Oregon head coach Dan Lanning leads his team onto the field as the Oregon Ducks host the Montana State Bobcats on Aug. 30, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon.

There are several very important college football games on the slate in Week 7. Oklahoma-Texas is one. This game between Oregon football and Indiana is bigger. The Ducks and Hoosiers are playing for Big Ten and playoff leverage. We wrote about the value of a top-four playoff seed in 2025, noting that a top-four placement carries more significance than in 2024:

"Teams in the top four naturally have the inside track to the national championship in the 12-team playoff era. Wait, you might correctly say, didn't that not apply at all to the 2024 12-team playoff? You're right, it didn't. However, a top-four seed should mean a lot this time and in the future. The simple but important change from conference champions to the four best teams means top seeds will get better draws. You won't see Oregon as a No. 1 seed playing a loaded Ohio State team. The weaker conference champions will be lower seeds, and the true heavyweights will move up the seed list."

Simply stated, this Indiana-Oregon football feast is huge because the winner will likely battle Ohio State for a top-four playoff seed. The winner will have one foot in the door for both the Big Ten Championship Game and the playoff. The loser will still have everything to play for, but the winner will be sitting pretty in the national picture, not just the Big Ten.

Our College Sports Wire football roundtable panel offers predictions and analysis:

Tyler Nettuno

The Hoosiers look to be for real, and this may be an even more well-rounded team than the one Curt Cignetti took to the CFP a year ago. This is a major test, however, and I don't love their odds playing on the road in Eugene. Oregon's defense has been fantastic, but if Fernando Mendoza has a big game, Indiana has a chance. I think this one will be semi-close, but I'll take the Ducks — who already boast a tough Big Ten road win — to ultimately win by a couple scores. Oregon 31, Indiana 21.

Riley Donald

The blueprint on stopping Indiana's offense was laid out by the Iowa Hawkeyes. They had the Hoosiers on the ropes and gave it away. They also found some juice on offense using Mark Gronowski's dual-threat ability. Dante Moore is even faster and an even better passer. This game, at Oregon, will have Autzen Stadium on another level of noise. Lastly, and you cannot discount it, is the intensity Dan Lanning will put on this game. He is going to spin this every single which way to have Oregon players thoroughly believing that America wants to see Indiana win. Ducks at home. Oregon 33, Indiana 17.

Matt Zemek

I don't think Oregon is a lock here, but I do think it's a steep uphill climb for Indiana. Fernando Mendoza struggled on the road at Iowa. He has to be excellent, not merely competent, for IU to win on the road. Will he be good enough in this situation? I'm not convinced. Oregon is not a juggernaut -- the win over Penn State is still a good win, but it's not quite as impressive after seeing the Nittany Lions get outplayed by UCLA. However, Oregon has a lot more speed than either Illinois or Iowa. It's going to be a step up in weight class for Indiana, on the road. I don't like this spot for the Hoosiers, even though I never count out Curt Cignetti. Oregon by a touchdown.

Ducks Wire analysis

Ducks Wire wrote this about the Indiana offense:

"The Hoosiers are a very solid team across the board, but their primary strength is on the ground, where they average 260 rushing yards per game, which is fifth-best in the nation. Led by Roman Hemby and Kaelon Black, Indiana is a team that wants to try and lean on you early with a dynamic RPO (Run-Pass Option) game that puts linebackers into space and forces them to make a decision at the point of attack."

Indiana defense vs Oregon offense

Ducks Wire sized up Indiana's defense this way:

"While Indiana's offense is good at running the ball, the Hoosiers' defense has found a lot of success stopping the rushing attack, as well. Indiana gives up just about 100 yards per game on the ground this year, and uses a strong duo of edge-rushers to collapse the pocket and get after the quarterback. While their defensive line is not as big as Oregon's, their rushers do a good job of mucking up running lanes and getting early penetration."

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This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: College Football Roundtable -- predictions and analysis for Indiana vs Oregon in Week 7

Reporting by Matt Zemek, Tyler Nettuno and Riley Donald, College Sports Wire / College Sports Wire

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