Kirk Herbstreit Keeps the Faith in College Football Powerhouse Amid Early Struggles

Considered the favorite out of the Big Ten this preseason, one college football contender already has one very concerning loss heading into a ranked conference matchup this weekend.

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Coming into the preseason, there was one apparently consensus favorite team coming out of the Big Ten who almost everyone thought would be the next team to come from the conference and win the national championship in 2026.

But after just three games, already their season is in considerable doubt with one ugly loss on the books that playoff selectors won’t forget, and are headed into another major conference game against a ranked opponent on the road this weekend.

But fear not, Oregon. Kirk Herbstreit hasn’t lost faith in you.

Herbie: These Ducks Can Still Quack

“I still believe in Oregon. I’m writing off those first couple weeks. Dan [Lanning] maybe needed those games to get these guys to buy into how important it is to prepare no matter who you’re playing,” Herbstreit said on The Pat McAfee Show.

"I still believe in Oregon..

They're too good of a team to play the way that they did in the first two weeks..

I think this is the best team that Lincoln Riley has had at USC" ~ @KirkHerbstreit #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/wMsNHSNOE8

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 24, 2026

He added: “It reeked of individuality and not respecting your opponent, and they’re too good to play that way. I’m hoping those two games were a wake-up call. We can’t go by anything that they did against Portland State. This is the week we find out.”

What Oregon Finds Out Against USC

One of a half dozen games with ranked teams on both sides of the field this weekend, Oregon and USC face off at the Coliseum in a Big Ten matchup loaded with serious postseason implications already before the end of September.

Playoff evaluators will want to see how the Ducks – who played close against Boise State and then lost at Oklahoma State, both unranked opponents – and their star-powered defense fare against an offense of the Trojans’ caliber.

And they’ll be watching with equal interest at how USC’s defense, long the anchor holding down Lincoln Riley’s rebuild from the start, will perform opposite a cadre of elite Oregon skill players. It struggled at times in a victory at winless Rutgers a week ago.

Someone is going to be very disappointed coming out of the Coliseum. The bookmakers suggest it will be USC, which is a field goal underdog at home.

What a Loss Means for Oregon

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Lanning’s squad already dropped that early non-conference game, and falling to 2-2 against a ranked Big Ten opponent would leave the Ducks with absolutely no margin for error when facing a tough conference schedule the rest of the way.

A second loss in September would put them on the absolute brink of College Football Playoff elimination, turning their remaining slate into a near-perfect must-win run.

What It Means for USC

Riley’s team is 4-0 but faces its first real test of the season. A win over a traditional heavyweight like Oregon validates the fast start and cements their status as legitimate Big Ten and playoff hopefuls.

A loss wouldn’t mathematically kill a 4-1 Southern Cal by a long shot this early, but it revives yet more heavy pressure and more vocal doubts regarding their ceiling with the very well compensated Riley on the sideline.

Herbie Still Backs the Ducks

“I still think Oregon can be the team that some people would say has the most talented roster, not just because what they paid, but just looking at them, they have a very talented roster. But can they come together and be a team?” Herbstreit said.

“They’ve not shown that yet. And they’ll have to, to win that game.”