The College Football Playoff brought a painful loss for Oregon when Indiana was able to pick up a second win over the Ducks. The regular season matchup was so closely contested, and the hope was that by cleaning up the mistakes, Oregon could emerge victorious before hopefully going on a run for a National Championship. Instead, the Hoosiers became a monster in the postseason and ended such an exciting year for the Ducks.
Part of what made the College Football Playoff loss to Indiana sting was the losses it brought to the team as a whole. Players like Kenyon Sadiq and Dillon Thieneman left for the NFL Draft while the coaching staff lost both coordinators to head coaching positions. It turns out, Oregon's loss to Indiana actually served as a reason for the coordinators to take the leap.
Indiana taught Will Stein a lesson that only hurts the Ducks
As Will Stein heads into his first season leading the Kentucky Wildcats, he's starting to look back on his time at Oregon. Stein appeared on 680 The Fan, where he pointed to the turnaround that Indiana made as a program as proof that the right head coach could turn around any program.
“I never would have left Oregon if I didn’t feel I could win.”
— 680 The Fan (@680TheFan) May 12, 2026
Will Stein says Kentucky can make the jump nationally and pointed to Indiana’s rise as proof. pic.twitter.com/Ef4R0jEnBi
Seeing that Indiana served as motivation for Will Stein to leave Oregon only adds to the sting of the two losses the Ducks suffered this season. If Oregon instead handles Indiana in Autzen Stadium, maybe things shift for Indiana, and they never emerge as the superpower that went on to dominate the College Football Playoff.
Instead, a close loss in the regular season cost Oregon a chance at a Big Ten Championship, a better path in the College Football Playoff, and its offensive coordinator in Will Stein. The effects won't just be felt with losing him after the playoffs, as it'll have an impact beyond this past season.
Having Dante Moore back working with Will Stein for another season would've only allowed the offense to take an even bigger leap, as the continuity could've been key. Instead, Oregon now changes offensive coordinators, which will limit just how big of a leap the unit takes despite all the returning pieces.
The Ducks are still frontrunners to win the National Championship this season, but we won't truly know this team's ceiling until they start to play the games. Having the continuity for one more season would've helped as the Ducks try to overcome teams like Indiana, but they instead helped spark a new power in the Big Ten while giving Stein the confidence to take on a bigger challenge.
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