Just a few weeks ago, with the Oregon offense struggling, Dan Lanning was put in a place where he needed to make a decision. The Ducks ended up firing offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer, and in the weeks that have followed, the offense has looked vastly better. As Oregon turns the page from the win over Ohio State, the matchup with the Michigan Wolverines presents a similar issue to the one the Ducks dealt with.
Kyle Whittingham brought offensive coordinator Jason Beck with him from Utah, making him the highest paid offensive coordinator in college football. After losing to Michigan State on Saturday with the offense finally scoring in the 58th minute, it was clear changes had to come to Ann Arbor. On Sunday Afternoon, Whittingham made the same decision Dan Lanning was taked with making, firing his OC.
Sources: Michigan has fired offensive coordinator Jason Beck. pic.twitter.com/NxLUgeRc0N
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) November 8, 2026
Jason Beck's firing makes Michigan game a bigger challenge for Oregon
Michigan's decision to fire their offensive coordinator is a week too soon if you're an Oregon fan as Beck's unit was abysmal. There wasn't anything the offense was doing well as the unit averaged 173.9 passing yards per game ranking 226th, 128.7 rushing yards per game ranking 109th, and scored just 19.6 points per game ranking 126th.
The shakeup in play caller should at least lead to a spark for the Wolverines' offense, and the change isn't the best news for the Ducks. Michigan may follow a ton of what Beck put in place, given that the new play caller will only be in place for a week, but there's also a ton that could change. Most importantly, Oregon won't have film to pick up on the tendencies of the new coordinator in charge, which makes game planning tricky.
The change in offensive coordinator may also lead to a change at quarterback as Tommy Carr has been up and down since replacing Bryce Underwood. Michigan has a far greater investment in Underwood, and it might be worth seeing if a change could lead to better play ahead of a pivotal offseason for their program.
As Michigan speaks to the media ahead of the Oregon game and as reports continue to trickle out, the Ducks will learn about who they have to prepare for in this game. The biggest hope should be that the Wolverines stick with Carr, who's less mobile than Underwood and hasn't provided a big uptick in the passing game. Hopefully, whatever changes are coming to the offense don't happen for a week, otherwise the game becomes far more challenging for the Oregon defense.
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