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.

Saban learned to pay recruits under the table. You can't do that now. He knew he couldn't cheat anymore, which is why he left.

Edited 1 hour ago1 hr by Sharpshooter1997

1 hour ago, Ktmguy2018 said:

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.

Lanning has an incredibly golden opportunity to show all of us, and the entire college football nation, what he is made of.

I would not bet against Lanning in the situation.

Edited 48 minutes ago48 min by Desert Duck

7 minutes ago, Desert Duck said:

Lanning has an incredibly golden opportunity to show all of us, and the entire college football nation, what he is made of.

I would not bet against Lanning in the situation.

I certainly wouldn't bet for him either.