Former Big Ten players talk about Oregon football joining new conference in fall

Oregon doesn’t officially join the Big Ten Conference until Friday, but the Ducks football team is already looking forward to the challenge of competing in a new league in the fall.

Chosen for finish second in the USA Today conferenceOregon has more than a few players who have played in the Big Ten, including defensive lineman Matthew Bedford, defensive lineman Derrick Harmon and inside linebacker Jestin Jacobs.

Players spoke Monday at Oregon’s Media Day at Autzen Stadium about returning to the Big Ten after transferring from their respective previous programs.

A common sentiment expressed by the trio of players when asked about the potential difference in playing in the Big Ten: “Football is football.”

“We have some guys on the D-line,” said Harmon, a transfer from Michigan State. “We got the bodies to deal with the Big Ten. This defense can match up in the Big Ten, for sure. I know this conference, they’re going to run the ball. That’s what they want to do. We have to try to stop the run, that will be the main focus.”

Bedford, a forward who played at Indiana last season, said much the same thing.

“Talent is everywhere,” Bedford said.

But for Jacobs, who played at Iowa to start his college career before transferring last season to Oregon and playing eight Pac-12 games for the Ducks, the biggest difference is the ease of access to games for his family.

An Ohio native, Jacobs said his family will be able to travel to more of his Big Ten games than last year.

He also never thought he would play in the Big Ten again after transferring to Oregon shortly before his announced move to the conference and the collapse of the Pac-12.

“I definitely didn’t think so,” Jacobs said. “It was kind of crazy when it first happened. I was like, ‘Wow, I just left and now I’m back.’ I liked. I don’t feel like doing that, I’m excited about the opportunity to come back to the Midwest and play football.

Jacobs said the biggest adjustment, and the question his teammates have asked him most about playing in the Big Ten, is the cold weather at the end of the year in places like Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin.

The Ducks don’t play Iowa in 2024, Jacobs’ old school, or Indiana, where Bedford last played, but they do face Michigan State on Oct. 4 at Autzen Stadium.

Alec Dietz covers University of Oregon football, volleyball, women’s basketball and baseball for The Register-Guard. You can contact him at adietz@registerguard.com and you can follow him on @AlecDietz.

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Former Big Ten players talk about Oregon joining the new conference