Kirk Herbstreit sends message about Oregon after Oklahoma State beat down

Douglas Santo

Kirk Herbstreit sends message about Oregon after Oklahoma State beat down image

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Oregon Ducks picked up a massive win this past weekend when they welcomed Oklahoma State to Eugene, and laid a beat down on the Cowboys. The Ducks ran the Cowboys out of town in a 69-3 victory.

The Big Ten has 14 of its 18 schools sitting at 2-0, five ranked in the associated press Top 25 rankings rankings, and three of the top four teams in the country.

In the latest AP Top 25 rankings, Oregon moved up to No. 4 behind two other Big Ten schools and LSU. However, one of the most prominent voices in college football still believes the Ducks aren't getting their flower yet in 2025.

Herbstreit Sends Message About Oregon Football

Oregon was ranked No. 7 in the country in the preseason AP Top 25 poll. The Ducks delivered in their season-opener with a 59-13 win against a lower opponent in Montana State and moved up to No. 6.

Then, Oregon made a statement with a whooping of Oklahoma State on Saturday, and moved up two spots to No. 4. The Ducks have looked like one of the best teams in the country through the first couple of weeks, but college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit still thinks people aren't paying enough attention to head coach Dan Lanning's squad.

"It feels like no one is talking about Oregon this year," Herbstreit said, while calling Michigan's game against Oklahoma (h/t SI.com). "It's like they're taking the year off. People need to remember that they're playing ball up there in Eugene."

While the Ducks have looked incredible to start 2025, many didn't quite believe they'd be national championship contenders just yet because of the talent they lost this offseason.

Oregon set a program-record with 10 draft picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, including quarterback Dillon Gabriel, defensive end Derrick Harmon, offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. and leading receiver Tez Johnson.

The Ducks are extremely young in 2025, headline by sophomore quarterback Dante Moore. However, Oregon's youth has looked electric through the first two games.

Oregon's first Big Ten test will come this week against Northwestern before they head to Happy Valley in three weeks to face No. 2 Penn State.

Douglas Santo

Douglas Santo is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. As a senior at Arizona State University, he will complete his B.A. in sports journalism with a minor in business in December 2025. Before his time with Sporting News, Douglas covered the NFL and MLB for Athlon Sports and contributed as a digital reporter for Arizona PBS/Cronkite News. He is also the head of Sun Devil Daily, managing all content produced about Arizona State Sports.