An early look at the Oregon Ducks’ 2024 football schedule
It’s been a few weeks since the Oregon Ducks’ 2023 season officially came to an end with the blowout win over the Liberty Flames in the Fiesta Bowl, and a lot has happened since then.
Whether it was players announcing their return, transfer portal targets picking Eugene, or head coach Dan Lanning publicly turning down the Alabama Crimson Tide job, it’s been an eventful month for Oregon Duck fans. It’s almost hard to believe that the Fiesta Bowl was only 20 days ago, isn’t it?
Among all of the things that have taken place for the Ducks over these past few weeks, it’s fair to saw that there is a huge sense of optimism going into the future. Oregon is ranked as one of the top teams in the nation going into 2024, and there is a real belief that they have a roster worthy of competing for a national championship.
One reason for optimism entering 2024 is the schedule that the Ducks will play. With it being their first year in the new expanded Big Ten, a number of teams will offer new challenges and fresh faces, but there should be reason to believe that the Ducks are among the favorites to win the conference in their first year as members.
So how do things shape up for the Ducks entering 2024? It’s still early, and there are a lot of developments still to take place between now and August, but here is an initial look.
August 24: at Hawaii
Location: Aloha Stadium (Manoa, HA)
Series Record: Oregon leads the series 5-3
Analysis
There is some current speculation as to whether or not this game gets played or not, due to some scheduling issues for Hawaii. However, if it does end up happening, it should be a blowout win for the Ducks, who trounced Hawaii to the tune of a 55-10 beatdown this past season.
August 31: vs. Idaho
Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports
Location: Autzen Stadium (Eugene, OR)
Series Record: Oregon leads the series 52-3-4
Analysis
Oregon and Idaho have not played for quite a while, but I don’t expect there to be much drama in this one, other than Oregon fans getting their first chance to see all of the new additions to the team at home for the first time.
September 7: vs. Boise State
(Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
Location: Autzen Stadium (Eugene, OR)
Series Record: Boise State leads the series 3-0
Analysis
Boise State has been an underrated rival for the Ducks over the past couple of decades, routinely getting the better of Oregon with a 3-0 record. This presents a great opportunity for the Ducks to finally get a check in the win column against the Broncos, as they will be the far more talented team, though Boise State will be bringing former USC QB Malachi Nelson to the party this time.
September 14: at Oregon State
(Photo by Tom Hauck/Getty Images)
Location: Reser Stadium (Corvallis, OR)
Series Record: Oregon leads the series 68-49-10
Analysis
It certainly will feel weird to have this game being played in early September rather than late November, as the two teams meet as non-conference foes for the first time in history. The Beavers have been decimated over the past two months after former head coach Jonathan Smith left for Michigan State, so it’s hard to imagine that this will be much of a game, in reality.
September 21: Bye Week
Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports
This is a pretty early bye week, but it is that way because of the scheduling, and Oregon playing in Week 0 against Hawaii. Should that game not end up happening, we will see what happens during this week.
September 28: at UCLA
(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Location: Rose Bowl (Pasadena, CA)
Series Record: UCLA leads the series 39-32
Analysis
Oregon’s first-ever Big Ten game will come against a familiar foe as the Ducks will travel down to the Rose Bowl to face UCLA. With the uncertainty surrounding both the coaching staff and the roster for the Bruins, I think this should be a game that Oregon can win relatively easily.
October 5: vs. Michigan State
Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
Location: Autzen Stadium (Eugene, OR)
Series Record: Oregon leads the series 4-3
Analysis
It will be fun to see Jonathan Smith back in Autzen Stadium, won’t it? The Spartans don’t exactly project to be at the top of the Big Ten conference, but if their coaching can improve, I don’t see a reason that Aidan Chiles can’t lead them to a solid season at the very least. This will be a fun game to watch, nonetheless.
October 12: vs. Ohio State
Location: Autzen Stadium (Eugene, OR)
Series Record: Ohio State leads the series 9-1
Analysis
Circle your calendars for this one. The showdown between Ohio State and Oregon, this time in Autzen Stadium, will be among the biggest games of the year, and will absolutely have both conference championship and College Football Playoff implications. At the moment, both teams are being ranked well inside the top 10 going into 2024, and there’s a good chance this is a top-5 matchup between undefeated teams when all is said and done.
October 19: at Purdue
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Location: Ross-Ade Stadium (West Lafayette, IND)
Series Record: Oregon leads the series 2-1
Analysis
Purdue is near the bottom of the rankings in the Big Ten going into 2024, so I don’t have high hopes that they will be able to give the Ducks a good game on the road in Indiana.
October 26: vs. Illinois
Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports
Location: Autzen Stadium (Eugene, OR)
Series Record: Oregon leads the series 2-1
Analysis
The same can be said for Illinois, who doesn’t project to be one of the even half-decent teams in the conference this year. It should be a nice reprieve for the Ducks, who are gearing up for their next opponent…
November 2: at Michigan
(Photo By Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Location: Michigan Stadium (Ann Arbor, MI)
Series Record: Michigan leads the series 3-2
Analysis
This is another game that needs to be circled for fans, both home and away. While it’s fair to question what Michigan will look like next year with some major players moving on, and potentially a new head coach at the helm, the Wolverines should still be one of the top teams in the Big Ten. It will be a tough game for the Ducks, especially on the road.
November 9: vs. Maryland
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Location: Autzen Stadium (Eugene, OR)
Series Record: No Previous Matchups
Analysis
Maryland was decent in 2023, but with the loss of their QB, I don’t know that they will be one of the top or middle teams in the conference next year, and they likely won’t bring a ton of upset potential to Eugene.
November 16: at Wisconsin
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Location: Camp Randall Stadium (Madison, WI)
Series Record: The series is tied at 3-3
Analysis
Oregon vs. Wisconsin has been an awesome rivalry, with some of the best games taking place in the Rose Bowl over the past couple of decades. Wisconsin should be pretty good next year, as well, with Tyler Van Dyke taking over and Luke Fickell in his second year coaching the team. This will be a tough game for the Ducks on the road.
November 23: Bye Week
Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
This last bye week is very well timed for Oregon, coming right before the showdown against the Washington Huskies, this time played in rivalry week. After that, there is the potential Big Ten Championship game as well, so it’s a great time for Oregon to get an off-week and rest up.
November 30: vs. Washington
(Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images)
Location: Autzen Stadium (Eugene, OR)
Series Record: Washington leads the series 63-48-5
Analysis
This Oregon vs. Washington showdown won’t quite hold the anticipation that we once thought, as the Huskies have seen their roster decimated via the transfer portal after coach Kalen DeBoer left them high and dry to take the Alabama job. In reality, this is a great chance for Dan Lanning to get his first win over Washington.
December 7: Big Ten Championship Game
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Looking far into the future, the Oregon Ducks seem to have a pretty good chance at making it to the Big Ten Championship game in their first year as members of the conference. It won’t be absolutely required that they make it in order to get into the playoff, but it certainly would be helpful.
