Once a national title favorite, Oregon has become college football's biggest disappointment

The Ducks entered 2026 as national title favorites, but after suffering their second loss of the season on Saturday, they Less than two months ago, Oregon was considered a favorite to win the national championship. It put together one of the most expensive rosters in the country, and Dante Moore turned down the possibility of being a top-10 NFL Draft pick to return for one more College Football Playoff run. Following a 17-15 loss to No. 21 UCLA, the Ducks have a good case as the most disappointing team in the country, and their margin for error is gone. After Oregon overcame the loss of Moore to beat USC on the road in Week 4, it seemed like the Ducks were on the path back to contention.

They got an open date to prepare backup quarterback Dylan Raiola before hosting the Bruins and were comfortable favorites in Autzen Stadium. Then the game started, and what ensued was a disaster of epic proportions for Oregon. Raiola was 6-of-19 with 43 yards and two interceptions before getting benched in the second half. On the ground, Oregon averaged just 2.7 yards per carry. It converted one of 12 third-down attempts. The Ducks turned the ball over seven times. Despite all that, Oregon had a chance to tie the game on a two-point conversion