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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.

From the Sideline: Oklahoma State Knew What Oregon Plays Were ComingOur special guest columnist Mike Ostrom was on site in Stillwater for some great insight into the ‘little things’ that became big thingsMIKE OSTROMFrom 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

The new indoor facility is still under construction. Maybe Dan is making some phone calls to those making the new indoor facility to see just how hot they can crank that thing up to. Would be great if they could add some industrial strength humidifiers while they are at it.

I recall Chip Kelly changing conditions within the indoor practice facilities in the days before a road game where he knew the climate would be different. Wonder if DL has done anything like that.

He also defended some passes well. All in all 14 direct points in Oregon's favor is a heck of a day. Seeing the replay of him blowing by Aaron Flower to save the Mestermaker touchdown, I wonder if they would be better switching spots LoL. But really his speed and acceleration are otherworldly. By the time he was able to release from the blocker to give chase, Mestermaker was 5 yards ahead and nearly at full speed and Devon only had about 50 yards to catch him. Absolutely unreal. And at his size, it doesn't even look fast because he's so big, but it's scary as heck.

SP+ Bill Connolly's takes on Ohio State, Oregon, and others - https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/49922684/connelly-week-2-true-texas-ohio-state-oregon-oklahoma-state

Here is what AI "Claude" has to say when I asked "What are the effects of Hyperthermia on athletic and mental performance." For those that are going to say "It was hot for OSU too." I'll put what it says about acclimating first. Performance also depends on hydration status, acclimatization, and individual heat tolerance — well-acclimatized athletes can maintain performance at higher core temperatures than unacclimatized ones. Hyperthermia (elevated core body temperature) impairs both physical and cognitive performance, generally in a dose-dependent way as core temperature rises above ~38–39°C. Athletic performance: Reduced endurance capacity — time to exhaustion drops sharply as core temp approaches ~40°C, a threshold linked to central fatigue Decreased muscle power output and increased perceived exertion for the same workload Cardiovascular strain: blood is diverted to the skin for cooling, reducing blood flow to working muscles and raising heart rate at a given intensity ("cardiovascular drift") Faster glycogen depletion and dehydration, compounding fatigue Increased risk of heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke at the extreme end Mental/cognitive performance: Slower reaction times and reduced attention/vigilance Impaired decision-making and executive function, especially in complex tasks Working memory and short-term memory take a hit Mood effects — increased irritability, perceived fatigue, and reduced motivation Above roughly 39–40°C core temp, cognitive decline becomes more pronounced and consistent across studies. It was measuring 97F in the stadium and likely higher on the field, with the level of humidity was probably a heat index of 110-115, and they are in pads and a helmet! Without a doubt their bodies were redlining on temp, and you body doesn't care about you trying to win a game, it's literally trying to dump enough heat to survive. And if you don't think Dan Lanning's brain was baked by the 4th quarter with two delay of games that NEVER happen and going for it on 4th and 8 from his own 30 yard line when there are 3 minutes and 3 timeouts left, then I don't know what to tell you. I saw a tweet from an OSU fan that said he was seated near the entrance to the Duck locker room and going into halftime they looked absolutely exhausted. I grew up in Oregon and lived in St. Louis. There is no way to go from 60s and 70s to that kind of weather overnight and perform. It's an out of body experience, but with time I acclimated to go on runs when it was that hot out, come back in a pile of sweat feeling fine, opening the door to my apartment that was A/C'd to a dry 80 degrees and it felt like an icebox! Anyways, don't get me wrong, we've got real problems that need to be corrected, but for the entire sports media industrial complex and fans to act like this wasn't a factor for them playing uninspired and with poor execution is more than a bit unfair.

I suspect the '22 Georgia D (considered historic) was more Kirby than Dan. Elite LBs and the star position were crucial to run the 4-2-5, we have had talent but not that level. I always assumed Lanning was more the guy on D than Lupoi. Now with Hampton? Does DL override the OCs opinion on going for it on 4th down?

SP+ Post Week 2 Rankings - OBD No. 9 - Helping to keep Austin Weird - 1-1 Ohio State ranked 2nd and 2-0 Texas 6th 😁 https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/49868647/2026-college-football-sp+-rankings-all-138-fbs-teams

Congrats to him being fast.

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