Oregon Ducks Chasing College Football History, Undefeated Season

Can the Oregon Ducks reach a perfect 16-0 overall record en route to a national championship? The Yale Bulldogs went 16-0 in 1984. There have been a handful of 15-0 programs in recent seasons like the 2023 Michigan Wolverines, 2022 Georgia Bulldogs, 2019 LSU Tigers, and 2018 Clemson Tigers.

Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning runs out for warmups against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images / Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Obviously, it's one game at a time for the Oregon Ducks with the rematch against the Big Ten Conference's Ohio State Buckeyes on the mind. The Rose Bowl matchup in Pasadena, California, on New Year's Day is set for Wednesday, Jan. 1 at 2 p.m. PT.

Looking farther ahead, the Ducks are chasing a 130-year-old record on top of winning their program's first national championship. The last time a FBS college football program went onto a perfect 16-0 overall record was the Yale Bulldogs in 1984. The North Dakota State Bison won an FCS title at 16-0 in 2019.

Four FBS teams have achieved a record of 15-0 plus a national championship: 2023 Michigan Wolverines, 2022 Georgia Bulldogs, 2019 LSU Tigers, and 2018 Clemson Tigers all being in recent years.

Michigan offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore picks up head coach Jim Harbaugh after they won the College Football Playoff national championship game against Washington at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas on Monday, January 8, 2024. / Melanie Maxwell / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Oregon coach Dan Lanning has stated many times before that he's staying focused on the next opponent for the Ducks and that's the Buckeyes. When discussing the College Football Playoff seeding, Lanning mentioned how incredible it is to be playing a great team like coach Ryan Day's Ohio State once again.

“Yeah, super excited, right? Getting the opportunity to play great teams, that’s what it’s about. And this part of the year, you know, I think when you play great teams, that gives you some extra motivation to go work really hard to be prepared and ready to be out there on the field. So obviously, Ohio State’s great team, and the path to the to the end is tough, which is, you know, exciting for our team, and certainly for me.”

- Oregon coach Dan Lanning

Oregon defensive end Jordan Burch tackles Washington running back Jonah Coleman as the No. 1 Oregon Ducks host the Washington Huskies Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

One major difference since the 32-21 victory over the Buckeyes at Autzen Stadium in Eugene back in October is that Oregon defensive end Jordan Burch wasn't available. The senior will be this time around which presents new problems for Ohio State's offensive line to deal with.

“Yeah, I think just in size and athleticism, God doesn’t make a lot of people that look like Jordan Burch. I mean, I think when people see him, they’re always surprised to hear that he’s almost 300 pounds because he looks really good at his size. But he plays like a beast on the field. I mean relentless effort. And the fact that we have great, great depth and several guys that can play edge positions for us allows us to make sure that when he’s on the field, he’s fresh, and a fresh Jordan Burch is really dangerous.”

- Oregon coach Dan Lanning

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