of quickly improving teams, and with this being Oregon's final regular-season game, the Huskies will have plenty of time to prepare.
The reason this game won't be a tough one is because it's being played at Autzen Stadium, where it's been nearly impossible for the Ducks to lose over the past few years, and I expect Oregon to close out the 2024 regular season with a hard-fought win.
5. Oregon State Beavers
Nostalgia, trauma, or whatever you want to call it, Oregon State is set to be one of Oregon's toughest games yet. Despite Oregon State's thin roster after losses to the Beavers in 2020 and 2022, Oregon fans will be excited to watch this one.
Former coach Jonathan Smith has moved on to Michigan State, but first-year coach Trent Bray is highly regarded and has done an excellent job with the Beavers' defense under Smith. This is an early-season game on the road, so Oregon could be caught off guard, but I still expect a relatively decisive win.
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Overall, I don't think Oregon's move to the Big Ten has made their schedule any more difficult. The games against Michigan and Ohio State are tough and are premier matchups, but they only account for about a sixth of Oregon's games. In 2023 in particular, it felt like Oregon was at serious risk of losing virtually every game, but that doesn't feel like the case this year.
Matchups against Purdue, Maryland and Illinois simply don't offer any notable change, while weaker teams like Arizona State last year felt like a potential trap. That could be due to the reminder of past losses against teams they now comfortably beat, but there's no mistaking the quality of play seen in essentially every Pac-12 matchup.
