On Friday night at Autzen Stadium, the Ducks turned their final non-conference game into a demolition job, crushing Portland State 84-0. It looked like the perfect response after their shocking Week 2 loss to Oklahoma. However, being a Big Ten powerhouse, Oregon had to pay a substantial amount to the FCS team for the matchup.

According to On3 CFB insider Brett McMurphy, the Ducks paid a massive $590,000 to play against Portland State last night, prompting the insider to ask, “Was it worth it?”

While most college rivalries are steeped in history, some matchups are better known as “pay games,” “tune-ups,” or even “bodybag games.” Why? Because FBS powerhouses pay FCS programs to come in and face heavily favored opponents. Oregon followed the same formula against Portland State, paying $590,000 before cruising to an 84-0 victory.

The Ducks are not alone in this race. Last season, Miami paid Florida A&M a massive $740,000 for a 77-7 blowout, while both teams agreed to shorten the fourth quarter to 10 minutes. Arizona State also paid Morgan State $600,000 before hammering the Bears 70-7. While the practice may appear controversial, it remains a stark reality of modern college football.

Now, coming back to their rivalry, Oregon has beaten Portland State every time they have met and has never won by fewer than 41 points. In the three matchups leading up to this one, Oregon had outscored Portland State 212-21. Now the question is, does this win even mean anything? Well, for Oregon head coach Dan Lanning, it does.

“We have a better team, and no disrespect for Portland State, but that’s what that’s the way it should look when you execute what we’re supposed to execute,” said Lanning after the win.

“As a whole, I’d say it was a much higher percentage of guys doing the right thing consistently.”

Friday night’s emphatic 84-0 win over the Portland State Vikings marked a major milestone for Dan Lanning, as the Ducks head coach secured his 50th career victory at Oregon, placing him among the program’s elite.

That said, the Ducks are now 2-1 in the 2026 season. Despite their record, however, they have not looked particularly impressive, as their two wins pale in comparison to those of their rivals in other conferences.

Nick Saban tells Oregon to fix their defensive issues

Coming into the 2026 season, Oregon was ranked as the No. 2 team in the country, with quarterback Dante Moore emerging as a major Heisman Trophy contender.

However, after losing to Oklahoma State and surviving a close 34-27 battle against Boise State, the Ducks have failed to live up to their preseason expectations. Now, Nick Saban has delivered a reality check to Dan Lanning and his team, pointing to their defense as a potential problem.

“I think the problem is Oregon hasn’t been able to play very well on defense, which is uncharacteristic for Dan Lanning and his teams because he’s a defensive guy,” Saban said at ‘The Pat McAfee Show’. “They’ve always been good.”

Despite the loss coming this early in the season, Saban stressed the urgency for the Ducks, who have new leadership on both sides of the ball after offensive coordinator Will Stein left for Kentucky and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi took over as Cal’s head coach.

“I think some of the issue is they have two new coordinators, which is kind of like your second lieutenants when you’re a head coach,” Saban said. “And when you have all these changes on your roster and then you have some guys coming back, I mean, how does that all mesh together?”

The Ducks have two new coordinators on their coaching staff, with Chris Hampton taking over as defensive coordinator and Drew Mehringer becoming the offensive coordinator. While both have already proved their mettle, Saban believes they are still relatively new to the game.