On Thursday Dan Lanning sat down for a one-on-one interview with John Canzano of "The Bald-Faced Truth." Radio interviews include a lot hoopdetoodle most of the time but coach said one thing in particular in the ninth minute that should resonate for Duck fans.
He was talking about the loss to Indiana and what he took away from it.
"What a learning opportunity, to say, 'Okay, how could we do this different?' Losses aren't worth it if you don't learn the lessons, right? And if you learn the lessons, it can be really effective."
The loss to Indiana put Oregon at the crossroads. That happened. As Lanning noted it was 20-20 in the fourth quarter and Indiana imposed their will and won the game. The team hasn't lost often in the Lanning era.
It's the exact middle of the season with a road game at Rutgers, followed by a home game against 2-4 Wisconsin, followed by the November stretch drive that gets more difficult.
As a top coach in college football (he's about as far from the hot seat as a coach can get) Lanning has an overall plan for the season. By Game 7, he and the staff have a clear idea of what their team's strengths are, what they can lean into to win Saturday.
"I do feel good about our prep this week. I do feel good about our plan," he said.
Now they have to go out and execute 2500 miles from home while rediscovering their offensive punch. The strength of the attack appears to a 6-0, 235-pound running back Jordon Davison and a big-armed quarterback. The defense has been giving up too many long drives, particularly late in games.
Rutgers is the reset, the opportunity. They're right where they want to be, asking the right questions.
Oregon at Rutgers, Saturday at 3:30 p.m. PT on the Big Ten Network.