The rope-a-dope Dan Lanning executed on the college football world in their 51-34 win over James Madison was brilliant. The game was never in doubt. The Ducks landed jabs throughout, played a bunch of players and walked away with a first-round victory.
They landed haymakers and came away without a scratch. In the locker room afterward Lanning got to play the "we didn't finish" card with his team while leaving the impression with the pundits, fans and the next opponent that his defense was weak and exploitable.
Lanning played possum. Oregon finished the game with third and fourth-string players dotting the lineup as the Dukes scored three late touchdowns to turn a blowout into a deceptively close but yet still comfortable three-score win. He disguised his intentions. He saved energy, yet the offense rolled for 44 of those 51 points with multiple explosive plays.
James Madison was a tuneup, and the Ducks used it like one
The deceptive final score has Big 12 honks salivating. "Texas Tech is going to make a mockery of Oregon," Drake Toll, host of the "Locked on Big 12" podcast said. They really believe that in the Southwest, as if wins over BYU and Utah prepare the Red Raiders for the No. 5 team in the country and the nation's best offensive line.
Still, this opponent will require a season's best effort from Poncho Laloulu, Emmanuel Pregnon, Alex Harkey, Dave Iuli and Isaiah World. Oregon needs to take advantage of the rust factor for a team coming off a 25-day layoff by breaking some explosive plays early. That requires discipline and execution in the trenches.
All four of the teams coming off long layoffs trailed by two scores at halftime in the quarterfinals last year.
If that happens, the Ducks can't afford to fool around with cute strategies, sloppy playcalling or experimental rotations in this one. Texas Tech is an opponent completely capable of a big rally and a reversal of momentum. If Oregon does get a lead, they must keep punching, keep their foot on the neck of the Red Raiders. It's no time to be deceptive or subtle. In the second round they've got to aim to finish the fight early.