Oregon
National Championship Betting Odds After Oregon’s Win Over James Madison
The No. 5 Oregon Ducks defeated the No. 12 James Madison Dukes 51-34 in their first-round College Football Playoff matchup on Saturday night at Autzen Stadium. With the win, the Ducks secured their first playoff victory since 2014 and are one of the eight remaining teams with a shot at the national championship. Oregon is looking to secure its first in school history and give generations of Ducks fans a memory that will last a lifetime.
Following the first-round win over James Madison, the Ducks’ national championship odds remained the same. Entering Saturday night’s playoff matchup, Oregon had the fourth-best odds to win the national championship at +800, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
With the win over James Madison, Oregon still ranks No. 4 in national championship odds at +800. No. 2 Ohio State (+180), No. 1 Indiana (+320), and No. 3 Georgia (+500) are the three teams ahead of the Ducks in odds to win the national championship. The Ducks are tied with their quarterfinal opponent, the No. 4 Texas Tech Red Raiders, at +800.
Oregon’s Dominating Offensive Performance vs. James Madison
Oregon’s offense was red-hot from its opening drive as the Ducks became the first team in CFP history to score a touchdown on its first five offensive possessions. The Ducks had a 34-6 lead heading into halftime with quarterback Dante Moore throwing for 211 yards and recording four total touchdowns, and one interception on 11-of-14 passing in the first half. Moore finished the game throwing for 313 yards, four touchdown passes, and two interceptions on 19-of-27 passing.
Three different Oregon receivers collected touchdowns in the win over James Madison, including Malik Benson, Jeremiah McClellan, and Jamari Johnson. Benson led the Ducks in receiving in the win with five receptions, 119 yards, and two touchdowns.
Oregon running back Jordon Davison led the Ducks in rushing with 10 carries for 90 yards. Dierre Hill Jr. also collected a rushing touchdown, along with six carries for 76 yards in the win. In his first game back from injury, running back Jayden Limar returned a blocked punt for a touchdown.
Concerns On Defense For Oregon?
James Madison’s offense found success in certain moments of the game against Oregon. The Dukes’ first two offensive possessions of the game challenged Oregon’s defense. Two holding penalties led to a blocked field goal on a promising drive for the Dukes, which stalled their offensive momentum in the first half.
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The Dukes scored four touchdowns in the second half, with wide receivers Nick DeGennaro and George Pettaway recording touchdown receptions. Tight end Lacota Dippre and quarterback Alonza Barnett III both recorded rushing touchdowns. James Madison had 509 total yards of offense against Oregon’s defense, compared to the Ducks’ 514.
Despite the win and the Ducks taking out most of their defensive starters in the second half, some fans may walk away disappointed with how Oregon performed defensively during multiple drives in the game. A poor defensive performance won’t cut it if Oregon hopes to make a run at the national championship.
Early Orange Bowl Preview vs. Texas Tech
With the win, Oregon advances to the CFP Quarterfinal, where they’ll face off against the No. 4 Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1. The kickoff from Hard Rock Stadium in Miami is scheduled for 9 a.m. PT on ESPN
The Orange Bowl matchup between the Ducks and the Red Raiders will be the fourth all-time meeting and the first since Oregon defeated Texas Tech 38-30 in Lubbock in 2023. Oregon leads the all-time series 3-0 against Texas Tech.
Defense will be a massive key in the Orange Bowl, as the Ducks and Red Raiders have two of the best defenses in college football. Whoever makes the most game-changing plays on defense will likely advance to the CFP Semifinal at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia, on Jan. 9.
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BLUE RIVER, Ore. (KATU) — 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.
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.”
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.
“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.”
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.
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
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.
More About Darius Johnson
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.
What If He Committed to Oregon Today?
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.
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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