Why Oregon, Dan Lanning are fine being the Big Ten underdog ahead of the upcoming college football season

The Oregon Ducks had a phenomenal 2024 season, including a Big Ten Championship and a Rose Bowl berth in the College Football Playoff. Oregon won their first 13 games of the season, but the season ended horribly for them with a 41-21 whooping by Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. Ohio State had a 34-0 lead in the second quarter and never looked back.

On Wednesday at Big Ten Media Day, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning was asked about the loss to Ohio State at the Rose Bowl. He tipped his cap to Ohio State head coach Ryan Day and what the Buckeyes did right, and also made it clear he hasn’t forgotten the defeat but aims to move on and correct what led to their demise on such a grand stage in Pasadena.

“We always remember the losses over the wins. I think there’s a lot you can learn from that. It doesn’t take away from what we were able to accomplish, but we lost to a great team,” Lanning said. “Coach Day did an unbelievable job last year of having his team in position to have success there. There are some things I think I could have done better at the end. I don’t think we played our best football.”

While not using it as an excuse for losing to OSU, Lanning also pointed to the long layover that Oregon had due to having a bye in the first round of the playoffs. Oregon went 25 days without playing, and Lanning told ESPN, “you’d love the rust to be knocked off when you step on the field” and said the long break is something he’s “not crazy about”.

Lanning was mainly positive throughout the afternoon, highlighting the successes Oregon had last year, including going undefeated in Big Ten Conference action during the regular season and winning the Big Ten Championship. But now, as Lanning put it, he wants to “double down” and focus on Oregon’s process and make the future better than the past.

“What do we have to continue to improve? There’s always learning lessons, but it doesn’t necessarily impact the future,” Lanning said.

Although Lanning talked about the Ohio State loss at length after being asked about it over a half dozen times throughout the afternoon at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, his focus is on what’s ahead for his program, and he finds the accolades and the failures of last season to have little bearing on the future trajectory of the Oregon program.

“We do have a brand-new team and brand-new challenges. What happened last year has nothing to do with the future,” Lanning said. “Building that, starting from scratch, getting the opportunity to head back to the kitchen, figure out what we’re going to be able to throw in for our recipe, and create a great meal is something we’re super excited about.”

Oregon will head into the season as an underdog to win the Big Ten. Oregon finished third in preseason polls conducted by USA Today and Cleveland.com, with Penn State at No. 1 and Ohio State at No. 2. Oregon also has the third-best odds of winning the Big Ten on FanDuel Sportsbook. The fact that Ohio State and Penn State are receiving all the preseason buzz is something Lanning is aware of, telling ESPN’s Heather Dinich, “I don’t mind being the silent assassin.”

If Oregon’s to become a silent assassin and make a playoff run once again, they’ll be doing so with a new starting quarterback in Dante Moore. Last season, Oregon had Dillon Gabriel, a Heisman finalist and a player who started 63 collegiate games, the most in FBS history. Now the keys are being handed to Moore, who’s in his third year of college ball and started five games at UCLA in 2023 before transferring to Oregon last season. In all, Moore has passed for 1,659 yards, 11 touchdowns, 9 interceptions, with a 54.8 completion rate.

“I think probably what impressed me most with Dante is not wanting to be in a microwave society,” Lanning explained. “Not wanting to just get it fast because there’s an opportunity in front of him, but to have the slow-cooked meal, to have the opportunity to sit back and mature and learn, learn from experiences that you don’t necessarily have to be on the field to feel.”

While this may not feel like Oregon’s year to make a serious run for a title, that narrative from outsiders could be all the motivation they need to find high-level success once again in 2025.