Three games to watch this Saturday while Oregon is on bye

With ninth-ranked Oregon set for its first break of the season, the Duck faithful will need to turn to other places for their football fix this weekend. The Ducks may be on bye, there are still plenty of games this weekend that will impact their season.

Let's take a look at the three most important games that Oregon fans should be tuned in to.

No. 16 LSU (2-1, 1-0) vs. UCLA (1-1, 0-1) - 12:30 PM Saturday on ABC

We'll start with the obvious choice here, Oregon's next opponent. The Ducks will visit the Bruins next weekend at the Rose Bowl, making this weekend a great opportunity to see how UCLA stacks up against a top-25 team. UCLA is coming off a 29-point home thrashing at the hands of the Indiana Hoosiers in their first official conference matchup as a member of the Big Ten, not exactly the start they were looking for. UCLA is in its first year under new head coach DeShaun Foster after former leading man Chip Kelly departed in the offseason to become Ohio State's offensive coordinator. The beatdown from Indiana was a bit of a wake-up call for what kind of season this may be for the Bruins as they rebuild post-Kelly. Week four brings an even tougher task, a trip to Death Valley to face a top-25 opponent. LSU is coming off a thrilling win at South Carolina, a necessary bounce-back after their week one loss to USC in Las Vegas. This likely won't be much of a game, with LSU favored by 24 points, but will give Oregon fans a preview of what to expect from a familiar foe next weekend.

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No. 18 Michigan (2-1) vs. No. 11 USC (2-0) - 12:30 PM Saturday on CBS

This may already be the game of the week, and that's before you consider its Big Ten implications. In their first conference game as a member of the Big Ten, USC will head to The Big House to take on the defending national champions. This Michigan team may not be the same as the one that hoisted the CFP championship trophy back in January, but a trip to Ann Arbor is never one to be taken lightly. The Wolverines have gotten off to a shaky start, pulling out wins against Fresno State and Arkansas State but getting blown out at home by Texas as well. Michigan has struggled offensively, already flip-flopping between quarterbacks after J.J. McCarthy's departure for the NFL. Meanwhile, USC has made significant improvements following a disappointing 8-5 finish last season. They started the season with an exciting win over LSU and took that momentum into a 48-0 drubbing of Utah State. Miller Moss won't be Caleb Williams but has proven himself more than capable as the Trojans' starting quarterback while their defense has jumped from 121st in scoring last year to 18th this season through the first three weeks. Oregon misses USC this season but will visit Michigan in November for a game that will have potential Big Ten Championship implications. With the conference doing away with divisions this year, every game matters for the Big Ten standings, meaning even an early-season matchup like this could impact Oregon's ability to contend for a conference championship.

No. 22 Nebraska (3-0) vs. No. 24 Illinois (3-0) - 5 PM Friday on Fox

This game will be an exciting prelude to the weekend between two Big Ten teams who are off to undefeated starts. With both programs currently on the rise, this will be the first ranked matchup between Nebraska and Illinois since 1985. Led by freshman phenom Dylan Raiola under center, the Cornhuskers are ranked for the first time in five years after their first 3-0 start since 2016. Head coach Matt Rhule has a proven track record of success — taking Baylor from 11 losses to 11 wins in just three years — and has given Nebraska fans the most hope they've had in years. So far this season, Nebraska has defeated opponents by an average of 27.3 points per game, highlighted by a 28-10 win over Colorado. This won't be a cakewalk for the Cornhuskers though, as Illinois head coach Bret Bielema has his squad ranked for the first time since 2022. The highlight of the season so far was a week two win over the at-the-time No. 19 Kansas Jayhawks. Quarterback Luke Altmyer seems to be in complete control offensively for the Illini in his second year after transferring from Ole Miss, tossing six passing touchdowns with no interceptions through his first three games. This will be a big opportunity for both teams to prove that they are legit and shake up the early Big Ten standings on the national stage as there will be many eyes on them in a prime-time Friday night slot. The Ducks miss the Cornhuskers this year but will play host to Illinois on October 26.