Oregon
Big Ten Football Power Rankings: Oregon Ducks Challenging Ohio State For Top Spot?
The Oregon Ducks recorded a dominating 34-13 win over the UCLA Bruins on Saturday night. Was this enough to give the Ducks the top spot in the Big Ten Power Rankings heading into Week 6?
It seems boring at this point, but the Ohio State Buckeyes remain No. 1 in this week’s Big Ten power rankings. The Buckeyes waltzed into East Lansing on Saturday night and beat the Michigan State Spartans 38-7. Ohio State has won every game in the first half this season. It hasn’t been close.
Hopefully, Iowa will give them a football game next week.
Next Game: 10/5 vs. Iowa
Oregon opened up Big Ten play Saturday night with a 34-13 win over UCLA. The Ducks controlled the game from start to finish. The Oregon offensive line has produced back-to-back good performances after struggling out of the gates this season. Additionally, Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel has been lights out.
Oregon appears to be rounding into form right as conference play begins. Next, the Ducks host Michigan State on a short week.
Next Game: 10/4 vs. Michigan State
Penn State edged out Illinois in a hard-fought 21-7 win. It was not easy sledding for the Nittany Lions but they ended up pulling out the two-touchdown win over a tough Illini team. The Penn State defense didn’t allow a single point in the final three quarters.
They hold serve at number three this week.
Next Game: 10/5 vs. UCLA
The Wolverines avoided disaster late against Minnesota. Michigan saw their 24-3 lead trimmed down to 27-24 following a Golden Gopher touchdown. On the ensuing onside kick, it appeared Minnesota had recovered and was poised to tie or take the lead late. The refs saved the day and made a very questionable offsides call to wipe the recovery away, sealing a 27-24 Michigan win.
Next Game: 10/5 at Washington
USC bounced back from their loss the week prior. The Trojans took down the Wisconsin Badgers 38-21 for their first-ever Big Ten conference victory. The Trojans looked to be in trouble at halftime being down 21-10. They completely dominated the 2nd half, outscoring the Badgers 28-0.
For USC, they now have to hope quarterback Miller Moss’s head injury suffered doesn’t cost him time.
Next Game: 10/5 at Minnesota
Indiana continues to win football games. The Hoosiers are off to a 5-0 start and find themselves at the top of the Big Ten. They took down Maryland 42-28. Indiana could even be higher on this list. They will continue to trend upwards if they keep winning football games. The Hoosiers have been one of the best stories in college football this season.
They look to clinch bowl eligibility against Northwestern.
Next Game: 10/5 at Northwestern
Illinois suffered its first loss of the season, going down 21-7 to Penn State. The Illinois defense kept them in the game, but the offense wasn’t able to generate any points after the first quarter. It was hard to drop them so far, but everyone else picked up convincing wins.
Illinois has a great opportunity to get back on track at home against Purdue following the bye week.
Next Game: 10/12 vs. Purdue
Rutgers gave Big Ten newcomer Washington a rude welcoming gift to the conference on Friday night. The Scarlet Knights held off Washington 21-18. The Huskies missed a game-tying field goal at the end of regulation.
The Scarlet Knights improved to 4-0. Next up is a big road game at Nebraska.
Next Game: 10/5 at Nebraska
Nebraska won a sloppy game against Purdue 28-10. The Husker’s offense was stagnant most of the afternoon but turned it on late in the 3rd quarter to propel them to a win.
Nebraska drops a spot on here but probably doesn’t care as they are back in the win column. Next up is undefeated Rutgers.
Next Game: 10/5 vs. Rutgers
Not much to say here. Iowa didn’t even play this week but no other Big Ten earned their way into the top ten. Congrats Hawkeyes, you hold your spot!
Next Game: 10/5 at No. 3 Ohio State
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The good times keep on rolling for the Oregon Ducks in the recruiting world. Dan Lanning and the Ducks scored a massive commitment from five-star quarterback Will Mencl out of Chandler, Arizona.
Oregon had been rumored to be leading the race for Mencl’s services for months, but the No. 1 quarterback in the country, per Rivals, cleared the air and committed to the Ducks on Wednesday evening. Mencl chose the Ducks over Auburn and Penn State, both of which battled hard for him down the stretch.
However, Mencl has been connected to Oregon for a long time. While he was offered last fall before breaking out in his junior season, Mencl has been a fan of the program long before he popped up on the Ducks’ recruiting radar. In a post shared by Rivals recruiting expert Steve Wiltfong, Mencl was announced as a quarterback for the Ducks when he was a kid at the 2019 NFL Draft fan experience in 2019.
Now, Mencl is ready to don the green and yellow for real and make his childhood dreams come true. The Ducks have made a point to get Mencl on campus as often as possible and as recently as last week. The continued connection between both sides is ultimately what made the decision easy for the nation’s top passer. Mencl said he told Lanning and the Oregon staff about his decision on Sunday.
“The biggest thing was the relationship with the staff,” Mencl said after committing. “I feel like that continued to grow over time, especially when I first got there last spring. Being able to sit down with Coach Koa, really being an underlooked guy at that time, and kind of blowing up my junior season. And then, the path to the NFL. You can’t deny what they do with quarterbacks and the type of scheme they run. I felt like that was the best fit for me and my family to get to the next level.”
Koa Ka’ai, Oregon’s new quarterback coach, made waves earlier in the offseason after his recruiting test about ice cream flavors went viral, but that doesn’t appear to have scared Mencl off. In fact, the two have a close connection that Oregon hopes will translate to success on the field in the near future.
“My relationship with Coach Koa, I feel like that is super, super strong,” Mencl told Rivals. “I’ve had a lot of discussions with Coach Lanning about the culture there and how they’re going to continue to sustain greatness throughout the program.”
Mencl exploded onto the national recruiting scene with a massive junior season for Chandler. He completed more than 70% of his passes for 3,815 yards and 33 touchdowns against five interceptions in his junior season, leading Chandler to a state title berth. He also rushed for 741 yards and an additional 17 touchdowns.
The Ducks expect to have some competition for Mencl to compete with when he joins the team for the 2027 season, with Dylan Raiola and Akili Smith Jr. already on the roster and competing for a role as the backup. Oregon has gone to the transfer portal as well in recent seasons, finding success with Bo Nix, Dillon Gabriel, and now Dante Moore.
Oregon has recruited well at quarterback in the past, establishing an NFL pedigree that attracted Mencl. Maybe he will be the one to buck the trend and give the Ducks a true, homegrown product under center.
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‘Pour in the largest glass you can find while slow dancing in your socks,’ a Wine Enthusiast contributor said of an Oregon wine
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Wine Enthusiast released a list of the top 40 sparkling wines around the world in 2026 – highlighting two bottles of bubbly from Oregon.
“While it can seem like you need a fortune to enjoy high quality sparkling wine, you honestly don’t. Excellent affordable bubbles are being produced around the world, often in places you might not expect. Each of the selections on our inaugural Top 40 Sparkling Wines list delivers personality, freshness, and celebration for under $75,” Wine Enthusiast wrote.
Wine Enthusiast divided its list into separate sparkling categories including, Champagne, Italian Bollicine, American sparkling and bottles $25 and under.
Snagging a spot on the American sparkling list: Corollary Wines in McMinnville.
Corollarly’s 2021 Momtazi Carbonic Rosé Pinot Noir scored 96 points from Wine Enthusiast.
“This is a Peter Max print of a wine, with vivid aromas and flavors to match the wine’s electric Kool-Aid color. It is filled to the brim with aromas and flavors of macerated strawberries, candied rose petals, apricots, and a bitter note similar to watermelon rind. Pour in the largest glass you can find while slow dancing in your socks,” wrote Wine Enthusiast contributor Michael Alberty.
The second Oregon winery to earn a spot on the list: Lytle-Barnett in Dundee.
Wine Enthusiast also gave Lytle-Barnett’s 2018 Brut Rosé Pinot Noir Chardonnay 96 points.
“Bubbles as persistent as an eight-year-old with a question deliver aromas of dried rose petals, macerated strawberries, and a touch of fresh hay and talc. This 70/30 Pinot Noir and Chardonnay blend is packed with flavors of lemon zest, Honeycrisp apple slices drizzled in caramel, and a dollop of raspberry,” Alberty wrote.
The nods to Corollary and Lytle-Barnett come as the wineries recently helped launch Method Oregon, a nonprofit made up of 50 Oregon wineries aiming to turn Oregon into a global sparkling wine destination.
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