The No. 15 Oregon Ducks’ bye week comes in Week 5, as they prepare for their matchup against the No. 23 UCLA Bruins at Autzen Stadium on Oct. 10.

While Oregon (and its next opponent) may not be suiting up in Week 5, there’s still plenty of high-level football set to take place. Here are three games that Ducks fans should tune into during Oregon’s week off.

No. 5 Ohio State Buckeyes at No. 14 Iowa Hawkeyes

Perhaps the game with the most impact on the Ducks in Week 5 is the No. 5 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. the No. 14 Iowa Hawkeyes. This ESPN College GameDay host game takes place at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, with kickoff set for 12:30 p.m. PT on CBS.

Oregon might not play Iowa in the regular season in 2026, but it’s scheduled to face off against the Buckeyes on Nov. 7. This game not only serves as a scout for the looming November matchup, but both of these teams are ranked ahead of the Ducks in the AP Poll.

If Iowa loses, it provides Oregon a good chance to rise in the rankings. If the Buckeyes lose, Ohio State would have two losses on its record, giving the Ducks the opportunity to potentially squash its College Football Playoff hopes in November.

The Hawkeyes are additionally a potential threat to Oregon’s CFP and Big Ten Championship hopes. While the Ducks, Buckeyes, Indiana Hoosiers and USC Trojans received much of the attention in the Big Ten during the preseason, the Hawkeyes have sneakily made their push as a quiet contender.

The bottom line is that this will be a high-stakes matchup that is a can’t-miss.

Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Maryland Terrapins

Going in a different direction, this matchup between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and Maryland Terrapins isn’t as hyped up by the media. Both teams are unranked, and the Cornhuskers boast a favorable 4-0 overall record compared to the Terrapins’ 2-2 overall record.

Nebraska will host the game at Memorial Stadium on FS1 at 1:00 p.m. PT. The Cornhuskers have a dominant 92.7 percent chance of winning, according to the ESPN matchup predictor.

But this game makes the list given that Nebraska is the Ducks’ opponent after UCLA. The Cornhuskers will travel to Eugene on Oct. 17, following another battle against a No. 6 Indiana team on Oct. 10.

Interestingly enough, Oregon hasn’t yet played Nebraska since joining the Big Ten in 2024. The two programs have played a total of eight times, with six of those occurring before the start of the 21st century and the last meeting happening in 2017.

Oregon fans can see a glimpse of what the new conference looks like in action before the Cornhuskers head to Autzen Stadium later in October. Oregon quarterback Dylan Raiola notably transferred from Nebraska in the offseason, leading to a ripple effect in the Cornhuskers' offense this season, with Anthony Colandrea taking over the starting position.

No. 7 Alabama Crimson Tide at No. 16 Mississippi State Bulldogs

With the Ohio State and Nebraska games featuring upcoming Oregon opponents and Big Ten conference implications, here’s an out-of-conference game that has little impact on Oregon.

The No. 7 Alabama Crimson Tide plays at Davis Wade Stadium in Mississippi against the No. 16 Mississippi State Bulldogs at 9 a.m. PT on ABC.

The long-standing SEC rivalry has been historically dominated by the Crimson Tide, with 88 wins, 17 losses and three ties. The two play for the first time since 2023, and the Bulldogs haven’t secured a win in the series since 2007.

But this time, Mississippi State enters with its highest ranking in a game against Alabama since 2017. If the Bulldogs can pull off the upset, it’d certainly make waves throughout the college football world.

And from a Ducks' perspective, Oregon could either see an Alabama team ranked ahead of it drop in the rankings, or it could gain separation ahead of the Bulldogs, who currently rank one spot behind it.

Honorable Mentions

Washington will take on No. 18 USC as the Ducks' previous opponent faces Oregon's bitter rival in the Pacific Northwest. That game will kickoff at 4:30 p.m. PT on NBC.

A few other exciting bye week games include watching some of coach Dan Lanning’s former coordinators lead their new teams. Former Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein’s No. 24 Kentucky Wildcats play the South Carolina Gamecocks and quarterback LaNorris Sellers (at South Carolina on SEC ESPN Network at 1:15 p.m. PT)

Former Ducks defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi’s California Golden Bears play at UNLV (at 12:30 pm. on CBSSN). Oregon’s 2022 offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham’s Arizona State Sun Devils host the Baylor Bears (at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN).

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