Unfortunately, Oregon came up short of winning the national title that year in a 42-20 loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes. They played in the inaugural College Football Playoff Championship Game in 2014. Behind head coaches such as Rich Brooks, Mike Bellotti and Chip Kelly, the Ducks have won 13 conference championships. Oregon football was one of the most successful programs on the West Coast during this entire time frame. The modern day Pac-12 was formed in 2011. The first expansion took place in 1978 with two additional teams. Ahead of the 1968 season, the conference was renamed the Pac-8. The Ducks became members of the Athletic Association of Western Universities (AAWU) in 1964. His tenure with the program lasted from 1951 through the 1966 season.
Len Casanova was the Ducks’ head coach at the time. A third trip to that prestigious postseason bowl did not take place until 1957. Oregon returned to the Rose Bowl in 1919 but this time around the team lost to Harvard 7-6. They went on to beat the University of Pennsylvania 14-0. The Ducks started play in the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) that year and actually qualified for the Rose Bowl. Oregon Ducks Team Overviewįootball at Oregon University in Eugene dates back to the 1916 season. This popularity has carried over to betting on the Ducks at in-state tribal casinos during football season. As one of the most popular college football programs in the Great Northwest, the Oregon Ducks enjoy a very active fan base.