Oregon: 3 Games Dan Lanning Can't Afford to Lose This Season

The roster has never been better for Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning than it will be this fall. 

That means the expectations and pressure for the Ducks are higher than they have been in the past. With quarterback Dante Moore returning for his second season in Eugene, the only way 2026 becomes a good season is if the team makes (and wins) the national championship.

The Ducks have a challenging regular season schedule that will prepare them for a deep College Football Playoff run. But here are three games Oregon can't afford to lose as the challenge for the Big Ten championship and a spot in the CFP.

Oregon at Oklahoma State (Sept. 12)

When the Ducks penciled in the Cowboys, this wasn't expected to be the toughest non-conference matchup. But new head coach Eric Morris is coming into the season with momentum after nearly getting North Texas to the CFP last season.

Cowboys quarterback Drew Mestemaker led the FBS with 4,379 yards last season with the Mean Green. He's expected to have another solid campaign with OSU. 

Oregon has a talented defensive line and secondary, and they'll need to show up for a challenging non-conference game.

Nebraska at Oregon (Oct. 17) 

The easiest portion of the Big Ten schedule for the Ducks will come in October against UCLA, Nebraska, Illinois, and Northwestern. 

The Cornhuskers lost starting quarterback Dylan Raiola to Oregon in the transfer portal this offseason. Nebraska isn't expected to be a top Big Ten team, and this is a game the Ducks need to dominate at home before getting into a meatier portion of their conference schedule in November.

Nebraska will certainly put up a fight, and it would be disastrous if Oregon dropped this one at home.

Oregon at Michigan State (Nov. 20)

New Michigan State head coach Pat Fitzgerald will be looking for a signature win this season, and a late-November contest at home against a CFP favorite would be huge for the program.

The Ducks will play the Spartans in between home games against Michigan and Washington. Sparty will play spoiler, and Oregon can't afford to play a letdown game here against a much weaker opponent.