Oregon has had great success in the Rose Bowl in recent history, winning each of their past three appearances. On New Year’s Day, Oregon will have the chance to win its fourth Rose Bowl Game since 2011.
The Ducks are the number one ranked team in the country with a perfect 13-0 record. They won the Big Ten title in their first season as a conference member.
They have a quarterback who has accounted for 186 career touchdowns (NCAA record), a running back who gained 1,253 yards and scored 15 touchdowns on the ground, and two wide receivers who will likely be selected during the first two days of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Oh yeah, they have a top-ten total defensive ranking in the country.
No one should doubt the Ducks. Still, they enter their Rose Bowl matchup against the Ohio State Buckeyes as underdogs, a team they have already beaten this season.
“It doesn’t matter,” said wide receiver Tez Johnson. “Nobody believed in us in the first place, so why believe in us now? We don’t care. Underdogs, even though we are number one. It doesn’t matter. We go 1-0 each week.”
Despite being one of the top college football programs since the turn of the century, Oregon has never won a national championship. They have lost both times they reached the national title game (2010 and 2014) and will always be viewed as a good team, not a great one until they win.
Suppose the Ducks were to break through this year as a championship program. In that case, they might start to be viewed in the same class as powerhouses like Georgia, Alabama, Michigan, and Ohio State, to name a few. Until then, they are in the tier below.
Business from here on out. @OhioStateFB | @oregonfootball pic.twitter.com/hyF4YP3h6b
— Rose Bowl Game (@rosebowlgame) December 31, 2024
“We are not concerned about outside noise. I would say ultimately you gotta go play the games, and that is something we are excited about,” said head coach Dan Lanning.
In terms of removing the national championship monkey from their back, Lanning’s response was, “I am not there yet. I am focused on this game.”
Oregon must first get past an Ohio State team that is coming off a 42-17 win over Tennessee in the first round of the College Football Playoff. Potentially, two more games against excellent teams will be their reward. It is the toughest path to a national championship yet, but a path this Ducks team can overcome.
Rose ready. @rosebowlgame x @oregonfootball #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/HHWjS0sF8g
— GoDucks (@GoDucks) December 30, 2024
“Wherever your feet are is what is most important,” said quarterback Dillon Gabriel. “You appreciate the big environments, the small ones, and everything in between; they all help build you into who you are, so you have to appreciate all that.”
Gabriel transferred to Oregon this past offseason after spending three years as a starter for Central Florida and two for Oklahoma. He has excelled during every step of his career and has more experience under center than any quarterback in college football history, with a record 62 starts under his belt.
He finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting and was named the Big Ten Most Valuable Player, Offensive Player of the Year, and Quarterback of the Year.
If anyone can get the Ducks over the hump, it is Dillon Gabriel.
Lead Image Photo: The Oregon Ducks defeated the UCLA Bruins 34-13 in a Big Ten Conference college football game at the Rose Bowl on Sept. 28, 2024. Photo credit: Carlos Jones/News4usonline

Benjamin Verbrugge is a reporter for News4usonline who studied journalism at CSU Dominguez Hills. “Sports have brought me much joy throughout my life, and I want to give a little back to something that has meant so much to me.” Email Benjamin at benverbrugge8@gmail.com.
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