No. 7 Oregon moved closer to a second straight College Football Playoff berth with a 42-27 win over No. 15 USC on Saturday.
Noah Whittington put the game away with 5:30 to go on a 9-yard touchdown run. The Ducks put USC away after the Trojans briefly cut Oregon's lead to a single possession in the fourth quarter.
Noah Whittington finds the end zone on Senior Day to extend Oregon's lead 🦆#GoDucksx@TheLegitMprpic.twitter.com/otzv45Hosx
— Oregon Football (@oregonfootball)November 23, 2025
However, it always felt like Oregon had the game in hand after halftime. That was thanks to 14 straight points in the second quarter and a 28-14 halftime lead.
Oregon (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten) went up two touchdowns on a 1-yard run by linebacker Bryce Boettcher on a direct snap. Boettcher's TD came after Oregon was forced to attempt a field goal earlier in the drive — a kick from Atticus Sappington that bounced off the upright and fell into the end zone. But USC was penalized for leaping on the play and the Ducks scored three plays later.
USC (8-3, 5-3) had the chance to cut into the lead before halftime and got to Oregon's 8-yard line with less than a minute to go. But the Trojans ended up losing two yards and Ryon Sayeri's 27-yard field goal bounced off the upright.
Whittington finished the game with 19 attempts for 104 yards as QB Dante Moore was 22-of-30 passing for 257 yards with two scores and an interception. Both of those touchdowns went to tight end Kenyon Sadiq, who had six catches for 72 yards.
What a throw. What a catch.Second@dantemoore05to@KenyonSadiqTD connection of the day makes it 35-21, Ducks.#GoDuckspic.twitter.com/ijm7QhEqiH
— Oregon Football (@oregonfootball)November 22, 2025
WR Malik Benson — stepping up in the absence of Dakorien Moore, Gary Bryant Jr. and Evan Stewart — had four catches for 67 yards and also returned a punt 85 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter.
Boettcher also led the Ducks with 13 tackles after scoring his first offensive TD.
Is Oregon in the CFP even with a loss?
The Ducks travel to Washington in Week 14 and are very well-positioned for a home playoff game with a victory. And it's possible that Oregon could even weather a loss to the Huskies and still make the playoff. Though that would guarantee a road trip in the first round.
There's still a path for Oregon to get to the Big Ten title game and have a chance at a first-round bye, however. If Michigan beats Ohio State in Week 14, the Ducks could get in via a three-way tie with Michigan and Ohio State, assuming Indiana beats Purdue.
Oregon hadn't been treated favorably compared to other one-loss teams by the committee in the early sets of College Football Playoff rankings thanks to a lack of ranked wins. While the Ducks did get a massive win — at the time, anyway — over Penn State on the road, the Nittany Lions went into a tailspin after that game. Wins over Iowa and USC, however, have helped strengthen Oregon's playoff case.
USC, meanwhile, can still get to its second 10-win season under coach Lincoln Riley with a win over UCLA and a win in a bowl game. But the playoff is now out of reach, as the Trojans haven't won a road game against a ranked opponent outside the city of Los Angeles since 2019. Oregon, conversely, has now won at least 10 games in five straight seasons.