The Oregon Ducks come in to the College Football Playoff as the No. 5 seed, and though the Ducks do not have a first round bye this time around, everyone knows they're one of the best teams in the country.
Dan Lanning's squad has the look of a national championship contender, with a star signal-caller in Dante Moore, plenty of talent to surround him and a team that ranks top-10 nationally in both total offense and total defense.
The Ducks have made a seamless, impressive transition into the Big Ten Conference, finishing the 2025 regular season with an 11-1 record and a strong 8-1 mark in conference play; their only loss came at the hands of the No. 1 overall seed Indiana. Last year, Oregon went 13-1 in their first Big Ten season, winning the conference title game and earning the No. 1 seed in the inaugural 12-team CFP, only to suffer a crushing 41-21 loss to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl Quarterfinal.
That devastating playoff heartbreak has served as a driving force for the entire 2025 season, making this year's trip a mission for redemption. It starts with hosting the No. 12 James Madison Dukes at Autzen Stadium. The Dukes finished off a 12-1 season with a win over Troy in the Sun Belt championship.
On Saturday, Oregon has an opportunity to take a first step towards exorcising those postseason demons and prove their dominance to the CFP committee. If they are able to get by James Madison, a formidable opponent waits for them in the Sunshine State.
Here's who Oregon or James Madison will play next.
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Who will Oregon or James Madison play next?
Awaiting the winner of Saturday's game in Eugene is No. 4 Texas Tech, the Big 12 champion. Oregon or James Madison will play the Red Raiders in the Orange Bowl on New Year's Day.
Joey McGuire's team capped off a historic season that saw them win their first ever Big 12 championship, when the Red Raiders dominated BYU for the second time in a month. Texas Tech finished the season 12-1, securing a critical first-round bye and earning the right to host the Orange Bowl Quarterfinal in Miami.
This championship is the culmination of a meteoric rise under McGuire, marking the program's first outright conference title since 1955. The Red Raiders were the most dominant two-way team in their league, finishing No. 1 in the Big 12 in both total offense and total defense, a feat that highlights their completeness. Their 12 wins are a program record, and they did it with exceptional consistency, as all 12 regular-season victories (including the Big 12 Championship Game) were won by a margin of more than three touchdowns.
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The Red Raiders' defense has been particularly stifling, allowing just 10.9 points per game on the season, making them one of the top defensive units in the entire country. There are superstars across the unit, mainly Butkus Award winner Jacob Rodriguez and David Bailey, who is second in all of college football in sacks. Whether it's Will Stein's Oregon offense or James Madison's top-ranked Sun Belt unit, it will have a tough test on New Year's Day.
YOUR TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS ARE BIG 12 CHAMPIONS! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/6q2FAsbkcY
— Texas Tech Football (@TexasTechFB) December 6, 2025
Texas Tech will have approximately three weeks of rest and preparation before taking the field on New Year's Day to face either the explosive Ducks or the upset-minded Dukes, putting Joey McGuire's team in a position to cement their claim as a true national championship contender.
If Oregon does get by James Madison, there will surely be fireworks at the Orange Bowl — which will also be the site of the national championship game — between two teams that can raise the trophy on Jan. 19.
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