Head coach Dan Lanning emphasizes off-field bonds as the key to unlocking Oregon's championship potential. The Ducks are building their best season yet.
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning should have a team capable of competing for a College Football Playoff national championship in the upcoming season.
The Ducks won two CFP games in 2025 before falling short against Indiana in the semifinal at the Peach Bowl.
Oregon received a major boost for the fall when quarterback Dante Moore decided to return for 2026. With elite skilled players in the backfield, at receiver, and all over the defense, the team is a real threat.
Still, there are fair questions to ask about a new offensive line.
When speaking to reporters on Saturday, Lanning suggested the time between spring practice and training camp might be the most important for the Ducks to build their championship season.
Players need to form bonds off the field.
"Yeah, I think that's something that happens naturally here... So when you have those groups going hand in hand and really battling each other, I think that creates great competition in practice," Lanning said of bonds being built, via 247Sports.
"Then we step off the field and we've got to take an opportunity to go become best friends off the field. Those guys spend a lot of time with each other outside of football, and I think that's the separator."
Lanning has been pleased with the way his guys have competed on both sides of the ball this spring. He thinks there have been days the defense has won and days the offense was better.
Overall, Lanning thinks Oregon is ahead of where it was last spring.
"This spring, there's been some good back and forth," Lanning said. "I think it always starts off in spring ball where defense has a little bit of an edge, because it's hard to create that speed that's going to show up in a scrimmage setting.
"But we've had good back and forth consistently, and I think our knowledge as a team right now is ahead of where it was last year at this point."
With Moore returning, Oregon arguably has the most talent it has had under Lanning. If the team can build confidence before training camp, the Ducks could be the team to beat in the Big Ten.
Given the power of the conference in recent years, that should give them an edge in the CFP.