Dan Lanning Doesn’t Hold Back On Oregon’s Refocused Approach

No. 21 Oregon Ducks (1-1, 0-0 Big Ten) coach Dan Lanning didn't hold back when speaking to the media this past Monday, Sept. 14.

After the 39-31 upset by the Oklahoma State Cowboys in Stillwater, Oklahoma, the fifth-year leader made sure to let everyone know that he's done with the preseason expectations chatter about the 2026 group. He seemed visibly mad in his response, something he doesn't give off too often.

Oregon coach Dan Lanning speaks during a press availability on Aug. 31, 2026, at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex in Eugene, Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Oregon Coach Dan Lanning Doesn't Hold Back True Feelings

"Stop looking into the future," Lanning stated. "Everybody wants to make a prediction before the season starts. You know, it doesn’t matter until you play the games. We’ve seen that every year with teams that are supposed to be good that aren’t good. We have the capability to be good. We have good enough players; we have good enough coaches. I haven’t coached them well enough. I haven’t done a good enough job, so I know I can do better."

Lanning continued, "That’s where it starts. And guess what? If I do better, I bet this team gets better. And if this team gets better and we play like we’re capable of playing, then we could have a team that could be pretty good. But it doesn’t matter unless we focus on today. Let’s stop worrying about tomorrow. Let’s stop worrying about the end of the season; let’s worry about today.”

It's hard not to look past the upcoming Friday, Sept. 18 matchup at 7:30 p.m. PT on the Big Ten Network inside Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon, vs. the Big Sky Conference's Portland State Vikings (0-3, 0-1 Big Sky) and onto what lies ahead as Big Ten Conference play commences.

Sep 12, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts after the game against the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Oregon at USC Betting Odds

The No. 12 USC Trojans (3-0, 0-0 Big Ten) will play host to the Ducks at the LA Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California, on Saturday, Sept. 26. The old Pac-12 Conference rivalry can be viewed live on NBC at 4:30 p.m. PT.

Surprisingly, per FanDuel, Oregon is still the Week 2 favorite over USC by a small margin of -1.5. The moneyline for the Ducks is at -118, and -104 for the Trojans. The over/under is set at 60.5.

Before that, USC coach Lincoln Riley will have their first road test of the season against the Big Ten's Rutgers Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey, on Saturday, Sept. 19.

Sep 12, 2026; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Boone Pickens Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Oregon Quarterback Dante Moore Without Key Member of Offensive Line

Oregon redshirt junior quarterback Dante Moore was sacked four times by Oklahoma State’s defense, throwing for just 191 passing yards while completing 14-of-29 attempts. After one of his worst performances with the Pacific Northwest program, Moore didn't make himself available to the media on Sept. 14. That was because he was receiving IV fluids in the locker room due to dehydration, Lanning would go on to say.

Lanning would also announce that junior left guard Trent Ferguson is out for the season due to a knee injury that he suffered during the first quarter of his first career start with the Ducks. A major loss to the depth of the offensive line that has had trouble protecting Moore to open up the year.

Oregon offensive lineman Trent Ferguson lines up as the Oregon Ducks face the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Sept. 12, 2026, at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

To make matters worse, it was brought to the world's attention by West Coast Biased's Andrew Nemec that Moore's feet have a tell for opposing defenses. When he had one foot forward in the shotgun formation, it would lead to a pass. With a more balanced stance, a run play. Moore spoke on the matter for the first time with the media on Tuesday, Sept. 15.

"Every player has tendencies. It can be to the NFL, it can be to college, it can be anybody. That's why there are coaches on staff who find little details," Moore said. "I'm glad they brought it up. I'm glad that they got it all into the media."

Moore added, "I haven't been on it (social media) much, but people have been telling me about it. It just shows me as a player that I have things that I need to fix, and every player has them. It can be a great thing for a team, and I've got to make sure I don't show it to a defense to help them get into a better check."

How these specific tendencies are adjusted in the coming weeks and how opponents like USC approach this piece of knowledge will be interesting to follow.

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