South’s downhill ski team is ready for the winter season and competition.

Ducks Men’s Basketball

With a 68-60 win over the USC Trojans on Dec. 10, the Oregon Ducks men’s basketball team improved to a perfect 9-0 record, making them one of eight teams who are undefeated so far this season. Head coach Dana Atlman, however, emphasized that the season was still early.

“We have to improve,” the seasoned head coach said. “Told the guys, ‘Hey, they don’t give you anything for winning in November.’ It’s a process. We’ve got a long four months ahead of us.” 

Despite winning all nine of their games to start the season, Oregon has had several games come down to the wire. An upset-minded Portland team took them to overtime at Matthew Knight Arena. The Oregon State Beavers—their old conference rivals—hung around until the last minute of a 78-75 Oregon victory. The Ducks needed a putback dunk by star center Nate Bittle with 4.4 seconds left to lift them over ninth-ranked Alabama—a team that made the Final Four last year.  

However, the Ducks do have quality wins on their resumé, such as the aforementioned win over Alabama, and an 80-70 victory over then-No. 22 Texas A&M. Voters in the AP top 25 poll have looked favorably on these performances, and as a result, have ranked the Ducks 12th in the country. Whether or not Oregon can carry this hot start into Big Ten play remains to be seen, but they have certainly had an ideal start to the season.   

Ducks Football

For the first time since 2012, the Oregon Ducks football program, led by Head Coach Dan Lanning, has been ranked first in the nation.

“I am super excited for this season,”Jay Wang, an Oregon Ducks football fan said. “It has been so long since we have been ranked number one in the nation and I hope we can win it all this year.” 

The Oregon Ducks came close to making the playoffs last year, with a 12-2 record. A final loss to the Washington Huskies, 33-36, ultimately ended their season. They have bounced back better than ever, and after a close game with the Wisconsin Badgers, the Ducks remain the only undefeated team in the nation and the favorite to win the national championship. 

“I can’t wait to see the Ducks dominate!” South junior Cohen Anderson said. 

This year’s success was due, in part, to the new transfer quarterback, senior Dillon Gabriel from Oklahoma University. Gabriel is also in the running for the Heisman trophy, right behind Colorado’s Travis Hunter and Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty. 

The Ducks won their last game of the season, 49-21, against the Washington Huskies on Nov. 30 at Autzen stadium, completing their undefeated season. This has secured them the No. 1-seed in the college football playoffs, and hopefully, the chance to win it all!

Articles by Daniel Harms and Jeremy Wang