Oregon and Dan Lanning are all set to continue their momentum from last year. It got them to a playoff appearance, and it had the Ducks winning the Big 10 championship. There are some changed elements in the picture, but Oregon, nevertheless, is still primed to go big this season. Lanning will debut a new QB1 in his offense and will be facing a schedule with some key opponents missing. A lot of factors go into his 2025 run-up to the national championship. Will the playoffs and further advancements be on the cards for the Ducks this season?
The Ducks were on a roll right from the beginning of the 2024 season. They are one of the few teams that defeated Ohio State during their natty run. The Buckeyes are the 2024 champions, but the Ducks forced them to bite the dust and then themselves published a flawless winning streak before breaking into the playoffs. Sadly, Lanning lost to the Buckeyes in the first bout of the playoffs. This year, Lanning’s new roster has experts ranking him as the third-most-likely coach who might be lifting their 1st Natty this season.
It’s exciting to see how all of that pans out with some changed faces in the Ducks roster, who are bound to make a difference. CBS Sports’ Richard Johnson shed light on some possible roadblocks in Oregon’s 2025 campaign. “It’s going to be something of a murde-er’s road. They’re going to have to deal with Penn State. They’re going to have to deal with Ohio State to try to win a Big Ten championship and try to get that bye. It’s going to be a difficult slate for them,” he said in a June 27 segment of CBS Sports’ HQ Spotlight. But that does not mean the ceiling is beyond reach for Dan Lanning.
December 31, 2024, Pasadena, California, U.S: Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning speaks to media in preparation for the game between the Oregon Ducks and the Ohio State Buckeyes at The Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California. Pasadena U.S – ZUMAs304 20241231_zaf_s304_004 Copyright: xScottxStuartx
“Oregon, to me, is like last year’s Ohio State, in that their roster was just absolutely loaded coming into the season. And then, what did they do in the portal? Well, they went and got the best pieces, right?” Johnson remarked. He then noted the change-making transfer additions for the Buckeyes. They were Quinshon Judkins and Caleb Downs. Both, in their freshman years, won the SEC Freshman of the Year Award. Judkins eventually went on to get drafted in the 2nd round. Oregon, just like the Buckeyes, has some transfer elements of the same caliber in its arsenal.
“Oregon goes and gets Isaiah World, who’s an incredible left tackle from Nevada, and Makhi Hughes at running back from Tulane. So, what Oregon has done is say, we got a great team. We’re just going to add great free agent pieces to augment what we have. And so, for me, Oregon comes in as a top-2 program this season as far as national title odds,” Johnson declared. The world comes with two consecutive All-Mountain West honors from Nevada, and Hughes is the first player in Tulane history to rush for more than 1000 yards as a freshman. Joining them are Emmanuel Pregnon and Dillon Thieneman, who are expected to be great additions as well.
Dan Lanning had a dream-like season in 2024, one that was worth some envy from his competitors. Fans would expect that same unbeaten run to continue this season as well. However, they know deep down that it’s not a very realistic scenario for them this year. David Pollack also echoed these feelings.
Dan Lanning might not get to repeat the numbers from his 2024 season
2024 was Oregon’s 1st year in the Big 10. You would expect teams debuting in such demanding conferences to fumble at least once during the season. But Oregon and Dan Lanning silenced all their critics. After 2010, the 2024 season was the first time that the Ducks went unbeaten in the conference. A program-first of 13-0 also came by under Lanning and his Big 10 debut. But then the Rose Bowl playoff game against the Buckeyes undid all their splendid efforts and ended their near-perfect campaign.
This season, the road does not look as easy for Lanning. He might’ve shocked his opponents last season. But this year, they’re prepared for him. David Pollack said in a June 24 episode of See Ball Get Ball, “Oregon goes into the conference. They go undefeated. They look like the best team in the country; they have zero losses in the Big 10. Zero. Like took care of business, won the league… they’re still going to be a really good football team and be in the mix. But they’re going to go backwards big time.”
The absence of Dan Lanning’s most productive elements of last year’s success are all in the NFL now. Dillon Gabriel, Tez Johnson, and Josh Cornerly Jr. are all gone now, and they proved to be some of the biggest reasons for Oregon’s impeccable run in the Big 10. Dante Moore comes in for Gabriel, but he’s not seen action for a year, and fans are yet to be confident in his potential to carry forward Gabriel’s legacy. Evan Stewart‘s loss to injury is going to make an impact on the Ducks’ offense. That puts the WR room in for some trouble as well.
ESPN’s Bill Connelly ranked the Ducks as the 8th most likely team to dial down on their winning capability this season. Dan Lanning has some new faces on his team, in hopes that they will continue the spotless production from last season. But the odds have changed a little, and those hopes may no longer be a realistic scenario. But the potential is still there in Oregon to at least put themselves within range of the natty by booking a spot in the playoffs. Will we see that from the Ducks this year?
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