The Oregon Ducks are ranked No. 7 in ESPN writer Bill Connelly’s Post-Spring SP+ 2025 rankings for every college football team. Connelly ranks each team based on three factors; returning production, recent recruiting, and recent history. 

The six teams ranked ahead of Oregon from No. 1 through No. 6 are the Ohio State Buckeyes, Alabama Crimson Tide, Penn State Nittany Lions, Georgia Bulldogs, Texas Longhorns, and Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Connelly goes more into depth about how he calculates these rankings with the different factors, starting with the returning production. 

“The returning production numbers are based on rosters I have updated as much as humanly possible to account for transfers and attrition,” Connelly said. “The combination of last year’s SP+ ratings and adjustments based on returning production makes up about two-thirds of the projections formula.”

Next, Connelly dissects the factor of recent recruiting. Oregon has consistently been towards the top of the recruiting rankings in the Dan Lanning era.  

“This piece informs us of the caliber of a team’s potential replacements in the lineup. It is determined by the past few years of recruiting rankings in diminishing order,” Connelly said. “This is also impacted by the recruiting rankings of incoming transfers, an acknowledgement that the art of roster management is now heavily dictated by the transfer portal.” 

The third factor is the recent history of the program. Since Lanning took over in 2022, Oregon has upped their win total from 10 to 12 and then 13 last season. 

“Using a sliver of information from the previous four seasons or so gives us a good measure of overall program health,” Connelly said. 

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The Ducks will be losing a lot of talent from their 2024 team. Oregon had a program record 10 players get selected in the 2025 NFL Draft: defensive lineman Derrick Harmon, offensive lineman Josh Conerly Jr., tight end Terrance Ferguson, defensive end Jordan Burch, defensive tackle Jamaree Caldwell, quarterback Dillon Gabriel, offensive lineman Ajax Cornelius, running back Jordan James, linebacker Jeffrey Bassa, and wide receiver Tez Johnson. 

Luckily for coach Dan Lanning, the Ducks will be replenishing these losses with top notch talent in both the transfer portal and in recruiting. 

According to 247Sports Composite, the Ducks have the No. 5 ranked 2025 recruiting and the No. 5 ranked 2025 incoming transfer class. The top ranked recruit is five-star wide receiver Dakorien Moore. Even though he will just be a freshman, there is reason to believe that Moore can become an instant impact player. Look no further than Ohio State Buckeyes freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith from a season ago, who was an immediate star. 

In the transfer portal, Oregon landed the top available offensive lineman in Isaiah World.

CLEVELAND — Japanese contemporary artist Takashi Murakami has never been limited to one medium, creating paintings, sculptures, luxury goods with fashion houses like Louis Vuitton, album covers and an exclusive merchandising collection with Major League Baseball.

Now, he has filled a U.S. museum hall with portraits in every color as part of an exhibit opening Sunday at the Cleveland Museum of Art. “Takashi Murakami: Stepping on the Tail of a Rainbow,” an update of an exhibit first shown in Los Angeles, features more than 100 ranging works.

Murakami, known for his smiling rainbow-colored flower icon, intentionally layered light-hearted themes with historical events linked to trauma, he told The Associated Press.

The art explores the impact of trauma on people and culture, said Ed Schad, curator and publications manager at contemporary art museum The Broad in Los Angeles.

The portraits “have historical roots and that they could actually tell you a lot about what a society is doing, how healthy a society is, what a society is responding to,” Schad said. “What society is responding to most often in this exhibition is the idea of trauma.”

One sculpture depicts Murakami and his dog with half of their bodies in anatomical form, showing their bones and organs, while the other half is their outward appearances. The sculpture, Pom and Me, is described as Murakami’s interpretation of his experience in the West through the lens of his Japanese identity.

Square portraits featuring cartoonish flowers with facial expressions cover one wall of the exhibit, organized by background color to create a rainbow effect. One flower is wiping a tear from its eye, while another appears to be a zombie. One has blood dripping from its mouth. One appears to be in awe watching fireworks.

Though there are no obviously direct visual references to historical events, the museum said the art can be seen through the lens of three events in Japanese history: the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States during World War II, the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, leading to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Murakami said it’s a bit of a misunderstanding that his work “is very easy and very popular.”

“But this is okay because this is one of my tricks,” he said.

What someone might admire about his art as a child, Murakami said, would likely not be what is admired by an adult.

Before entering the exhibit on the lower floor of the museum, visitors can walk through a version of the Yumedono, the octagonal-shaped building at Horyuji Temple in Nara, Japan. Murakami said he was inspired to create the structure after viewing the 2024 television series “Shōgun.”

Inside the structure are four new paintings — “Blue Dragon Kyoto,” “Vermillion Bird Kyoto,” “White Tiger Kyoto” and “Black Tortoise Kyoto” — created between 2023 and 2025.

The ticketed exhibit runs until early September.

• Millersburg is known for its Amish heritage, including Yoder’s Amish Home and Hershberg’s Farm and Bakery.
• Mansfield is highlighted for its family-friendly attractions such as Kingwood Center Gardens and the Renaissance Theatre.
• Sugarcreek is recognized for its Swiss heritage, showcased at the Alpine Hills Historical Museum and celebrated with the Ohio Swiss Festival.

WorldAtlas.com has ranked the nine Most Hospitable Towns in Ohio, and three of them are just around the corner.

Making the list are Millersburg (Holmes County), Sugarcreek and Mansfield.

Millersburg (Holmes County) was chosen for its Amish heritage and close-knit community ties, according to WorldAtlas.com. Mansfield was picked for its family-friendly attractions and Kingwood Center Gardens and Sugarcreek’s lure is its Swiss heritage and unique culture.

WorldAtlas.com is an online educational website the specializes in geography and related topics. It offers content including maps, articles and data, covering areas such as geography, sociology, demography, environment, economics, politics and travel. The site, which offers fact-checking, aims to provide accurate information, serving as a resource for educators and students.

Millersburg (Holmes County) noted for ‘practical activities’

The Millersburg and Holmes County community hosts friendly residents who lead a simple life, according to WorldAtlas, which notes Yoder’s Amish Home provides a feel for everyday Amish life through barn visits, buggy rides and other practical activities. Hershberg’s Farm and Bakery entices newcomers with delicious baked goods and similar Amish treats, including pies, jellies, and jams.

Visitors also can shop for antiques and handcrafts while interacting with receptive shopowners. The site also mentions the county’s festivals.

Mansfield highlighted for Kingwood Gardens, block party

Mansfield has an impressive spectrum of family-friendly attractions, according to WorldAtlas, which lists the 47-acre Kingwood Center Gardens as a notable greenspace with its colorful blend of flowers, herbs and shrubs The Renaissance Theatre treats guests to live performances in a 1,400-seater venue, known for hosting singing, acting, and dancing shows.

The town organizes several events throughout the year, with the Peace on My Block Party bringing families together. The fun festival aims to stop bullying and violence in the community through peaceful interactions and entertainment for kids of all ages, the website notes.

Sugarcreek, a gem in Amish Country

Sugarcreek is known for its Swiss heritage and neighborly residents, according to WorldAtlis. Tourist visit to explore its unique culture at the Alpine Hills Historical Museum and Information Center. The center showcases rare exhibits depicting a unique combination of Amish and Swiss heritage The Dutch Valley Restaurant welcomes guests to try its rich traditional cuisine, featuring Amish-style.

The annual Ohio Swiss Festival is a great time to join the community in celebrating its Swiss heritage through a variety of traditional activities, says the website.

Other areas listed in the Top 9 Most Hospital Towns in Ohio are Twinsburg, Circleville, Marietta, Geneva-On-The-Lake, Sandusky and Waynesburg.