Oregon
Three Make-Or-Break Games To Contend for CFP
Can the Oregon football team control their playoff destiny with wins in three of the toughest games on the 2024 schedule?
There is no doubt the Ducks have the talent to be a contender for the Big Ten Conference championship. That said, there are three opponents that will have something to say about that, starting with Pac-12 conference rival turned Big Ten rival, Washington.
3. Washington Huskies travel to Autzen Stadium in Eugene on November 30
While there are other teams that may present a challenge to the Ducks, this matchup continues a rivalry from the old Pac-12 and is always a hard-fought game. Oregon has the advantage of a bye week before this game, giving the Ducks a chance to get healthy as they look to avenge two losses to the Huskies last year, including the Pac-12 championship game.
2. Oregon travels to Ann Arbor and the Big House on November 2nd to face the Michigan Wolverines
Michigan is coming off a tremendous 2023-2024 campaign as they went undefeated and bested Washington for the national championship. The Wolverines face the upcoming season with a new head coach, starting quarterback and running back with other assorted fresh faces on both sides of the ball. The question is, how fast can Michigan bring this team together so that they are playing with talent rather than relying on a storied culture of top-notch football.
1. The Ohio State Buckeyes travel to Autzen Stadium Eugene on October 12
The biggest game on the Ducks’ schedule is no surprise. It’s the game that could go a long way in determining a Big Ten champion. The Buckeyes have added significant talent this off-season through the transfer portal and success in recruiting high quality players.
If the talent matchup alone wasn’t enough, consider that former Duck coach, Chip Kelly, is the new offensive coordinator at Ohio State. Kelly will again walk the Oregon sideline. Suffice to say, Kelly will have some surprises for the Ducks and they will have some twists of their own for Kelly’s offense. These two teams have met 10 times, with Ohio State winning nine. Oregon looks to use the Autzen Stadium advantage to start a new rivalry with a Ducks’ victory.
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Oregon
Here’s why Oregon statehood falls on Valentine’s Day
It’s easy to remember the date when Oregon became a state because it shares it with Valentine’s Day.
Although it would have been sweet if the day was intentionally selected, it was not. That day in 1859 just happened to be when President James Buchanan signed the bill officially admitting Oregon as the 33rd state in the Union.
Oregon is the first state with a Feb. 14 anniversary of statehood. The event was celebrated at the Capitol Saturday with live music by the Oregon Old Time Fiddlers Association.
The group performed classic American folk songs and fiddle tunes such as “Bile ‘Em Cabbage Down,” also known as “Boil Them Cabbage Down.”
The earliest known printed version of the song appeared in 1878, meaning it was probably known by people on the Oregon Trail, said Cathy Yale, chairwoman of the Oregon Old Time Fiddlers Association’s District 8. There are 10 districts.
Musicians invited kids to a table to touch an old-fashioned cigar box guitar, autoharp, fiddle and mountain lap dulcimer.
People also had a chance to see the original Oregon Constitution protected in a glass case on view in the Capitol Galleria. The document will be returned to the Oregon State Archives.
For more on Oregon’s birthday, see Oregon-themed valentines created by OregonLive.com. The Peak Northwest podcast, celebrating Oregon’s birthday and beloved places in every part of this state, can be heard at OregonLive.com/podcasts.
Oregon
Oregon bill bars public bodies from helping privatize federal lands
What to know about the Oregon Senate and its leaders
There are 30 elected members in the Oregon Senate. Here’s what to know about the upper house of the state legislature.
Oregon legislators are considering a bill that would prohibit public bodies from spending resources to help sell or transfer federal public lands to private interests.
“National public lands belong to all Americans, including all Oregonians,” Fiona Noonan, of Central Oregon LandWatch, said at a hearing on the bill Feb. 2.
For years, some congressional leaders have sought to privatize federal public lands. The effort has gotten a boost under the Trump administration.
A draft federal budget bill released last summer proposed selling off thousands of acres of Oregon public lands, including Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service land. That provision was dropped from the bill.
Significant areas in Oregon, especially the areas around Mount Hood, have been targeted for privatization.
“This profiteering would eliminate public access and permanently degrade recreational experiences, local economies, and cultural and traditional uses throughout Oregon, and thwart long-term conservation management needed to sustain these resources for generations to come,” Ryan Houston, executive director of the Oregon Natural Desert Association, said in written testimony.
Senate Bill 1590 prohibits public bodies from using state or local funds, data, technology, equipment, personnel or other resources to help sell or transfer certain federal lands to private parties.
“Protecting Oregon’s federal land base, and the rivers that run through them, from privatization is vital to ensuring guaranteed public access for recreation, preservation of important wildlife habitats and ecosystems, maintenance of outdoor economies, and protection of cultural sites and clean water sources,” said Kimberley Priestley, of WaterWatch of Oregon.
The bill applies only to real property managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service or the National Park Service.
It contains multiple exemptions, including for property located within urban growth boundaries, surplus federal buildings, lands held in trust for, or transferred for the benefit of, a federally recognized tribe in Oregon or a tribal member, and transfers for infrastructure, utility or transportation purposes.
“It’s modeled after the sanctuary promise law that has long protected Oregonians from overbearing activity by the federal government,” said Sen. Anthony Broadman, D-Bend, the bill’s chief sponsor.
No one spoke against the bill at the hearing, although Sen. David Brock Smith, R-Port Orford, testified in favor of a gut-and-stuff amendment that would have replaced it with a bill requiring the Oregon Department of Forestry to make changes to the draft Western Oregon State Forests Habitat Conservation Plan.
The Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire voted Feb. 10 to send the bill to the Senate floor. It is not currently scheduled for further action.
Tracy Loew covers the environment at the Statesman Journal. Send comments, questions and tips: tloew@statesmanjournal.com or 503-399-6779. Follow her on X at @Tracy_Loew
Oregon
How to watch Penn State Nittany Lions: Live stream info, TV channel, game time | Feb. 14
The Oregon Ducks and Freddie Filione V will duke it out when the Ducks (8-16, 1-12 Big Ten) take on the Penn State Nittany Lions (11-14, 2-12 Big Ten) at Matthew Knight Arena on Saturday, Feb. 14 at 3 p.m. ET.
We provide more coverage below, including how to watch this game on BTN.
To prepare for this matchup, here’s what you need to get ready for Saturday’s college basketball action.
Oregon vs. Penn State: How to watch on TV or live stream
- Game day: Saturday, February 14, 2026
- Game time: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: Eugene, Oregon
- Arena: Matthew Knight Arena
- TV Channel: BTN
- Live stream: Fubo – Watch NOW (Regional restrictions may apply)
Check out: USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll
Watch college basketball on Fubo!
Oregon vs. Penn State stats and trends
- Penn State scores 75.6 points per game and allow 78.8, ranking them 193rd in the nation offensively and 310th on defense.
- On the glass, the Nittany Lions are second-worst in the nation in rebounds (26.9 per game). They are 174th in rebounds allowed (30.9 per game).
- Penn State is 271st in the nation in assists (12.8 per game) in 2025-26.
- In terms of turnovers, the Nittany Lions are 33rd in the country in committing them (9.4 per game). They are 163rd in forcing them (11.5 per game).
- Penn State makes 7.2 3-pointers per game and shoots 32.7% from beyond the arc, ranking 249th and 252nd, respectively, in the nation.
- In 2025-26 the Nittany Lions are 14th-worst in college basketball in 3-pointers conceded (9.6 per game) and -1-worst in defensive 3-point percentage (38.1%).
- In 2025-26, Penn State has attempted 38.1% percent of its shots from behind the 3-point line, and 61.9% percent from inside it. In terms of made shots, 26.7% of Penn State’s buckets have been 3-pointers, and 73.3% have been 2-pointers.
Oregon vs. Penn State Odds and Spread
- Spread Favorite: Ducks (-6.5)
- Moneyline: Oregon (-293), Penn State (+233)
- Total: 147.5 points
NCAA Basketball odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Friday at 9:21 p.m. ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub.
Watch college basketball on Fubo!
Follow the latest college sports coverage at College Sports Wire.
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