Oregon spring game will provide first look at Ducks team chasing history in Year 1 as Big Ten member

Oregon spring practice ahead of the 2024 season reaches its conclusion with the annual spring game taking center stage on Saturday in Autzen Stadium. The game serves as the final public football event for the Ducks as members of the Pac-12 with an official move to the Big Ten on the horizon in July. So, while there’s plenty of conversation and speculation about the depth chart, development of young stars and how the portal additions have acclimated to the team, there’s a march larger point of intrigue considering where Oregon sits in the national picture heading into this season. 

Is this is a team that can do what hasn’t been done in the modern era and win a power conference during its first year in the league? 

Recent history would say no. 

Since 2010, which we’re marking as the starting point for this modern era of conference realignment, the high-water mark for Year 1 in a new power conference is Texas A&M going 6-2 in SEC (2012). Powered by Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel, the Aggies were a force that took the league by surprise immediately and sparked conference-wide adjustments. Despite a head-to-head win over Alabama that season, Texas A&M finished second to the Crimson Tide in the SEC West. 

Nebraska went 5-3 in conference play during its first season in the Big Ten (2011), making a statement with wins over Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan State, but the Cornhuskers ultimately finished two games out of first place in the Legends Division.

Louisville compiled a 5-3 conference record in its first year of ACC play (2014), but finished third in the division behind Florida State and Clemson.

Of the 16 examples highlighting a program making its power-conference debut since 2010, none have played for a conference championship and only those three (2012 Texas A&M, 2011 Nebraska and 2014 Louisville) even finished with a winning record in league play. 

But what we have with Oregon already feels different because the Ducks aren’t moving up in competition as much as they are pushing other Big Ten teams down with their impending arrival. This isn’t a program that’s agreed to “take the checks and take the losses” with a move up in competition as Oregon views itself in a way that many Big Ten schools don’t at this point in time: a program that competes for national championships. 

Since the hire of Dan Lanning, Oregon has adopted his top-to-bottom vision of…