When the Oregon Ducks’ spring football roster was officially released earlier this month, a lot of eyebrows raised at the fact that Nebraska Cornhuskers transfer quarterback Dylan Raiola was changing his number from No. 15 to No. 8.
While Raiola had often mimicked the stylings of Patrick Mahomes — who also wears No. 15 — throughout his career at Nebraska, the switch to No. 8 — famously worn by Oregon Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota — was interesting, to say the least.
In a “Meet the Flock” video released by the football program on Saturday, giving a closer look at the QB room, Raiola opened up about the number change and revealed that he received permission from Mariota and Dillon Gabriel to wear the number at Oregon.
“The last two people to wear it, if you look at Dillon Gabriel and Marcus Mariota,” Raiola said. “So before I even thought about wearing it, I called Dillon, and I asked him. And then I actually asked him if I could have Marcus’ number, and I called Marcus. I was blessed with the opportunity to wear it.”
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While Raiola’s football journey has taken him all across the country, with stops in Texas, Arizona, Georgia, and Nebraska, it all started in Hawaii, where he was born and spent the early years of his life. During that time, Mariota’s legend grew in Eugene and Hawaii, as he became the first Duck and the first Hawaiian-born player to win the Heisman.
“I’m from Hawaii. I lived there for about nine or 10 years, so I call that home, and I always go back there and visit,” Raiola said.
Whether or not the number change means that Raiola is going to start trying to play in a similar fashion as Mariota did is yet to be seen, but Oregon fans everywhere would be thrilled to see him have similar success down the road.
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CENTRAL OREGON (KTVZ) — Rep. Emerson Levy and Sen. Anthony Broadman will host legislative town halls in Bend and Redmond in April 2026. These forums aim to provide updates on legislative outcomes and discuss policy impacts on the Central Oregon community. The events are designed to allow residents to review session highlights and provide feedback
With its “green, rolling hills” and “patchwork of pinot noir and chardonnay vineyards”, Oregon’s Willamette Valley has been compared to Burgundy, said National Geographic.
The valley is home to 11 designated grape-growing regions with diverse terroirs, spanning all the way from Portland to Eugene. In recent years, the “cool nights and warm summer days” here have provided the perfect conditions for some “top-notch sparkling wines”. Grape varieties used in champagne like pinot meunier have been “thriving” here.
Method Oregon is a non-profit established by a coalition of producers to ensure high standards and help place their wines on the map. Bottles carrying the stamp must be “100% fermented, bottled, riddled, and disgorged in Oregon”, use the traditional method that requires sparkling wines to go through a “natural secondary fermentation in a bottle”, said National Geographic, and be aged for no less than 24 months en tirage (“the crucial stage where wines are aged on yeast”) to develop a complex flavour.
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Gran Moraine’s sparkling brut rosé is “exquisite, rich and lovely”, said Clive Pursehouse on Decanter. The delicate wine spent six years en tirage and is bursting with “floral notes of apple blossom, sweet lemon cream, and ripe, fleshy pears”.
But chardonnay remains the “king of Oregon white wines”, said Mike Desimone on Robb Report. For a special occasion, consider splashing out on a bottle from Eyrie Vineyard where winemaker Jim Maresh makes “small-batch, high-quality wines from estate-grown grapes under his family label”.
Or, you can’t go wrong with a Résonance chardonnay, said Vine Pair. When renowned French winemakers come to Oregon “you know to pay attention”. That’s exactly what happened when Thibault Gagey and Jacques Lardière embarked on their “first project outside of Burgundy” in the Willamette Valley – and this bottle is an “excellent example” of how the chardonnay grape variety is flourishing in the cool climate. Expect refreshing mineral notes, hints of “ripe pear and crisp apples”, with a “wonderfully balanced” palate.
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The Big Ten will be represented well in this upcoming season, as multiple teams have a great chance of making the college football playoffs in 2026. This includes the Oregon Ducks.
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The Ducks have the second-best odds when it comes to their chances of making the college football playoff inside the Big Ten, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, at -270. The Ducks only trail the Indiana Hoosiers on this list. Oregon coach Dan Lanning and his squad are narrowly ahead of the Ohio State Buckeyes (-240), who are the only other team with minus odds.
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Oregon head coach Dan Lanning speaks from the podium at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex on the first day of spring practice for the Oregon Ducks on March 12, 2026, in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
In terms of missing the postseason, the Ducks have the second-best odds, as they are only behind the Buckeyes. While the Buckeyes come in at a +190, the Ducks are at a +210. They are also only ahead of the Indiana Hoosiers slightly, as the Hoosiers odds are sitting around +250
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The full odds of the teams are below.
Full Big Ten Odds
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Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning speaks during a Rose Bowl press conference in Los Angeles on Dec. 31, 2024. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
It makes sense that the Hoosiers are ahead of the Oregon Ducks, as the Indiana defeated Oregon in the semi-finals of the CFP last season. They also would go on to defeat the Miami Hurricanes in the national championship. The defending national champions enter the season with high expectations, but, the Ducks are returning more stars than the Hoosiers, as the Hoosiers lost many of their top players to the NFL Draft.
The biggest difference between the two is going to be at the quarterback position. Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza and Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore were both projected to be top-five selections in the upcoming NFL Draft. Even with the eye-catching projections, Moore opted to come back to Oregon to settle some unfinished business, as the Ducks are looking to make a run for the national championship in what is likely to be his final season.
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Oregon head coach Dan Lanning sticks his tongue out to catch the rain as the No. 6 Oregon Ducks host California Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK
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On the other hand, Mendoza will be going to the NFL Draft and is currently predicted to be the No. 1 pick by nearly every major NFL Draft analyst. This leaves the Hoosiers with a new gunslinger and also some new weapons, as the offense will look completely different with many skill positions leaving for the draft.
The Ohio State Buckeyes will also be losing more talent than the Ducks when it comes to the NFL Draft, although the Buckeyes’ offense will return a large majority of their production.
The Buckeyes will be losing a ton of defenders, including safety Caleb Downs, linebacker Arvell Reese, and linebacker Sonny Styles. This is a large reason why the Ducks are likely ahead of them in the odds and are more favorable to make the playoffs.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
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