Oregon welcomed itself into the Big Ten on Saturday afternoon, but their first game as a new conference member didn’t go well.
The Ducks hosted Idaho and only won the game 24-14 and needed a late touchdown to pull away in the fourth quarter.
Oregon was expected to win the game by at least 40 points, and winning the contest by only ten was not a good look for the program.
ESPN noticed Oregon’s struggles, and their FPI poll didn’t do them any favors on Sunday afternoon.
Oregon Falls In The ESPN FPI
ESPN released their FPI poll, which stands for Football Power Index, had the Ducks ranked at ten, dropping them eight spots from where they were ranked heading into Week One.
ESPN’s computer-generated FPI has updated after Week 1 Saturday of College Football📈📉https://t.co/uInPSUsU9q pic.twitter.com/rvCTrNCEr1
— On3 (@On3sports) September 1, 2024
Oregon was by far the worst team on the weekend among the top teams in the country who were playing lower-tier teams, but dropping them eight spots is sending them a message.
The Ducks are now the third-ranked Big Ten team, with Ohio State at number four after their win against Akron and Penn State at five after their win at West Virginia.
Oregon still is the second team to beat in the Big Ten this season, but their struggles against Idaho should call for a concern.
Head coach Dan Lanning and the program don’t get an easy test this weekend because they have to face Boise State, one of the best nonpower five teams in the county, and their star running back Ashton Jeanty, who rushed for six scores in Boise State’s 56-45 win against Georgia Southern.
