What happened: Dan Lanning's squad has stumbled through the first half of the 2026 regular season amid an offensive coordinator misfire, play-tipping alignments, and wide receiver attrition including Evan Stewart's mid-October injury absence against Nebraska. With starter Dante Moore sidelined for the remainder of the campaign and turning to NFL draft preparation, Dylan Raiola took over pregame work with center Poncho Laloulu for Saturday's Big Ten trip to Illinois.

Why it matters: The midseason stumble has derailed College Football Playoff hopes for the same Oregon program that rallied past Boise State on Dakorien Moore's late touchdown in early September. Dropping three of the first seven contests leaves the Ducks facing an uphill climb in Big Ten standings with a depleted passing attack.

What to watch: Oregon faces upcoming Big Ten matchups against Northwestern and Ohio State without Moore under center.