Three thoughts of mine as we start the season… 1) Dan Lanning’s Defense Dan Lanning was brought in as a defensive mastermind who trained under the tutelage of Kirby Smart and guided those tremendous Georgia/SEC defensive squads. Lanning spent his first two years building up his roster to be in a position to possibly be great. By 2024, the Oregon ...

Time For Dan the Man to Prove That He Can

Great article @Darren Perkins

I’ve thought a lot about your point #1, and I agree with you. The defense is DL’s burden to make sure it’s in peak form.

I’m really excited to see what Dante Moore will do. I’d make the argument he has the best arm talent I’ve seen at Oregon, so the potential is sky high.

Thanks Darren.

I guess we will have to see if Tosh can change his spots this year.

We also need to get Steve Young's gorilla off our back.

The roadblocks we have faced: Dennis Dixon's knee; Michael Dyers knee/forearm; Cam Newton's $$$ for his father's church; Michael Penix x's 2; expanding to 12 in 2024, if it had remained at 4, no osu in the playoffs.

Someday (hopefully in all of our lifetimes) we need the stars to correctly align and the time for us to not be close but actually have that cigar (other than for recruiting).

I agree that this is definitely the "prove it" season for Tosh Lupoi. He needs to show what he can do with an exclusively Dan Lanning team of players. If we don't see an improvement from our secondary and linebacker play then we and more importantly, Lanning, should seriously question the need for a change at DC.

With the move to a 12 team, and eventually 16 team playoff, Oregon should absolutely be in the playoff picture every year. And getting there no longer requires teams to bet everything on the huge matchup of the year, and be so demoralized if they lose, that it kills all momentum for the rest of the season. Play within the game plan, stay disciplined, don't commit egregious penalties, don't get caught in trap games and we will almost always be a lock for the playoff every year.

It is at that point that we start dialing up the offense as Ohio State did. We start adding extra coverage packages. We make sure we are healthy for the post-season stretch. This is how NFL teams win Superbowls, and it is now how college teams will win the whole thing with extra games added.

Darren, great article!

Just my opinion:

On the QB position, many teams will have first time starting QB's. At least Dante Moore has some real time game experience. That experience came with a weak support system around him. That will not be the case this year.

Whether its Dante, Austin or Luke under center, the talent is around them. I expect all the QB's to execute at a high level.

Now that the rest of the BIG has game film on 14 Duck games, they have a clear view of Steins Offensive game plans. Hopefully, DL and Stein have made some changes/additions so the O can adjust (in game) to an opponent DC with a great game plan.

One thing is certain this year. No Duck QB will step on the field with a combined 123 starts that Bo and Dillion brought. It is up to DL and Stein to game plan for the lack of QB experience.

As for the Duck D:

The D has played a solid role the last three seasons. You dont go something like 35-6 without a solid defense.

However, whether it was injuries to key players or lack of game planning by DL and staff, in 5 of those 6 losses our opponents recognized and exploited our D. (We did not have the talent and depth to compete with Georgia)

So now we begin the journey with more talent and depth than any Duck team, maybe ever. To me and its just my opinion, anything less than 11-1 in the regular season is on the staff.

Go Ducks!

I'm not sure a top 4 seed is all that the CFP thought it would be. Yes, teams potentially play 1 less game, but last year not a single top 4 team won their game. It will be interesting to see if the different seeding makes a difference. Going a month between playing games is not great. Dan Lannings thoughts of starting the playoff sooner will probably start picking up steam, if the bye teams keep losing.

Darren....I really enjoy your style of writing. Your title made me LOL as, "that is so Darren." Great fun, great thoughts, and THANKS.

Thanks, Darren, terrific article on the cusp of the 2025 kickoff.

Dan's three-year record in Eugene is not dissimilar to Kirby Smart's at Georgia. It took Kirby six seasons and top recruiting classes season after season, and a couple of heartbreaking PO losses before UGA captured in 1st title in over 40 years.

Oregon set NFL draft records for the number of players drafted in 2024; from 2021 through 2025, thirty Georgia Dawg D-players were drafted. The Jimmies and Joes have and always will matter.

Dan's opening game spanking at the hands of Kirby and the first game of 2025 hurt, no doubt. But so did some guy named Tua coming off the bench for Bama, and after taking a sack, making a terrific throw into the end zone for a walk-off Natty and depression for the Dawgs.

As Kirby said after the opening Ducks dusting, 'Dan knows we have better players.'

You also need luck on the way to a title. Dyer's knee was down. The PO seeding last season was so egregious, even conferences that benefited, like the Mountain West and B12, voted to go to straight seeding in 2025-26. You lose a conference champ game and benefit from the loss? That's some bad ju-ju.

Before UGA blew out TCU on the way to a title, Ohio State, behind the receiving wizardry of Marv Harrison, was lighting up the Georgia D. Marv went down on a play where the Georgia DB could have been called for targeting, and Georgia gutted out a close win, leaving Ryan Day to be criticized for not winning the big games.

Dan's winning percentage of 81.5% has him in fifth place behind the '4-losses to Michigan - Fire the Guy!, No. 1 winner at 87.5%, Ryan Day.

All good points made regarding Dan and the Ducks in the article, no doubt. Perhaps with the easiest schedule the Ducks have from 2024 through 2028, Oregon, with four returning starters, will win it all? If so, it would be a Herculean accomplishment.

Thanks again for another terrific article. Let's start 1-0 with a bagging of Bobcats!

Well said.

Dante Moore and our defense will determine how far we go this year.