On his college football podcast former Oregon tight end and six-year NFL vet George Wrighster asked Dan Lanning about the Ducks blowout losses to Ohio State and Indiana in the College Football Playoff, ending their season in embarrassing fashion in back-to-back years.
Wrighster said, "I don't care if you lost by one or 100, it means that there's work to do."
Lanning didn't Duck the question. "In football, you grow from both, wins and losses," he said. "Obviously the last one stings."
"But that's what it's about. It's about taking the next step and growing. We certainly had a young team. Last year we had a lot of young guys that were able to contribute. But you don't look for excuses, you look for opportunities for growth."
"What I do know is that we're going to have a stronger team in a lot of ways next year because of the experience those guys were able to get. They all took it and said, 'let's charge forward and figure out what's next.'"
"I think we have the smartest team since I've been here as far as guys understanding assignments, what they have to accomplish."
Growth from the players is an important step, certainly. The best stories in sports are redemption stories, athletes who use adversity and failure to fuel their improvement. It's the old "Rocky" line: "It ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward".
But there's a deeper and more fundamental issue, yet to be addressed, likely to be addressed only behind closed doors. In both the Rose Bowl 2025 and Peach Bowl 2026, the Ducks were badly outschemed. In each case veteran coordinators from exceptional coaching staffs, Chip Kelly and Jim Knowles, Bryant Haines and Mike Shanahan, picked the Ducks apart.
They had an answer for everything the Ducks tried to do. They made adjustments in the rematch; Oregon didn't. There were other factors like coaching turnover, the portal and a rash of injuries (Why does Oregon get so many players suffering season-ending injuries in practice? Is it merely bad lack, or an issue of pacing and intensity?)
As this interview reveals again, Lanning is committed to growth and self-evaluation. The Ducks have more talent and more experience this time around. Maybe in 2026 they'll be the team of destiny.
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