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No. 9 Oregon can’t afford any slip-ups now.
The Ducks (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten) enter the final stretch of the regular season needing to win out to stay alive. A crucial stop on Saturday at Iowa could be make or break. This is where ranked teams often stumble, especially in the last month of the season.
Oregon is ranked No. 6 in the AP Poll, but ninth in the first CFP rankings this week. The committee shows a 30-20 home loss to Indiana pushed the Ducks back significantly.
Iowa (6-2, 4-1 Big Ten), meanwhile, sits at No. 20 in the CFP rankings after three straight victories. The Hawkeyes have four home wins over top ten opponents in the past nine years. That stat speaks to the consistency under Kirk Ferentz, who's currently the longest tenured coach in the nation.
Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, who exited the Wisconsin game with a bloody nose, practiced fully over the bye week and will start. Both teams are used to subpar weather and Saturday’s forecast is calling for rain with temperatures in the 40s.
Ducks coach Dan Lanning said Iowa’s defense and special teams pose major threats, calling Hawkeye returner Kaden Wetjen “the best in the country.”
“This team is not getting near enough credit for the team they are,” Lanning said.
Iowa’s 4-1 Big Ten start is its best since 2015, and the Hawkeyes are bowl-eligible for a 13th consecutive season under Ferentz.
Oregon’s last visit to Kinnick Stadium came in 1989, a 44-6 win that some call the beginning of Oregon’s modern rise. The Ducks have come a long way since then.
Iowa hosts Oregon in a Big Ten affair on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS).
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