Dan Mullen predicts Oregon will suffer loss by end of regular season

Sitting at 7-0, Oregon is the No. 1 team in the AP Top 25. However, ESPN analyst Dan Mullen doesn’t expect Oregon to remain undefeated for long.

“It is hard to go undefeated in the regular season,” Mullen said on Friday. “You have got to bring your A-game every single week. They have played very well, Dillon Gabriel. They continue to get better, but they’ve had some tough battles. The close win against Ohio State, close against Boise State.

“Remember, early in the season, they weren’t clicking on all cylinders. So I think as this goes on, and it wears down, the mental fatigue, the injuries that you get beat up as the season goes on, there is a chance they lose a game.”

Early in the 2024 campaign, it didn’t look like Oregon would finish the regular season with a flawless record. The Ducks narrowly defeated Idaho, only to have a nail-biting finish against Boise State the following week.

Nonetheless, as the season has progressed, Oregon has only improved. In Week 8, Oregon’s growth culminated in a 32-31 victory over Ohio State. The Ducks cemented their spot atop the Big Ten food chain by following up the win with a 35-0 beatdown on Purdue.

Despite Oregon’s stunning showing, Mullen isn’t convinced the Ducks can soar across the finish line unscathed.

“When you look at that schedule and say, ‘OK, where is it?’ I’m not sure. But anytime you’re going on the road in November, in the Big Ten, those are tough environments,” Mullen said. “[They have] a Rivalry game to finish the season. It’s going to be really interesting. I think they end up with one loss.”

Illinois is the only currently ranked team remaining on Oregon’s regular season schedule. Nonetheless, with showdowns against a red-hot Wisconsin crew and a well-coached Washington squad, the Ducks are far from out of the woods.

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel recognizes this and isn’t allowing his team to lose focus.

“I think having a guy like Coach Lanning that emphasizes the right things and is never too high or too low,” Gabriel said on The Hard Count with On3’s J.D. PicKell. “If we weren’t winning a certain way that others thought or winning a certain way up until last week, I think we’ve just learned to stay even-keeled and continue to grow.”

On Saturday, Oregon will look to extend its win streak as it squares off against No. 20 Illinois at 3:30 p.m. ET. The game will air live on ABC.