UO release - EUGENE, Ore. — The Oregon football team earned its highest preseason ranking in the Associated Press poll since 2014 on Monday morning, coming in at No. 3 behind only Georgia and Ohio State.  The Ducks also debuted at No. 3 in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll released last week. No. 3 matches the 2011, 2013 and 2014 Oregon teams for the highest preseason AP ranking in program history.  No. 4 Texas and No. 5 Alabama round out the top five, while No. 8 Penn State and No. 9 Michigan give the Big Ten four teams in the top 10. With USC at No. 23 and Iowa at No. 25, the conference goes into 2024 with six top-25 teams.  UO is in the top 10 of the preseason AP poll for the first time since 2020 (No. 9), and in the top five for the first time since 2015 (No. 5). It is the first time since 2015 that Oregon has been in the preseason top five of both the AP and coaches’ polls.  UO is coming off a 12-2 season in 2023, its second season under head coach Dan Lanning that culminated with a win over Liberty in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl. Oregon is 22-5 through Lanning's first two seasons in Eugene.  The Ducks will kick off their inaugural season as members of the Big Ten Conference against Idaho on Aug. 31 in Autzen Stadium (4:30 p.m. PT, Big Ten Network). Oregon will open conference play at UCLA on Sept. 28.  Single-game tickets are on sale now, as well as a two-game mini plan for the Idaho and Boise State (Sept. 7) games.