Oregon Ducks continue preseason invasion of Big Ten country with hilarious hijinx

The Oregon Ducks are making their presence felt in Big Ten country as they gear up to play their first game in the conference in just over a month, introducing themselves to those that might be unfamiliar. The Oregon Duck mascot, Puddles, showed up at Nebraska's press conference today to say hello.

Oregon Ducks looking to make statement in transition to Big Ten

After sending a giant inflatable Oregon Duck down the White River in Indianapolis during Big Ten Media Week, Puddles continues his midwest hijinx in showing up in Nebraska.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning loves the energy, but also understands that it's the football that matters the most.

"I’ve said it a few times, but it’s kind of like the first day of school, you don’t want to just walk in with new shoes, right,” Lanning said. “We certainly want to come in and make a splash and I think our marketing team does an unbelievable job of making sure that Oregon’s recognized nationally. They’ve always done a good job from a branding standpoint.

”But we have to go out there and win games that has very little to do with that but it creates excitement for our fans and certainly excitement for the Big Ten and Oregon joining that.”

Oregon looking to make a national name for themselves

Off the field, we know Oregon is building one of the most recognizable brands in college football. The jersey combinations, along with these marketing moves, certainly add to that.

On the field, it's time to step up. The Ducks are trending towards becoming a blue blood program , striking gold in the recruiting trail and stringing together successful seasons. In their first rankings for 2024, ESPN put Oregon as the No. 3 team in the country. They have elite talent on both sides of the ball, including newly minted WR1 Evan Stewart , who has a chance for a massive breakout in the high-flying Ducks offensive system.

It's time to take the jump. Now a part of a highly competitive conference, Oregon can truly kick the door in and say "we've arrived" if they are able to win a conference title and compete for a National Championship in the newly-expanded College Football Playoffs format.

It won't be easy. The Ducks will have to battle with Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, and others just within their own conference if they're going to chase national notoriety. With a head coach in Lanning that believes in the program, Oregon is a school on the rise.

Related: Oregon Ducks offensive lineman listed as way-too-early 2024 All-American candidate