Thursday, January 1
Miami, Fla.
9:00 AM
University of Oregon
vs
Texas Tech
Photo by: Ian McFarland/UO Athletics
5 Things To Watch: Orange Bowl
12/31/25 | Football
The Ducks face Texas Tech in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal Thursday (9 a.m., ESPN).
MIAMI — Oregon is poised to make its Orange Bowl debut at Hard Rock Stadium, but if things go well it won't be long until the Ducks are back.
The No. 5 Ducks face No. 4 Texas Tech in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal game Thursday at 9 a.m. PT. The winning team will advance to a semifinal at the Peach Bowl, and keep alive its hopes of returning to Miami for the national championship game on Jan. 19.
Oregon brings a 12-1 record into the quarterfinal, after beating James Madison in a first-round playoff game to become the only team in the country that has 12 wins each of the past three seasons. The Red Raiders also are 12-1, having last played Dec. 6 when they beat Brigham Young in the Big 12 championship game.
The Ducks bring a seven-game win streak into the quarterfinals, their only loss coming Oct. 11 to No. 1 Indiana. Texas Tech has won six straight since a loss at Arizona State on Oct. 18.
Oregon leads the all-time series between the two 3-0, sweeping a home-and-home series in 1991-92 and winning at Texas Tech in 2023.
Thursday's game will be broadcast by ESPN, with Joe Tessitore providing play by play, Jesse Palmer adding analysis and both Katie George and Stormy Buonantony reporting from the sidelines.
Some storylines to watch when the game kicks off …
1. The Ducks are in the quarterfinals for the second year in a row, joining Ohio State and Georgia as the only teams to share that designation. But the month of December was much different for Oregon this time around.
A year ago Oregon played in and won the Big Ten title game to open December, then didn't take the field again until losing to the Buckeyes. This time, the Ducks took time to recharge and heal up after the regular season, then knocked off the rust by beating James Madison at home to open the playoff.
A fast start is among UO coach Dan Lanning's goals Thursday. Does having played in a first-round game make it more likely?
"Ultimately I think the best way to get good at football is playing football, and the best way to keep your rhythm is to continue to play," Lanning said. "So us having that game in a lot of ways helps us keep our process the same, our schedule the same."
2. Texas Tech boasts an elite defensive front, allowing just 2.30 yards per carry on the ground to lead the country. Oregon averages 5.90 yards per rush, second in the nation.
Will the Ducks be able to establish the run? A key will be whether the UO offensive line can play with the kind of cohesiveness it has displayed all season.
"They're truly like brothers in that room," Lanning said. "They love and care for each other. I think it's a great indicator of our success this season, and why that credit belongs to our O line."
3. Along with run defense, Texas Tech also leads the country in forced turnovers. The Red Raiders have 31 takeaways so far this season.
Can Oregon keep Texas Tech from padding that number, and can the Ducks themselves win the turnover battle?
"They do as good a job of anybody that we've played in attacking the ball," Lanning said. "We have to do a great job of protecting it. And then it's kind of a competition between our defense and their defense on who can create takeaways."
4. Oregon leads the country in plays of 20 yards or more with 91, and Texas Tech is tied for second with 90. The two defenses, meanwhile, have each allowed just 33 plays of 20 yards or more, tied for second in the country.
Can the Ducks win the battle of explosive plays? For the UO defense, dealing with Texas Tech's tempo could be a deciding factor.
"They're able to play with tempo, which will be a challenge at times," Lanning said. "That means you have to line up and get the play call in. Ultimately they're really efficient."
5. As Lanning said above, the best way to get better at football is to play football. Similarly, the best way to perform better in big games is to play in more big games.
For Oregon, this is three different New Year's Six games in the last three years. A one-sided win at the Fiesta Bowl two years ago was followed by a one-sided loss at the Rose Bowl a year ago; how will the Ducks perform on the big stage of the Orange Bowl this year?
"There's always pressure, and you want pressure," Lanning said. "We expect to go win this game; it's going to be tough because Texas Tech I promise expects to go win this game. But that's something you sign up for."
Lanning's message for his players given all that? Don't let the moment get too big.
"Go out there and execute the way you're meant to do," he said. "What you've shown us a million times in practice, let it show up on the field."
The No. 5 Ducks face No. 4 Texas Tech in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal game Thursday at 9 a.m. PT. The winning team will advance to a semifinal at the Peach Bowl, and keep alive its hopes of returning to Miami for the national championship game on Jan. 19.
Oregon brings a 12-1 record into the quarterfinal, after beating James Madison in a first-round playoff game to become the only team in the country that has 12 wins each of the past three seasons. The Red Raiders also are 12-1, having last played Dec. 6 when they beat Brigham Young in the Big 12 championship game.
The Ducks bring a seven-game win streak into the quarterfinals, their only loss coming Oct. 11 to No. 1 Indiana. Texas Tech has won six straight since a loss at Arizona State on Oct. 18.
Oregon leads the all-time series between the two 3-0, sweeping a home-and-home series in 1991-92 and winning at Texas Tech in 2023.
Thursday's game will be broadcast by ESPN, with Joe Tessitore providing play by play, Jesse Palmer adding analysis and both Katie George and Stormy Buonantony reporting from the sidelines.
Some storylines to watch when the game kicks off …
1. The Ducks are in the quarterfinals for the second year in a row, joining Ohio State and Georgia as the only teams to share that designation. But the month of December was much different for Oregon this time around.
A year ago Oregon played in and won the Big Ten title game to open December, then didn't take the field again until losing to the Buckeyes. This time, the Ducks took time to recharge and heal up after the regular season, then knocked off the rust by beating James Madison at home to open the playoff.
A fast start is among UO coach Dan Lanning's goals Thursday. Does having played in a first-round game make it more likely?
"Ultimately I think the best way to get good at football is playing football, and the best way to keep your rhythm is to continue to play," Lanning said. "So us having that game in a lot of ways helps us keep our process the same, our schedule the same."
2. Texas Tech boasts an elite defensive front, allowing just 2.30 yards per carry on the ground to lead the country. Oregon averages 5.90 yards per rush, second in the nation.
Will the Ducks be able to establish the run? A key will be whether the UO offensive line can play with the kind of cohesiveness it has displayed all season.
"They're truly like brothers in that room," Lanning said. "They love and care for each other. I think it's a great indicator of our success this season, and why that credit belongs to our O line."
3. Along with run defense, Texas Tech also leads the country in forced turnovers. The Red Raiders have 31 takeaways so far this season.
Can Oregon keep Texas Tech from padding that number, and can the Ducks themselves win the turnover battle?
"They do as good a job of anybody that we've played in attacking the ball," Lanning said. "We have to do a great job of protecting it. And then it's kind of a competition between our defense and their defense on who can create takeaways."
4. Oregon leads the country in plays of 20 yards or more with 91, and Texas Tech is tied for second with 90. The two defenses, meanwhile, have each allowed just 33 plays of 20 yards or more, tied for second in the country.
Can the Ducks win the battle of explosive plays? For the UO defense, dealing with Texas Tech's tempo could be a deciding factor.
"They're able to play with tempo, which will be a challenge at times," Lanning said. "That means you have to line up and get the play call in. Ultimately they're really efficient."
5. As Lanning said above, the best way to get better at football is to play football. Similarly, the best way to perform better in big games is to play in more big games.
For Oregon, this is three different New Year's Six games in the last three years. A one-sided win at the Fiesta Bowl two years ago was followed by a one-sided loss at the Rose Bowl a year ago; how will the Ducks perform on the big stage of the Orange Bowl this year?
"There's always pressure, and you want pressure," Lanning said. "We expect to go win this game; it's going to be tough because Texas Tech I promise expects to go win this game. But that's something you sign up for."
Lanning's message for his players given all that? Don't let the moment get too big.
"Go out there and execute the way you're meant to do," he said. "What you've shown us a million times in practice, let it show up on the field."
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