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2025 College Football Prediction, Best Bet: Back Oregon to Eclipse Win Total

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2025 College Football Prediction, Best Bet: Back Oregon to Eclipse Win Total


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With college football kicking off in just two months, it’s time to assess how successful — or how unsuccessful — teams will be this upcoming season.

There is one team whose win total stood out to me in particular: the Oregon Ducks.

And based on what we know about this team from last year and its offseason moves, I’m ready to throw down some cash on these Ducks.

Let’s take a look at what I think Oregon’s regular-season win total will be.

Oregon Ducks Over/Under 11 wins

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Dan Lanning returns to Eugene for his fourth season as head coach of the Oregon Ducks after three successful years. At 38 years old, this first-time head coach has an overall record of 35-6: 2022: 10-3, 2023: 12-2 and 2024: 13-1. For the sake of a regular-season win total, his record in just 12 regular-season games is 32-4, with three losses coming from his first season.

One characteristic of Lanning’s teams is their play against opponents they should beat. Aside from a loss to Oregon State at the end of the 2022 season, the Ducks have not lost a regular-season game they shouldn’t have. Their three other regular-season losses are to Georgia and twice to Washington. 

However, there have been close games. A late comeback against Washington State in 2022, a late pick-six to seal the game at Texas Tech in 2023 and a three-point win against Boise State and Wisconsin were Oregon’s closest wins last season. Otherwise, it’s a bunch of lopsided scores where Oregon was in no danger of losing. This mindset of respecting every opponent is welcome when you’re wagering Over 10.5 wins on a team. They can not be upset. There’s no margin for error.

The Oregon schedule allows for the Ducks to win most of their games. The non-conference slate includes three home games against Montana State, Oklahoma State and Oregon State. Oregon will be multiple-touchdown favorites against all three. While Montana State did play for the FCS championship, I expect the Ducks to be on high alert after their previous season opener against Idaho. Oklahoma State went 0-9 in the Big 12 last season, and the Beavers just don’t have the horses to compete. 

In conference play, Oregon hosts Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota and USC. Oregon rarely loses at home, and none of these teams pose a threat right now. Indiana could be feisty with Mendoza and its coaching staff, while USC could be peaking near the end of the season if things break right. Still, these games are at home, where the Ducks usually win. 

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Oregon will face conference road games at Northwestern, Penn State, Rutgers, Iowa and Washington. The Penn State game will be difficult, and Oregon may lose that game. In the other four games, Oregon will be a touchdown favorite or more, but playing at Washington to end the season is a rivalry game — one I’m hesitant to mark as a win ahead of time. If the Ducks are 10-1 and you’re afraid to lose the Over wager, then take Washington moneyline.

The Ducks’ winning ways over the last three seasons have included one of the best rosters in the country. They have fielded two straight Heisman finalists and over a dozen players drafted into the NFL. The last draft included their starting quarterback, running back, tight end, best receiver, starting defensive tackles and more. Oregon will be replacing a lot of talent and will need to mesh quickly for success.  

Oregon’s quarterback will be Dante Moore, a former five-star recruit who transferred from UCLA last winter. He redshirted last season and has a gifted arm. There were also transfer portal additions at running back, left tackle and left guard. Both of the offensive linemen could see their names called in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. The Ducks defense saw major additions in the defensive back end as well. Oregon has stockpiled talent on the defensive line and at linebacker, and will need those guys to step up this season. I have no doubt the coaching staff — with years of results to back it up — will get these guys playing well early in the season.

For all these reasons, I’m taking Oregon to win 11 games or more. The Penn State game will be tough, and I’m not sure Oregon will win. The margin of error is slim if the Ducks lose, but they have shown no history of losing games that they shouldn’t. It’s a talented roster with a coaching staff who’s getting better each season.

PICK: Oregon Ducks Over 11 wins

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Geoff Schwartz is an NFL analyst for FOX Sports. He played eight seasons in the NFL for five different teams. He started at right tackle for the University of Oregon for three seasons and was a second-team All-Pac-12 selection his senior year. Follow him on Twitter @GeoffSchwartz.

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Oregon work zones see record high in crashes and fatalities

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Oregon work zones see record high in crashes and fatalities


OREGON (KTVZ) — Oregon work zones experienced a five-year high in crashes in 2024 with 621 incidents reported, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). These crashes resulted in 14 lives lost and 36 serious injuries. All individuals who suffered serious injuries or died in Oregon work zones in 2024 were drivers or their



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Small Oregon town residents’ trust shaken as state sues disaster nonprofit founder

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Small Oregon town residents’ trust shaken as state sues disaster nonprofit founder


The founder of a former disaster relief nonprofit is being sued for allegedly diverting nearly $837,000 in donations and grants for personal gain.

Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield filed the lawsuit Thursday against the founder and executive director of Cascade Relief Team (CRT), Marcus Brooks. In the complaint, Rayfield calls CRT “a sham.”

Brooks is accused of stealing donations and government grants meant for disaster relief following wildfires and flooding in 2020, and using it for personal expenses including casino visits, travel, vehicles, and more.

CRT was founded in 2020 and was hired for cleanup and relief services following the Labor Day Wildfires that burned over 1 million acres across Oregon.

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In Blue River, an unincorporated community in the McKenzie River Valley, the 2020 Holiday Farm Fire destroyed nearly 800 homes and burned more than 173,000 acres.

I am angry that my community was taken advantage of

Just months after the fire, long-time Blue River resident Melanie Stanley said CRT stepped in and promised help to the community.

“For us, it was…like a savior at that point,” Stanley said.

Stanley was the manager for the Blue River Resource Center and worked for Brooks to help facilitate recovery efforts. She said CRT operations slowly became questionable.

“None of us knew the level at which all of this stuff that finally came out was at,” Stanley said. “We knew that there was some stuff that had started to look hinky or feel hinky, or there was just some lack of communication that was happening. There were some other things that were happening, and so we just all were kind of guarded.”

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In fall of 2023 the nonprofit was reported to have run out of money, and Brooks allegedly fired staff without disclosing the organization’s financial conditions and did not notify donors or beneficiaries. Stanley was one of those people fired.

The state now claims the funds that were meant to go towards communities like Blue River, never made it out of Brooks’ hands, including donations given by Blue River neighbors.

“I am angry that my community was taken advantage of, and I am angry that they now have to worry about trusting when something else happens, because we know something else is going to happen,” Stanley said. “We hope to God it’s never anything as big or as bad as what has happened, but you know, we also have learned that groups like Locals Helping Locals…they are our foundation, and they are because they’re us.”

The state is seeking to recover the money, permanently bar Brooks from serving in a leadership role at a charitable organization and dissolve the nonprofit.

Stanley said Brooks’ actions have tainted reputations.

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“We as a community and as the people from the community who helped kind of put all of these things together, we did what was asked of us,” Stanley said. “We did help clean things, and we did help get things to provide, you know, more progress and get things moving forward, and we did good work, and so I just really hope that this is not overshadowed.”

According to Stanley, Blue River’s recovery now stands at 50%.

“We will be very picky from here on out about who and what groups gets let in to help with anything,” Stanley said. “And sadly, it may be to our detriment, but he did more damage now, as far as reputations go, and for that I’m angry. I’m very angry.”



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Oregon Ducks Recruiting Target Darius Johnson Announces Finalists

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Oregon Ducks Recruiting Target Darius Johnson Announces Finalists


The Oregon Ducks have been progressing through the class of 2027 with hopes of landing some of their top target’s commitment on both the offense and the defense.

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With many names left on the board, the Ducks have started to receive some great news, including some news from someone they have been targeting since they offered back in January of 2025.

Darius Johnson Releases His Top Four Schools

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Oregon head coach Dan Lanning takes the field as the Oregon Ducks face the Indiana Hoosiers in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 9, 2026, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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One of the Ducks top targets’ in the 2027 class at the cornerback position is Darius Johnson. Johnson recently released his top schools with Hayes Fawcett, as he is entering a crucial part of his recruitment. The four schools he has listed at the top include the California Golden Bears, Michigan Wolverines, UCLA Bruins, and the Oregon Ducks.

Johnson is one of the better cornerbacks in the country. He currently ranks as the nation’s No. 178 prospect in the country, No. 20 player at the position, and the No. 14 player in the state of California, according to Rivals. Landing his commitment would be major for any of the schools, as he is someone who could see the field early due to his size, and his growing ability to lockdown a side of the field all by himself.

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More About Darius Johnson

Dec 31, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning during the Rose Bowl head coaches press conference at Sheraton Grand LA. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Johnson currently measures in at 6-1 and 155 pounds, and will be someone who continues to add weight through his high school program, and will eventually have the chance to really improve his frame when he gets to college. As of now, each of the four schools has a solid chance to win its recruiting battle, but there seems to be a clear leader at this moment.

The leader for the Ducks target seems to be the Michigan Wolverines, who have the only scheduled official visit at this moment. It seems likely that the talented prospect will schedule his other official visits sooner rather than later now that he has officially cut down his list. If the Ducks want to land his commitment, they will need to get him on an official visit because they are likely trailing at this point.

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What If He Committed to Oregon Today?

Jan 9, 2026; Atlanta, GA, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning reacts during the first half of the 2025 Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff against the Indiana Hoosiers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
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If he were to commit to the Ducks today, he would be the ninth commitment for the Ducks in the class of 2027. He would also be the third cornerback commit for the Ducks in the class of 2027, which is a position they have been recruiting heavily. The cornerbacks the Ducks have at this moment are four-star Ai’King Hall from the state of Alabama and four-star Josiah Molden from the state of Oregon.

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Some of their other commits at this moment include four-star EDGE Rashad Streets, four-star defensive linemen Zane Rowe, and four-star EDGE Cameron Pritchett. This class is shaping up to be another top-five class if the pieces continue to fall into place for Oregon coach Dan Lanning and his staff.

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