"All people remember is you got blown out": Josh Pate calls out unfair narrative around Oregon's 2024 season

Oregon was the only undefeated team in the Football Bowl Subdivision at the end of the regular season in 2024. The Ducks proceeded to win the Big Ten title in their first season in the conference. However, the College Football Playoff didn't go as planned for them.

Heading into the 2025 season, there isn’t much talk about Dan Lanning’s team compared to Big Ten rivals Ohio State and Penn State. Josh Pate mentioned on his “College Football Show” that the Ducks are being overlooked, with the narrative focusing on their playoff loss.

“They got the fifth-best odds to win it all,” Pate said (Timestamp: 0:30). “They got the third-best odds to win the Big Ten. They're over or under win totals 10.5 at FanDuel, and maybe it's because they're tucked away in the Pacific Northwest, but it just doesn't feel like as many people are talking about them.

“They don't care. They'd prefer it that way. But it's just a little interesting, a little interesting. Also, think about what I said. I don't want to gloss over the fact that they won the Big Ten in their first year in the Big Ten. And yet all people remember is, yeah, but you got blown out.”

Oregon has a young, talented team entering the 2025 season, and they are expected to be a contender again. The Ducks haven't won fewer than 10 games since Lanning arrived in 2022, and that trend is likely to continue next season.

Josh Pate addresses Oregon’s quarterback situation

Dante Moore is expected to be the starting quarterback for Oregon in 2025. The signal-caller transferred from UCLA to Eugene last season and will replace Heisman finalist Dill Gabel. Josh Pate discusses the quarterback situation at the program with Moore.

“The big question here clearly starts at quarterback with Dante Moore,” Pate said. “They went from Bo Nix to Dillon Gabriel to — do I just get to say Dante Moore's name a year from now? Does it make sense to say, ‘Man, Oregon just went Nix to Gabriel to Moore?’ Is that how he plays?

“I keep reminding you, they signed a five-star quarterback in the – I guess it would be the 2025 cycle. Remember, he shows up on campus during bowl prep, sees Dante Moore, realizes, I'm not going to be the starter here. And that was enough to make that kid leave and go to Cal.”

Moore showed flashes of brilliance as a true freshman with the Bruins in 2023, throwing for 1,610 yards and 11 touchdowns. He had a few snaps with Oregon last season, and he will determine the team’s offensive fate in the upcoming season.