Oregon HC Dan Lanning Says Team 'Doesn't Handle Adversity Well'

Credit Dan Lanning for not making excuses about the disappointing season the Oregon Ducks are having in what was expected to be a year that ended with a deep run in the College Football Playoff. 

Lanning has said that this season has taught him the most about coaching. The Ducks are 4-3 before getting ready to play No. 20 Northwestern on Saturday, and the head coach was brutally honest about where his team is at this season.

Per Erik Skopil of 247Sports, Lanning told reporters this week that at times Oregon is not handling adversity well this season, saying the energy isn't as high when things don't go their way.

"When it's not good, it almost looks like your dog died," he said.

Lanning said that attitude is a killer for football teams. Players and coaches have to bring a high level of energy every day. He noted that at practice on Wednesday he paused practice to coach up how the team should respond to certain moments. However, he's not sure what team will show up on Saturday.

"There are no guarantees," Lanning said.

Oregon didn't look good out of the gate this season, beating Boise State by a touchdown at home. Sometimes odd things happen in Week 1, but the Ducks didn't look any different in Week 2, which translated into a loss to Oklahoma State on the road. 

The only game Oregon has played well in came against USC on Sept. 26. Outside of that, the energy that we've been accustomed to seeing in Eugene under Lanning has not been there.

Lanning isn't hiding behind the excuse of not having Moore available. He knows the team wasn't living up to expectations before losing their star quarterback. The Ducks have had plenty of other positions than at quarterback that have underperformed this season.

Evidently, Lanning knew in training camp that things weren't quite right with this team. That points to the locker room not having the leadership they need from players. There also appears to be a chemistry problem with the roster. 

For Oregon, the 2026 campaign will go down as a lost season. But Lanning can use the lessons he's learned from the fall and prepare to build a team for 2027 that is better able to handle adversity. He'll need to land players on the recruiting trail that are built to handle those conditions.

Lanning will also need the help of upgrades on the coaching staff to help his players along.