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What do we do with Dan Lanning? Maybe, just maybe we go up to the 30,000 foot level and take another peak at this. I am still stunned and frustrated with this loss, but I forced myself to try and be objective. I don't recommend that to anyone, it's very challenging when OBD are concerned, but I tried to do it for you so you don't have to. Before we throw away the guy who has taken Oregon to a 48–8 record over four seasons, maybe we should remember that another coach once had fans questioning whether he was getting enough out of his program. That coach was a guy by the name of Nick Saban. Saban's first four seasons at LSU 38-13: • 2000: 8–4 • 2001: 10–3 — SEC Champion • 2002: 8–5 • 2003: 13–1 — SEC Champion & National Champion After that 8–5 season in 2002, there was legitimate frustration around LSU. Expectations had risen. The talent was there. People questioned whether Saban was getting enough out of his players. Sound familiar? Then came 2003. Now look at Lanning: • 2022: 10–3 • 2023: 12–2 • 2024: 13–1 — Big Ten Champion • 2025: 13–2 48–8 vs 38-13 That's an absurd level of consistency. And Lanning isn't doing it with mediocre recruiting. Oregon has become a national recruiting powerhouse, consistently bringing in elite talent while also mastering the transfer portal. Saban's recruiting classes were routinely top 5 or better and he had a slightly worse win/loss ratio, albeit with no transfer portal...because that didn't exist "technically". So, does Lanning need to win a national championship? YES. At this point, that's the expectation at Oregon You can't have this type of talent and resources and get beat by Oklahoma State or taken to the wire by Boise State. But “we haven't won the championship yet” is not the same thing as “Lanning is an underachiever.” If we're going to judge Lanning, let's judge the entire body of work and not just the frustration of the latest loss. Because here's the uncomfortable truth: Nick Saban didn't win his first national championship at LSU until Year 4. Before that, there were losses. There were questions. There was frustration. There were people wondering whether all that talent was translating into enough wins. Then everything clicked. I'm not saying Dan Lanning is Nick Saban. I'm saying maybe we should be very careful before declaring that a coach who is winning at an extraordinary rate, recruiting at an elite level, and has transformed Oregon into a national contender is somehow failing. Now comes the hardest part: FINISHING THE JOB I believe that is where the majority of frustration comes from. Being so close. Supposedly having the pieces to do it. Bringing back NFL talent that so far hasn't looked it. Comparisons are brutal, but warranted. Will the Ducks win the CFP this year. Not the way they look now. But, WHEN they do, we may look back at these conversations very differently and see the growth of not just this program, but of Dan Lanning.

Not sure if the NIL era has passed Dan by, but his supposed area of expertise is slipping, imo.

If it's too expensive to fire the coach, fire the AD. I don't think this will help cover Alabama -20.5. https://apnews.com/article/florida-state-ad-fired-michael-alford-abc96f2a16e424e5c17ffc6509dd64d6

KK, terrific post, thanks. 83.34% of the regular season remains to be played. Will Oregon turn it around? Heck if I know. Oregon has the 3rd highest-rated composite roster in CFB, one of the most expensive rosters in CFB. After losing portal players Pregnon, World, and Harkey, Dan went after OL studs like Seaton. He was outbid in an unregulated market, with mega-fan billionaires acting like frenzied college-aged kids and not businessmen. The exact opposite of the NFL. If there is a season-long problem, it is as much the fault of Dan and the rating services overestimating the talent of recruits as it is bad portal-picking. O-line guys who cannot finish run blocks are not 2* and 3* players. If you can't run the ball ... Miami paid the most money in the history of CFB to pry Mario away from the Ducks. Mario has frenzied boosters looking to bring back The U regardless of cost, the benefit of a weak regular-season schedule, and no restraint on going after players under contract to another program. If Oregon had opened at Stanford and then played FAMU, what would the record be? Would there be any concerns heading into the Portland State game? Out-of-conference scheduling in CFB is an art; in 2026, Rob colored outside the lines. LSU beat down the premier portal-putz, Dabo Swinney. Let's see how Lane fares at No. 8 Ole Miss, No. 9 Texas A&M, at Kentucky, Mississippi State, at Auburn, No. 10 Alabama, No. 1 Texas, at No. 15 Tennessee, and at Arkansas. At season's end, will the LSU ROI be enough to justify spending $100 million to bring in Kiffin and buying a $45 + million roster? Today, LSU is searching for private equity money. Mike West authored an excellent article on the schemes used by Dan, particularly on defense, and whether the schemes work in today's game. But no scheme will work if experienced players, many of whom will play ball in the NFL, don't show up with a want-to-win attitude and don't play disciplined football. Top-rated players are committing game-changing penalties. I do believe it's fair to ask whether Dan can learn from his mistakes. We saw the Rose Bowl movie rerun in the Peach Bowl. But Saturday was Dan's first loss against an unranked team, and play like they did against the Ducks, these Cowboys could finish in the Top-25. Get well vs. the Vikings, then let's see how things go in LA.

I think Lanning is going to have to make some real big decisions at the end of the season around his staff. The only way he gets out of that is if Oregon wins a National Championship but doesn't seem remotely realistic.

For the first time Lanning has to deal major adversity...we will see what he is made of...Will be interesting to see how he responds. Go Ducks!

Defensively we retained most of it! All but 1 of the defensive front 7... yeah the loss was Bryce Boettcher whose leadership is greatly missed. The defensive backfield lost Theinaman ... but otherwise brought everyone back. Loss of leadership hurts. I suppose no one has stepped up to fill the leadership void. But with everyone back... the pass rush should be better and the secondary coverage should be better.

I think the departure of Tosh Lupoi is being felt here more than anything else to be honest. Lupoi was an incredible motivator from what I read and was able to get his guys focused and revved up for the game. I don't think anyone is filling that role. Lupoi was a huge piece of the Lanning culture and he's gone now and I don't think that's a void that anyone has stepped up to fill. Beyond that... I think Mehringer's play calling has been ok. I think most of the problem is on player execution and mindset. Dante Moore threw high on a fourth down to Dakorian Moore. He forced to rush his throw as the pass protection was there for him but he rushed the pass. Instead of putting that ball on Dakorian's number where Dak would have potentially taken it for a touchdown at that point in all honesty... he threw it high and just out of reach. Could Dakorian have caught that pass? Potentially yes... but he wouldn't have gotten any yards have catch (but it would have been a first down). And speaking of the receivers... they have been AWFUL at blocking. I know we all hate those bubble screen lateral passes but the reality is they exist and they usually pick up a chunk of yards because of other blocking to spring the runner free. That hasn't been happening as receivers blocking on the perimeter have been beaten in their blocks. I feel the bigger problem right now is on player preparation and positional coaching. There were more examples of Moore just throwing off target on Saturday to receivers who couldn't make a play on the ball because it was off target. There were also plenty of instances where receivers also dropped the ball too. The offensive line is a mess. As individuals they often look ok but as a unit they are coming undone. Pass protection is better than the run game, I think that is in part because the line can usually identify and pick up rushers and they are good enough athletes to take on their guy. But run blocking requires more team effort and coordination. Pulling linemen and getting into the second level is what pops big runs. There is no team right now... there are 11 guys on the field running around and doing things. This goes for both sides of the ball. I think the defense needs a change in scheme to be honest... only ever rushing four puts a lot of pressure on the back end to hold up long enough to create pressure. But this is Lanning's base defense we have been since he got here and though I think it needs to change, we've seen it so far better than this in previous years. Just some additional thoughts.

Exactly.

OK, this article may well be an overreaction after two weeks of the season, but to date, the conference is failing to meet expectations. The Big Ten is 10th out of 10 FBS conferences in failing to meet SP+ preseason ratings and is flailing against Power 4 competition. We need a: REVERSE! https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-25-college-football-0a5a08732c712ece4b127de45aa1fa10?user_email=c7d8647c6247db8d08c59fe44bc30380a147aa90b9e33099045cd46ddc6a485b&utm_medium=Sports_wire&utm_source=Sailthru_A

Sorry for the over dramatic headline but it does cut to the heart of my question. Clearly the U of O is a front running NIL super power and can collect as much 4-5 star talent as anybody. My question is that are the things that Lanning is a master at no longer relevant? First I want to state that I absolutely love Lanning as the head coach and want him to succeed and also understand that some steps backward are inevitable for even the best teams sometimes. This is more about how the trend seems to be heading as the tone of the NIL era becomes clearer. And that tone to me seems to be heading away from the Lanning style of coaching. I have never seen a coach be able to fire his team up on game day like Lanning. His pre game speeches and weekly themes to work on have me ready to run through a wall. His players also have shown immense loyalty and even in the first few years of NIL, the only ones hitting the portal were 3rd and 4th stringers that just weren't going to see the field. But as the NIL monster grew, I think it began to outweigh team/ coach loyalty as the college free agent was born. At the end of last season, the Ducks finally got their first taste of it. Most of the teams running back room hit the portal even as the Ducks were heading to a semi final date in a rematch with Indiana. Try to imagine key players leaving a Final Four team at the peak of March Madness. It's practically unthinkable and yet it happened to the Ducks. Then after the season was over, the real exodus began. Players that were looking at second and even possible first string roles abandoned the team in droves looking for better payouts and playing opportunities. Just like that, Lanning's prized recruiting class was decimated before it ever had a chance to impact the game. More recruits and portal additions have been brought in but I think the modern attitude of the players has changed. I think they are now more concerned about their market value and what their agents have to say than their coaches. I think Lanning's once excellent motivational methods no longer work on guys more interested in building their brand and eyeing their next deal. I believe that his in house coordinator hires were a mistake and better ones need to be brought in but I also think that a bigger underlying issue is at play. This may also explain how less rah rah and more business like or transactional coaches like Cristobal are having more success lately. I don't know what the answer is and as mentioned before I still love Lanning as the coach, I'm just concerned the game has moved on.

The heat and humidity in Autzen were nothing compared to that in OK, I'm sure.

Miracles happen!! And its going to take one to turn this thing around. How about you?

The defense may still be at one of those retreats here in Central Oregon that we see on the hype videos. Maybe the jet lag from the Japan trip? Maybe the weight of all the NIL money? Shoes too tight? Just trying to think of idea here.

Where's the defense?

Thank you, David. Oregon should have this weekend to get right before a program-defining game in LA. Is Oregon still the King of the Coast? SC is at Rutgers on Saturday, and I imagine the SC coaching staff is focusing on the Oregon game while not overlooking a road trip where SC, under Riley, has underperformed. Laugh at the competition, but the SC schedule with three home games against inferior opposition was the perfect way to have a young team integrate with the most returning starters in CFB and be prepared for conference play. The same can be said for the Indiana schedule, which has given QB Josh Hoover the chance to settle in. Meanwhile, and it isn't fair, Ohio State has burned a PO mulligan. Based on what happened to Texas last season, the Buckeyes and the Ducks now have to go 8-1. Especially Oregon, with what could be a "Bad Loss" in December. Come on Cowboys! There is no preseason in CFB. With NIL, every year every team will have to integrate transfers with returning but inexperienced players and returning starters. Roster management is crazy-making, but it's the name of today's CFB game. The 2026 OOC scheduling by Rob Mullens was far from artful; however, and you nailed the question: Where in Hades is the team? Where is the on-field leadership? Does Lanning have control over this group of athletes? I'm not surprised the outside world is asking if Oregon is this season's Penn State. In 2025, Penn State didn't play well against inferior competition in the preseason, and after the Oregon loss, if not before. With a road loss at UCLA and a home loss to Northwestern, there was no question that the veteran team had quit on James Franklin. Get right Friday night. Then comes a crucial game in LA. Thanks again, David, and Go Ducks!

The eye test tells you this team is in complete disarray, and as Desert Duck noted above, the meltdown begin right out of the gates at Autzen. A more likely explanation is rookie coordinators on both sides of the ball and too much preseason hype (rat poison). Most distressing is how ineffective our line play is, on both sides of the ball. I think the PSU game is going to be competitive...

I think the team overheated from the Indiana game and has not been able to recover from that blowout loss.

Was it also the hot & humid conditions in Autzen the week before that caused us to play so poorly? Or maybe it was the refs.

They did. They ramped the heat up last week. But probably not the humidity enough.

Morning everyone, Not a happy article and also I didn't post anything after the game. After a loss, especially one that bad, it takes time to process. Also I don't have cable or a streaming service that has ALL the ESPN variants needed to watch the game. But I saw enough for this. Let's hope we start to see some life out of this team. Where’s the Team?Seriously, where are the Oregon Ducks?

Well.... Mike Ostrom who was there for the game said this about the heat index on the playing field. "The Heat was Hot - An on-field photographer checked the turf temperature at halftime and it read 146 degrees. It went up from there."

Our special guest columnist Mike Ostrom was on site in Stillwater for some great insight into the ‘little things’ that became big thingsMIKE OSTROMOklahoma State Knew What Oregon Plays Were Coming Oregon Tipping a Run or Pass - This isn’t sign stealing; this is good old fashioned film study and insight. Oklahoma State saw something on film and the result was Cowboy players knowing whether a run or pass was coming. Duck Sports Central is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe “We were noticing earlier in the week that their (Oregon’s) offensive line had tendencies that helped us key into run (or) pass and a couple areas we could take advantage of,” said senior linebacker Tate Romney, “and obviously our defensive line was keyed into that. That was one big thing that gave us a big advantage.” What were those tendencies? “Just their offensive line had a few stance indicators for most of the time run/pass,” said Romney. The Heat was Hot - An on-field photographer checked the turf temperature at halftime and it read 146 degrees. It went up from there. What’s Oregon going to do now? Answer: Dan Lanning is going to do what Dan Lanning always does. He’s going to learn from what went right and what went wrong and the Ducks will improve. Few coaches in college football have done it better than Lanning over the last four years and two games. 3 of the most popular questions I was texted after the game: 1- Is Oregon going to turtle like Penn State did last year? Answer: No. 2- Are the Ducks going to miss playing in a Bowl game this year? Answer: Heck No. 3- Should Oregon fans be worried about Portland State? Answer. That would be a No. Dan will find a way. He always does. From the Sideline: Oklahoma State Knew What Oregon Plays...Our special guest columnist Mike Ostrom was on site in Stillwater for some great insight into the ‘little things’ that became big things

Idk, I was in Honduras doing labor, concrete work and installing water systems. It was in the 90's, humid and the travel in those mountains is incredibly difficult. I guess it's an excuse. Seems pretty soft though. Not sure that blaming weather is a good look. The Ducks look soft and blaming the weather makes then look softer imo

The Fifth Quarter: Oregon’s problems in Stillwater ran deeper than the scoreOregon’s loss in Stillwater exposed problems in preparation, protection and identity that the final score only partly showed.SCOTT REED The Fifth Quarter: Oregon’s problems in Stillwater ran de...Oregon’s loss in Stillwater exposed problems in preparation, protection and identity that the final score only partly showed.