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We’ve made it.

Almost.

There is still one college football game left this season, coming Monday between Indiana and Miami. But because the Ducks are out of the tournament, we won’t fault you for mentally moving on.

It was a long season — and following the returns of Oregon’s defensive line, its center and some guy named Dante Moore, it’s going to be a long offseason of hype-building before kickoff next fall.

And while we’ll certainly have plenty of stories in the coming months about how the Ducks regroup from their Peach Bowl loss, well, it’s time for a little variety.

The women’s basketball team is 14-4. Softball, baseball and track are just about to get their seasons started. Heck, the Oregon club hockey team just packed The Rink Exchange for a two-game series against San Diego State, where the Ducks outscored the Aztecs 12-1.

What I’m trying to say is this: The football season may be over, but the stories are just beginning.

And while I’ve got a growing list of ideas I want to chase in the coming months, what I’d really love is to hear from you.

What stories do you want to read in Lookout? Is there a player, team, coach or trend you’re curious about? Are there questions you want answered?

I’m not above taking requests. So if there’s something you want to see on our pages, reach out to me at tyson@lookoutlocal.com.

I’ve had a blast in my first six months at Lookout. And with your help, the next six are going to be even better.

He’s coming back

Dante Moore (5) of the Oregon Ducks talks to his team against the James Madison Dukes during the fourth quarter of a first-round College Football Playoff game at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Dec. 20, 2025. Credit: Isaac Wasserman / Lookout Eugene-Springfield / Catchlight / RFA

Dante Moore doesn’t just want to play in the NFL.

He wants to play well in the NFL. So while there are competitive reasons for why Moore announced his return to the Oregon Ducks on Wednesday — Moore said he didn’t like the prospect of ending his UO career on the loss to Indiana — there are professional reasons, too.

“When it comes to making my decision, I want to feel most prepared and (do) what’s best for my situation, especially as a quarterback,” Moore said on ESPN. “With my decision, it’s been very tough. I prayed a lot about it. I talked to a lot of people — my mentors — and people I just look up to. And with that being said, of course I’ll be coming back to Oregon for one more year, being able to play for the Oregon Ducks and of course reach our goal of being national champions.”

Read more on Moore’s return here.

Not very peachy

Indiana’s D’Angelo Ponds (5) scores a pick-6 as Oregon’s Dante Moore (5) chases after him during the first quarter of the Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Jan. 9, 2026. Credit: Isaac Wasserman / Lookout Eugene-Springfield / Catchlight / RFA

The Oregon Ducks made it farther than last year.

It doesn’t mean the ending felt any better.

A year after the Oregon Ducks were throttled in the Rose Bowl by Ohio State, the Ducks’ season came to an end, again, in dismal fashion with their blowout loss to Indiana in the Peach Bowl.

And while a 13-2 season is nothing to scoff at, it doesn’t make that ending feel like any less of a letdown.

The quarterback of the future

Dylan Railoa during his Oregon recruiting visit. Credit: GoDucks.com

Yes, Dante Moore is coming back.

But the Oregon Ducks still landed their quarterback of the future out of the transfer portal.

Dylan Railoa, the former No. 2 recruit in the country who started 20 games over the last two seasons at Nebraska, announced his transfer to Oregon earlier this week. And while it might not be normal for an established quarterback to transfer to another school and elect to sit a year behind the team’s returning starter, well, it’s becoming the norm at Oregon.

INSIDE look

The traffic Report

camera roll

Shoutout to the parents of Oregon punter James Ferguson-Reynolds, chatting here with our photographer Isaac Wasserman. They flew in from Australia — and were some of the first fans on scene at Mercedes-Benz Stadium before the game.
Was it a bad game? Yes. But man, what a view. How lucky am I to have this job?
The faces of Lookout’s playoff coverage after getting back to the media hotel at 2 a.m., then catching the 7 a.m. flight out of Atlanta. What a ride.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“That’s a damn good team. And you gotta give credit to them, too. It’s not just what we didn’t do, it’s what they did do.
— Oregon coach Dan Lanning on Indiana.

UPCOMING GAMES

  • Women’s basketball at Iowa • 6 p.m. • Thursday
  • Men’s basketball vs. Michigan • 1 p.m. • Saturday
  • Women’s basketball at Wisconsin • 1 p.m. • Sunday
  • Men’s basketball vs. Michigan State • 6 p.m. • Tuesday
  • Women’s basketball vs. Minnesota • 6 p.m. • Wednesday

STORIES I’m WORKING ON

On Monday, we’ll have a guide for Oregon fans on how to approach the national championship game.

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Do you have story ideas or tips? Send them my way — tyson@lookoutlocal.com.

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I’ll be back for 2026, too,

Tyson

Tyson Alger covered the Ducks for The Oregonian and The Athletic before branching out on his own to create and run The I-5 Corridor. He brings more than a decade of experience on the University of Oregon sports beat. He has covered everything from Marcus Mariota’s Heisman Trophy-winning season to the Ducks’ first year in the Big 10.