This week's picks

Northwestern vs. Oregon Prediction and Pick, Week 9 2026

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Data updatedOct 31, 2026
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Picks two teams at random. Any FBS team can come up.

How we picked it

How we picked it

Three ratings look at a team in three different ways. The numbers' pick is the team at least two of them favor.

Where the game is won

Where the game is won

Each row puts one team's unit against the unit it faces, by national rank out of all FBS teams. An edge is a gap of 25 spots or more.

Ratings: SP+ via CFB Update; PRIME via primecfb.com. Box and play stats computed from CollegeFootballData.com play data (via the public cfbfastR files), FBS games only for scoring. Rushing yards here exclude sacks, so they run higher than official totals. Ranks are out of 138 FBS teams.

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Northwestern at Oregon

Week 9, Sat, Oct 31, 3:30 PM ET, Autzen Stadium.

The numbers say: Oregon, 55% to win.

The game

KickoffSat, Oct 31, 3:30 PM ET
TVPeacock
WhereAutzen Stadium
Weather49°, cloudy, wind 5 mph
LineOregon −3.5, total 47.5
Line movementOpened Oregon −7.5; moved 4 points toward Northwestern. Total opened 50.5, down 3.
SeriesTied 1–1
Last meetingOregon 34–14 in 2025
Oregon injuriesDante Moore (QB), out

The ratings and the line

MarginWin chanceTotal
SP+Oregon by 5.866%50
PRIMENorthwestern by 7.871%
EloOregon62%
The lineOregon −3.5, opened −7.547.5, opened 50.5

Margins include home field. SP+ is Bill Connelly's rating; Sources has PRIME and Elo. Line and total from DraftKings, as of Fri, Oct 30, 7:43 PM ET.

Who wins, Northwestern or Oregon?

The numbers say: Oregon. 52% chance to win

Which matchups decide Northwestern vs. Oregon?

The ratings split and average out to about 50-50, with Oregon ahead by a hair. Oregon's best matchup is its run-stopping front, 11th in line yards allowed per carry, against Northwestern's offensive line at 73rd. Northwestern's way back in is its run game, 13th in yards per carry, against Oregon's run defense at 59th. We left out the edges built on Moore, who's out.

Northwestern with the ball

Oregon with the ball

Who's out for Northwestern and Oregon?

Northwestern

Oregon

How Northwestern and Oregon compare, in charts

Each chart puts all 138 FBS teams on two stats; Northwestern and Oregon are lit. Dashed lines are the FBS averages, and up and right is better. Ranks in parentheses. Games through Oct 24, 2026.

How Northwestern's and Oregon's players compare

The scatter charts show the top 40 FBS players at the position by both stats combined, plus the players lit here. Dashed lines are the averages; up and right is better. Ranks are among every FBS player at the position with enough snaps. Takeaways are interceptions plus fumble recoveries. Games through Oct 24, 2026.

How do SP+, PRIME and Elo rate Northwestern and Oregon?

On a neutral field, SP+ has Oregon 3.3 points better (12th to 20th). PRIME has Northwestern by 10.3 instead. The two ratings split on Oregon's offense: 28th in SP+, 94th in PRIME. Elo, which only sees results, also has Oregon ahead (17th to 22nd).

NorthwesternOregon
SP+ overall13.7 (20th)17.0 (12th)
SP+ offense32.8 (31st)33.2 (28th)
SP+ defense19.1 (26th)16.5 (11th)
SP+ special teams0.0 (68th)0.2 (42nd)
PRIME net16.0 (13th)5.7 (44th)
PRIME offense11.12 (10th)-3.57 (94th)
PRIME defense4.56 (32nd)9.07 (12th)
PRIME SOS-3.9 (82nd)6.8 (5th)
PRIME SOR1.8 (22nd)1.6 (28th)
Elo1756 (22nd)1787 (17th)

Opponent-adjusted power ratings. These drive the projection.

Who's better once you adjust for the schedule?

Northwestern's offense ranks 9th in adjusted EPA per play, and the Oregon defense it faces ranks 9th in EPA per play allowed. Oregon's offense ranks 98th against Northwestern's 34th-ranked defense. Neither side of the ball has a clear edge. The biggest edge on the board is Northwestern's big plays: 18th in adjusted explosiveness, against Oregon's 106th-ranked defense. That's a mismatch.

NorthwesternOregon
EPA per play (adjusted)+0.22 (9th)+0.06 (98th)
EPA per pass (adjusted)+0.30 (15th)+0.17 (87th)
EPA per rush (adjusted)+0.12 (27th)−0.00 (125th)
Success rate (adjusted)48.8% (8th)40.3% (83rd)
Success rate, standard downs (adjusted)50.7% (19th)45.6% (90th)
Success rate, passing downs (adjusted)35.6% (6th)29.9% (80th)
Explosiveness (adjusted)0.97 (18th)0.91 (110th)
Line yards per carry (adjusted)2.95 (73rd)2.85 (102nd)
Open-field yards per carry (adjusted)1.38 (11th)1.09 (81st)
EPA per play allowed (adjusted)+0.05 (34th)−0.01 (9th)
EPA per pass allowed (adjusted)+0.10 (16th)+0.10 (15th)
EPA per rush allowed (adjusted)+0.08 (85th)−0.00 (19th)
Success rate allowed (adjusted)42.5% (80th)33.6% (4th)
Explosiveness allowed (adjusted)0.95 (97th)0.96 (106th)
Line yards allowed per carry (adjusted)3.08 (108th)2.71 (11th)
Open-field yards allowed per carry (adjusted)1.38 (126th)1.16 (80th)

The same efficiency numbers, adjusted for the offenses and defenses each team has faced (CollegeFootballData.com). A good number against a soft schedule shrinks; one against a hard schedule grows.

Who's more efficient, Northwestern or Oregon?

Northwestern is about as good throwing (8th in EPA per pass) as running (8th). Oregon is better throwing (80th in EPA per pass) than running (118th). Northwestern's pass defense ranks 21st, so the defense has the better of it.

NorthwesternOregon
EPA per play+0.35 (4th)+0.09 (88th)
EPA per pass+0.48 (8th)+0.19 (80th)
EPA per rush+0.25 (8th)−0.01 (118th)
EPA per 3rd-down play+0.63 (25th)+0.11 (128th)
EPA per play allowed+0.04 (43rd)0.00 (24th)
EPA per pass allowed+0.04 (21st)+0.06 (31st)
EPA per rush allowed+0.07 (70th)−0.03 (33rd)
EPA per 3rd-down play allowed+0.23 (20th)+0.13 (9th)

Expected points added per play, from CollegeFootballData.com. EPA measures how much each play changes the points a team can expect from the drive. Zero is break-even; +0.20 is very good. Not adjusted for opponents.

Who scores more, Northwestern or Oregon?

Northwestern outscores FBS opponents by 18.1 a game, and Oregon by 12.4. Northwestern's offense ranks 35th in scoring, and the Oregon defense it faces ranks 39th in points allowed. Oregon's offense ranks 40th against Northwestern's 22nd-ranked defense. Neither side of the ball has a clear edge.

NorthwesternOregon
Points scored34.7 (35th)33.1 (40th)
Points allowed16.6 (22nd)20.7 (39th)

Per game, FBS opponents only.

Which offense has the edge?

Northwestern's best matchup is its run game: its offense ranks 13th in yards per carry, and Oregon's defense ranks 59th in yards per carry allowed. Oregon's best matchup is early downs: its offense ranks 55th in SUPLEX, and Northwestern's defense ranks 82nd in SUPLEX allowed.

NorthwesternOregon
Pass yards / game230.7 (69th)280.4 (24th)
Rush yards / game212.7 (20th)151.1 (90th)
Yards per play7.09 (17th)6.19 (67th)
Yards per carry6.18 (13th)4.79 (97th)
Yards per attempt8.83 (25th)7.67 (67th)
Completion %63.4% (69th)65.6% (52nd)
Success rate48.6% (23rd)44.3% (63rd)
Explosive play rate17.8% (1st)12.5% (62nd)
3rd down conversion44.0% (49th)36.6% (94th)
Sack rate (taken)7.1% (100th)4.1% (34th)
INT rate (thrown)0.5% (7th)1.2% (22nd)
SUPLEX68.4% (7th)57.8% (55th)

Per game and per play, from play-by-play.

Which defense has the edge?

Oregon's defense is best placed to get off the field on third down: it ranks 12th in 3rd down conversions allowed, and Northwestern's offense is above average in 3rd down conversion rate (49th).

NorthwesternOregon
Pass yards allowed / game215.0 (74th)200.4 (47th)
Rush yards allowed / game168.1 (94th)148.7 (68th)
Yards per play allowed5.76 (73rd)5.40 (42nd)
Yards per carry allowed5.37 (102nd)4.67 (59th)
Yards per attempt allowed6.40 (40th)6.50 (43rd)
Success rate allowed43.4% (86th)35.5% (17th)
Explosive plays allowed10.5% (57th)10.2% (45th)
3rd downs allowed41.7% (94th)28.8% (12th)
Sack rate (generated)4.9% (101st)6.1% (70th)
INT rate (generated)3.4% (32nd)4.6% (11th)
SUPLEX allowed55.5% (82nd)51.2% (50th)

What opponents managed against them.

Who wins up front?

Northwestern has the better number in 7 of 12. The biggest gap is second-level yards per carry, where Northwestern ranks 6th and Oregon 109th.

NorthwesternOregon
Big Uglies: offensive line47.5 (91st)46.5 (98th)
Big Uglies: defensive front43.6 (112th)52.5 (49th)
Line yards per carry3.12 (51st)2.85 (102nd)
Line yards allowed per carry3.25 (120th)2.66 (28th)
Second-level yards per carry1.37 (6th)0.96 (109th)
Open-field yards per carry2.07 (7th)0.96 (97th)
Stuff rate (runs stopped at or behind the line)19.1% (92nd)20.0% (100th)
Stuff rate (defense)15.0% (116th)19.0% (68th)
Power success (short yardage)75.7% (51st)67.7% (97th)
Power success allowed66.7% (39th)70.4% (66th)
Front-seven havoc allowed11.6% (123rd)10.5% (107th)
Front-seven havoc7.3% (124th)7.7% (116th)

The lines. Big Uglies is our rating for each offensive line and each defensive front: adjusted line yards (30%), stuff rate (20%), power success (15%), sack rate (20%) and front-seven havoc (15%), against every FBS team. 50 is average, and every 10 points is a standard deviation. Line stats from CollegeFootballData.com, garbage time out.

Who wins the turnover battle?

Northwestern is +1.3 in turnover margin a game and Oregon is 0.0. At about five points a turnover, that's roughly a 6-point edge for Northwestern. Turnover margin rarely holds from one month to the next, so don't count on it.

NorthwesternOregon
Interceptions thrown / game0.14 (5th)0.43 (25th)
Fumbles lost / game0.29 (20th)1.29 (134th)
Giveaways / game0.43 (3rd)1.71 (117th)
Interceptions / game1.14 (14th)1.29 (10th)
Fumbles recovered / game0.57 (51st)0.43 (69th)
Takeaways / game1.71 (16th)1.71 (16th)
Turnover margin / game+1.3 (5th)0.0 (67th)

Per game, from play-by-play.

Which team has more talent?

Oregon has the more talented roster (3rd in the 247Sports talent composite; Northwestern is 60th). But Northwestern plays further above its talent: +12.1 points of SP+ beyond what its roster predicts, to Oregon's −3.2.

NorthwesternOregon
Talent composite688.3 (60th)984.3 (3rd)
Blue-chip ratio8.0% (79th)65.9% (5th)
Players on roster124 (10th)114 (44th)
Rated by 247Sports100 (2nd)88 (33rd)
5-star players0 (37th)11 (3rd)
4-star players8 (62nd)47 (6th)
3-star players86 (2nd)30 (131st)
Below 3-star6 (20th)0 (113th)
2026 transfers in17 (103rd)15 (114th)
Transfer share17.0% (120th)17.0% (119th)
SP+ vs. talent+12.1 (12th)-3.2 (88th)
Returning production88.5% (8th)75.3% (17th)
Returning passing production93.9% (36th)94.5% (31st)
Returning rushing production88.0% (29th)68.3% (49th)
Returning receiving production86.3% (7th)63.5% (23rd)
2026 recruiting class (national rank)52 (52nd)3 (3rd)
Recruiting rank, last four classes61.2 (63rd)5.0 (5th)

247Sports team talent composite and 2026 transfer portal class. Star counts cover only the players 247Sports rates, not walk-ons, so they add up to less than the full roster. Ranks are out of all 138 FBS teams.

Which roster costs more?

Oregon's roster is valued at $44.3M, Northwestern's at $19.9M. Dollar for dollar, Northwestern plays better: +8.6 points of SP+ above what its payroll predicts, to −5.5 for Oregon.

NorthwesternOregon
Roster value$19.9M (54th)$44.3M (2nd)
Roster cost per win$3.3M (6th)$11.1M (68th)
Projected wins per $1M0.40 (7th)0.18 (60th)
SP+ vs. payroll+8.6 (9th)-5.5 (54th)

NIL roster value from The NIL Standard (power-conference teams plus Boise State and Oregon State). Ranks are out of 70 teams with a valuation.

Where did each team's wins come from?

Northwestern is +2.5 wins against a .500 team; the biggest piece is coaching (+1.0). Oregon is +0.5 wins against a .500 team; the biggest piece is roster (+2.2).

NorthwesternOregon
RECEIPTS (total)+2.5 (8th)+0.5 (57th)
Schedule RECEIPTS+0.8 (53rd)-1.3 (132nd)
Roster RECEIPTS+0.3 (50th)+2.2 (3rd)
Coach RECEIPTS+1.0 (27th)+0.4 (51st)
Luck RECEIPTS+0.4 (41st)-0.8 (111th)

Where the wins came from. Every team starts as a .500 team. Then each win (or loss) goes to the schedule, the roster, the coaching or luck, and the four add up to the real record. Wins above or below a .500 team.

Northwestern at Oregon: questions people ask

Northwestern vs. Oregon prediction: who will win?

The numbers pick Oregon, 52% chance to win. SP+ and Elo agree; PRIME has Northwestern. Oregon's best matchup is its run-stopping front, 11th in line yards allowed per carry, against Northwestern's offensive line at 73rd.

Where can I watch Northwestern vs. Oregon, and what time is it?

Sat, Oct 31, 3:30 PM ET at Autzen Stadium. It's on Peacock.

What's the projected score of Northwestern vs. Oregon?

SP+ projects Oregon 28–22. That's from this season's SP+ offense, defense and special teams ratings, with home field worth 2.5 points.

What's the line for Northwestern at Oregon?

DraftKings has Oregon −3.5, total 47.5. The numbers pick winners, not bets.

What's the Northwestern vs. Oregon series history?

It's tied 1–1. Last meeting: Oregon won 34–14 in 2025.

Who are the players to watch in Northwestern vs. Oregon?

Northwestern: Aidan Chiles (1,615 passing yards), Caleb Komolafe (539 rushing yards) and Griffin Wilde (607 receiving yards). Oregon: Moore (959 passing yards), Jordon Davison (422 rushing yards) and Dakorien Moore (435 receiving yards). Season totals through Oct 24, 2026.

Who are the quarterbacks in Northwestern at Oregon?

Northwestern's is Aidan Chiles (1,615 passing yards this season); Oregon's is Moore (959 passing yards this season).

Who's out for Northwestern at Oregon?

Oregon: Moore (QB), out; Evan Stewart (WR) hasn't played since Week 6.

More on this game

Numbers through the games of Oct 24, 2026. SP+ as of Oct 27, 2026. Updated every week.

Northwestern and Oregon: team pages with every stat and national rank. Compare any two teams.