Oregon Football No. 2 on Ranking of Wisconsin Opponents

The Ducks have their own challenges as they join the Big Ten Conference, but those new opponents are looking highly upon the Oregon football team. Wisconsin's best opponent in 2024 could be the Ducks.

Kaleb Henry | May 26, 2024

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks the field during the Oregon Ducks’ Spring Game Saturday, April 27. 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA

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The national outlook is high on Oregon football, no matter who the opponent is.

A recent story from The Athletic ranked all of new Big Ten Conference opponent Wisconsin's games for 2024. Oregon, as one would imagine, ranked right near the top.

The Ducks are No. 2 on the list. The Nov. 16 contest will be played at Camp Randall Stadium, one week before the Badgers head to Nebraska and the Ducks get an off week.

That game in Lincoln is No. 8 on the list.

Topping the list is Alabama. Wisconsin will host that game on Sept. 14, the same week Oregon heads to Corvallis.

The other Wisconsin matchups that Oregon is ahead of are Iowa, Minnesota, USC, Penn State, Northwestern, Purdue, Western Michigan, Rutgers, and South Dakota.

Even with the aura that has been Alabama, Oregon could be the best team Wisconsin faces this fall. Dan Lanning's squad is coming off of a 12-win season and a Fiesta Bowl win.

The matchup also bodes well for Oregon. Under Luke Fickell, Wisconsin has gone away from the ultra physical, ground and pound style of play they became known for. Fickell's offense from Cincinnati is much more pass heavy, a recipe for disaster against a Ducks defense that saw Pac-12 quarterbacks every week with those same intentions.

Oregon opens the 2024 season Aug. 31 against Idaho.

Published May 26, 2024|Modified May 26, 2024

KALEB HENRY

Kaleb Henry is an award-winning sports reporter, covering collegiate athletics since 2014 via radio, podcasting, and digital journalism. His experience with Big Ten Conference teams goes back more than a decade, including time covering programs such as the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Oregon Ducks, and USC Trojans.He has contributed to Sports Illustrated since 2021. Kaleb has won multiple awards for his sports coverage from the Nebraska Broadcasters Association and Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association. Prior to working in sports journalism, Kaleb was a Division I athlete on the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Track and Field team.