Out with one season, in with another. The 2025 college football campaign is officially in the rearview mirror for every program not named Indiana Hoosiers. As confetti settles on the Hoosiers’ historic championship run, attention across the country has already shifted to 2026, and to the teams hoping to replicate their magical formula.
According to one prominent analyst, the program best positioned to do exactly that is the Oregon Ducks.
Analyst Tabs Oregon Ducks as Early 2026 Title Favorite After Indiana Hoosiers’ Historic Run
PFSN analyst Joe Broback released his early Top 25 power rankings and teams-to-watch list for the 2026 season, and he placed the Ducks squarely at No. 1. Broback’s reasoning mirrors what made the Hoosiers so dangerous a season ago: experience, continuity, and a roster built to win now.
“Dan Lanning’s squad may be the most experienced group going into 2026,” Broback wrote. “The return of Dante Moore puts the Ducks on track to compete for a title. The offense, led by a young core, returns multiple key players from a team that made it back to the College Football Playoff.”
That experience stands out immediately. The Ducks bring back a significant portion of its starting lineup from a playoff team, including quarterback Dante Moore, whose decision to return to school rather than declare for the NFL sent a clear message about unfinished business in Eugene.
Moore finished 2025 ranked 22nd in PFSN’s CFB Impact Grades among quarterbacks and spent much of the season as the QB2 on PFSN’s consensus Big Board. His return gives the Ducks stability at the most important position on the field.
Ducks’ Biggest Obstacle in 2026 is Coaching Turnover
However, the Ducks’ road to a championship won’t be without challenges. The Ducks lost both their offensive and defensive coordinators to head coaching jobs this offseason, a turnover that shouldn’t be brushed aside.
Losing one coordinator can often be absorbed, especially under a head coach like Lanning, who can lean into his strengths. Losing both at the same time, though, creates a steeper learning curve and introduces early-season uncertainty on both sides of the ball.
Still, expectations remain sky-high. The Ducks finished inside the top 15 of PFSN’s CFB Impact Grades on both offense and defense last season, and there’s little reason to expect a major drop-off given Lanning’s track record and recruiting prowess. Continuity among the players themselves should help smooth the transition as the new coordinators settle in.
Defensively, the Ducks look particularly primed to take a step forward. The Ducks return their top two edge rushers from 2025 and made a major splash in the transfer portal by adding safety Koi Perich, one of the top defensive backs available. That combination of proven pass rush and upgraded back-end support could elevate an already strong unit into one of the nation’s best.
Championship Paths Run Through Indiana
There’s also an emotional edge fueling the Ducks’ offseason. Their new ghosts wear crimson and cream. The Hoosiers handed them two painful losses in 2025, including one in the College Football Playoff, serving as the final hurdle the Ducks couldn’t clear. Rather than sulk, the Ducks responded the same way elite programs do: by reloading.
With a veteran roster, a motivated quarterback, and one of the best head coaches in the sport, the Ducks enter 2026 as a team both talented and hungry. The Hoosiers showed college football that experience, belief, and cohesion can still win championships in the modern era. If Joe Broback is right, the Ducks may be next in line to prove it.
