Welcome to Glass Slipper! I could watch Chandler Simpson run all day long; please enjoy the show.

- Jacob Rhee

I recently unveiled the 13 college football teams that have a chance of winning the national title. It’s time we break down each of those squads. Let’s discuss the Oregon Ducks, who sit at No. 9.

Offense

There are many folks who like to claim that Dante Moore quit towards the end of his stint at UCLA. That is complete and utter garbage. I was right there in Westwood; it was an 18-year-old kid that was shoved into the limelight far before he was ready, while trudging through a brutal stretch in his personal life. We can forgive him for losing to Cal in front of a half-empty Rose Bowl.

That said, I’m not really understanding the Heisman hype. Moore displayed plenty of on-field red flags as a true freshman, and we have zero clue if those have been corrected. He’s attempted eight passes in the past 603 days, after all. The former five-star certainly possesses a superstar ceiling, but we’ve never once seen him flash it against a good team. I’ll wait for some evidence before putting him in New York for the ceremony.

The Evan Stewart injury crushed my soul. This was going to be the autumn in which he finally blossomed into a Garrett Wilson clone, and now he’ll have to come back for a fifth season of college ball. Perhaps this is a toasty take, but I think Evan eventually reaches nine figures in career NFL earnings. My trusty eye test tells me he’s that special.

Dakorien Moore is tasked with filling the WR1 void, and his high-school tape indicates that he’s ready.

The stop-and-start stuff is ridiculous. Those instincts after the catch are special. Make it look that easy in Texas Class 6A, and you’ve earned the flowers. I’m a big fan of Kenyon Sadiq, as well. There’s nothing like a big target with soft hands to help out a young quarterback; I could see him barging into Mackey Award contention.

It’s no surprise that the Ducks have put together a fantastic group up front. Isaiah World was the best non-QB in the portal, and I sincerely wish he was wearing Scarlet and Gray. Oregon got four offensive linemen on the all-conference team a year ago, and it’ll match that number in 2025. All of this is fantastic news for Makhi Hughes, who is the only returning player in America to top 2,700 total rushing yards over the past two seasons. The former Tulane superstar will be staring at some inviting creases.

Defense

Bear Alexander - a national champion back in the day - has twice jumped ship over playing time. Now he’s with the coach that originally recruited him to Georgia, and possesses a clear starting role for an awesome program. If he’s not fully bought-in, I’m not sure it’s ever happening.

As long as Bear is invested, the defensive line remains in a good spot. Matayo Uiagalelei is coming off a 10.5-sack campaign, and a repeat performance might make him the top edge rusher on 2026 draft boards. Teitum Tuioti steps into a starting role after serving as an overqualified reserve.

Devon Jackson is among the most underrated dudes in the sport. Catch him on the right series, and he literally looks like Roquan Smith 2.0. He’ll run it back with his outstanding partner Bryce Boettcher, who pushed aside his MLB dreams for one last run. Providing elite linebacker play while simultaneously weakening the Astros’ farm system? Well done on all fronts, young man.

If Texas Tech won the transfer windows, I could make an argument that the Ducks came in second. Oregon allowed Jeremiah Smith to tally 187 receiving yards in the Rose Bowl, then lost all four of its starting defensive backs; needless to say, the secondary felt like a potential fatal flaw. That’s not the case anymore. Dan Lanning reeled in Dillon Thieneman from Purdue, arguably the second-best safety in the country. He then went and grabbed Northwestern’s rock-solid corner, Theran Johnson. Suddenly, this is a crew that can hold its own against anyone. The Ducks have reloaded.

Season Outlook

Pre-Bowl Record Prediction: 11-1

Selection Sunday Fan Mood: I… I think we’re really good? We haven’t been seriously tested in 10 weeks, so I guess I don’t know for sure. We better get a more favorable quarterfinal matchup this time around. I don’t want to think about New Year’s Day 2025 ever again.

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