Breaking Down Oregon Ducks’ Strengths, Weaknesses and X-Factor That Could Help Oklahoma State
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When the Oklahoma State Cowboys scheduled the Oregon Ducks for a home game in Stillwater long ago, little did they know where they would be in 2026.
For instance, an Oklahoma State game against Oregon without Mike Gundy? That would have been inconceivable when they scheduled this game. Gundy was on the sideline last year. But after that loss, and a successive loss to Tulsa, his coaching career at Oklahoma State was done.
Now it’s Eric Morris who is being trusted with turning the Cowboys around after a 1-11 season. A game that was supposed to be a clash between two teams that have been consistently great for a long time is now a lopsided affair on paper.
Here are the strengths and the weaknesses for Oregon, and the one wild card that could help the Cowboys in September.
Strengths
Oregon’s Confidence
The Ducks don’t lack it and to be a national power you need it. Head coach Dan Lanning is 48-8 since he took over the program in 2022 after serving as Kirby Smart’s defensive coordinator at Georgia. He’s quickly shown he’s one of the best head coaches and program builders in the game. Consider:
The Ducks have never lost more than two league games in a season.
They reached back-to-back conference championship games in two different leagues (Pac 12 in 2023 and Big Ten in 2024).
Oregon has made two straight College Football Playoff appearances.
Lanning and his staff have done it with smart recruiting, critical transfer portal gets and smart player development. He gets little wrong during games. That rubs off on his players, and it rarely strays into overconfidence.
Game Experience
In an era in which it’s hard for programs to hang onto players, either through the transfer portal or through early entry to the NFL, the Ducks are an exception. Much of last year’s team is back, in part because they’re out to try and win the national championship that eluded them last season.
Many of those returning players haunted the Cowboys last year in Eugene. Starting quarterback Dante Moore is expected to go in the first round of the 2027 NFL Draft. Three other Ducks went in the first round of a recent CBS Sports mock draft — tight end Jamari Johnson, defensive lineman A'Mauri Washington and edge rusher Teitum Tuioti.
There is even more NFL talent behind them. There is a huge talent gap between the Ducks and the Cowboys on paper.
Weaknesses
New Coordinators
When a program wins games, the coaching staff gets raided. That was the case for the Ducks, who lost offensive coordinator Will Stein to Kentucky and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi to Cal. Great for them, not so good for Oregon.
Oregon chose to promote from within. Chris Hampton became the defensive coordinator, and Drew Mehringer became the offensive coordinator. Both know the system but will be calling the shots for the first time with the Ducks. The OSU game will be their second game in charge. It may be a minor weakness, but the Cowboys will take whatever they can exploit.
The Offensive Line
If there is one position group the Ducks are going to need time to work out, it’s the offensive line. They’re replacing three starters, one of which was an All-American last year. That’s a lot of experience to lose and expect the same level of play. But, it’s Oregon, so it may not be as significant a weakness as it might be for other programs.
The returning starters have plenty of experience. Centetr Iapani Laloulu has 30 career starts and he can keep the new guys arranged. Guard Dave Iuli has 19 career starts and is in his fifth year at Oregon. That’s a good start.
The Ducks have plenty of talent around Laloulu and Iuli. The question is how much it gels around one another before they play Oklahoma State?
X-Factor
The Underdog Factor
Chances are Oklahoma State is going to be a huge underdog at home to Oregon, no matter what the Cowboys do against Tulsa. This season is about rebuilding the Cowboys under first-year head coach Eric Morris. While beating the Ducks would be incredible, it’s unlikely. But it won’t ruin Oklahoma State’s season either.
The Cowboys need to play with as much abandon as it can muster. Don’t worry about the score. Play without tension. Play with nothing to lose. The pressure will all be on Oregon as it will be expected to win. OSU needs to focus on playing a better game than a year ago, which shouldn’t be that hard. The trick is taking the first punch and bouncing back, something Oklahoma State couldn’t do a season ago.
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Matthew Postins is the publisher of Oklahoma State on SI. He is an award-winning sports journalist who was formerly the editor of the College Football America Yearbook and covers the Big 12 Conference for Heartland College Sports.
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