With a no-huddle offense, playmakers at every skill position and an appearance in last year's national championship game, Oregon has announced itself as a giant in college football. And that success has translated to the recruiting trail, where flashy uniforms and a potential third consecutive Pac-12 title have the Ducks creeping up on the Trojans for recruiting supremacy in the conference.

It's a race that doesn't necessarily need a winner. With so many talented athletes across the country and an extreme difference in offensive and defensive styles, the Ducks and Trojans are each going to get their share of players if the on-field results continue. But the Oregon and USC coaches are going head to head for far more players now than when the Trojans were running roughshod for the better part of the last decade.

Oregon has earned it -- both on the field and in the eyes of recruits. Trojans fans who followed recruiting had grown accustomed to hearing high school athletes in places such as Georgia, Kentucky or Maryland react positively to a USC scholarship offer because, as they would almost always say, "USC is USC."

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Erik McKinney | email

Reporter, RecruitingNation

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• Covers recruiting in the West
• Joined ESPN in 2009