Oregon has opened the season with two commanding home wins. Both games the Ducks were favored in, but the style in which they won made a statement.
Oregon was ranked No. 7 in the preseason associated press Top 25 rankings, but it felt like no one was really talking about them. However, two weeks into the season, the Ducks have reach No. 4 in the country, and are starting to get their recognition.
Fox Sports' college football analyst Joel Klatt even went to the level of putting the Ducks as his favorite to win the national championship this season during the Joel Klatt Show on Wednesday.
Joel Klatt Believes It's Oregon's Year
Oregon has a very young team in 2025, and that's the main reason the Ducks haven't been talked about as much this season. However, after watching their first two games, Klatt is a believer.
"Everybody knows this team is great, and generally speaking, they get their flowers, but do they really? I’m talking about Oregon, " Klatt said. "Oregon is a legitimate national title contender. It was pretty obvious very early to me that I was like, 'They are built exactly how you would build a team to win the national championship.'"
Klatt and Gus Johnson will call Oregon's game at Northwestern on Saturday, so Klatt has been watching the Ducks film this week.
"This is a better version of Oregon from a year ago. This is a version of Oregon that reminds me a lot of Michigan from two years ago, and Ohio State last year," Klatt said. "This is absolutely a team that can win it all."
Oregon's offense has put up 128 points across the first two weeks and its defense has given up 16 points. The Ducks week 1 win over Montana State was expected, but their week 2 beatdown of Oklahoma State was a statement.
Highest-graded college football defenses from Week 2, according to our College Defense Impact metric:
— PFSN College (@PFSNcollege) September 10, 2025
🔒 Minnesota - 96.3
🔒 Auburn - 95.0
🔒 Utah - 91.9
🔒 Cal - 91.3
🔒 Oregon - 90.9
🔒 UCF - 90.0
🔒 BYU - 89.4
🔒 Florida State - 89.3
🔒 Arizona - 89.1
🔒 Alabama - 89.0 pic.twitter.com/F3uOmBxlxC
Oregon has four guys along its defensive line who are at least 6-foot-3, 300 pounds, and have allowed 188 total rushing yards through the first two weeks.
"I believe they are built with power on the line of scrimmage, both sides, speed on the outside," Klatt said. "I'm big on blueprints, and you've got to have experienced guys at the right spots, and then you better have a defense that can finish in the top, really three in the country, and total defense and scoring defense.
"To do that, you have to have a unique combination of power in the middle to stop the run, ferocity on the edge to rush the quarterback, speed at the second level to be hybrid against everything an offense does, and then enough in the back end where you can be multiple in your coverage, which is what we saw from Ohio State against Texas."
Oregon has demonstrated all the qualities needed to be a national championship favorite so far in 2025. Klatt believes the Ducks have looked just as good this year as the last couple national champions.
Highest Graded True Freshman WR This Season:
— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 10, 2025
🦆 Dakorien Moore, Oregon: 83.8@oregonfootball pic.twitter.com/M611nPuj0r
"This is a better version of Oregon from a year ago. This is a version of Oregon that reminds me a lot of Michigan from two years ago, and Ohio State last year," Klatt said. "This is absolutely a team that can win it all."
The Ducks will have their first Big Ten test this weekend against Northwestern, and Klatt will be in the booth for the game. But, at this point, the Fox Sports analyst has Oregon reaching the top of college football in 2025.
"I’m just telling you guys right now, Oregon might win it all," Klatt said. "And I don’t think anybody is talking about that. All due respect to Ohio State, who beat Texas. … Of the teams that I have watched on film, this is the best team.”