Dan Lanning’s internal promotions face a brutal litmus test against USC as underperforming units and playoff expectations threaten to derail the Ducks' once-promising national championship ambitions.
Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning will have to do his best on Saturday night to avoid slipping into James Franklin-like territory.
It was Lanning and the Ducks that pushed Penn State to the brink early last season. Following PSU's loss to Oregon, the Nittany Lions lost two more, putting an end to their hope of making the College Football Playoff after starting the season as the No. 2 team in the country.
Oregon received the dreaded No. 2 ranking to begin the campaign this year. The Ducks did not play well against Boise State and lost to Oklahoma State. Lanning was crucified after being blown out by Indiana in the CFP semifinal last season, the second time he suffered a blowout loss in the tournament.
With Dante Moore and several starters on defense returning, the Ducks were expected to compete for the national championship. Right now, they look like a mid-tier bowl team.
Wilson Alexander of On3 noted that Lanning is under pressure to win against USC this weekend. He argues that Lanning has "some equity" with Oregon after winning the Big Ten championship in 2024 and making two CFP appearances.
But offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer and defensive coordinator Chris Hampton aren't in the same position. Both coaches earned promotions in the offseason. The offensive line has played poorly this season. The defense is underwhelming.
While it's true that coming into the season there were questions about Mehringer and Hampton having inexperience, their failures can be traced back to the head coach.
Lanning knew what the stakes were when Moore returned to Oregon, and several players on his defensive line decided to chase a national championship this season. He decided not to go out and hire elite coordinators, something Ohio State head coach Ryan Day has done in recent seasons.
If Mehringer and Hampton were the problem, that decision fully lies with Lanning.
The situation with Lanning and his coordinator is similar to the heat Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney is facing for not using the transfer portal to land an experienced quarterback. Swinney admitted he'd be raked over the coals if his experiment with Christopher Vizzina and Tait Reynolds failed.
Lanning made the call to promote his coordinators. Maybe they'll settle in as the season goes along. But if Lanning loses to USC after Lincoln Riley hired Gary Patterson as his defensive coordinator, all bets should be off that Lanning is the right guy to lead a championship program.
