Dan Lanning Reveals Oregon Ducks’ Christmas Plan Ahead Of Texas Tech

EUGENE - Oregon coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks are all business mode during this holiday week.

No. 5 Oregon punched its ticket to the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Orange Bowl with a 51-34 win over James Madison at Autzen Stadium. Awaiting the Ducks is the No. 4 Texas Tech Red Raiders, a team that is riding high after a historic season. New Year's Day will mark Texas Tech's first appearance in the College Football Playoff, after earning a first-round bye.

Lanning detailed the Ducks' plan for the holidays as their National Championship dreams loom.

Oregon Ducks texas tech red raiders orange bowl betting odds College Football Playoff Bracket Dan Lanning Joey McGuire nation — oregon ducks coach dan lanning greets fans before a college football playoff first round game vs. James Madison at Autzen Stadium | Oregon Ducks on SI Jake Bunn

Dan Lanning Reveals Oregon Ducks’ Christmas Plan Before Orange Bowl

Lanning and the team do not plan on having a bunch of time off during the holiday. The Ducks were able to take some time off between their last regular season game vs. the Washington Huskies and their first round playoff game vs. James Madison.

“There's not really that opportunity (for time off)," Lanning said. "Our players bought into that when we hopped in the playoff mode that 'hey, we're going to kind of take our break now at the beginning,' and I think it was a good reset for them. But we'll be working."

"They'll get some time just right around Christmas, and we'll get some time to fellowship with each other. But beyond that, it's going to be really intent and focused on Texas Tech,” Lanning continued.

Dec 20, 2025; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Malik Benson (4) makes a catch for a touchdown during the third quarter against the James Madison Dukes at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Oregon's arrival to Miami is Dec. 29. Media day for the Orange Bowl is Dec. 30 and the head coaches will give a joint press conference on Dec. 31.

Oregon Bowl Travel And Time Off Challenge

The Ducks are making a long cross country trip but Lanning feels confidence his team can thrive amid the miles traveled, because they are accustomed to the vigors of travel during the Big Ten Conference schedule.

However, Lanning and Red Raiders coach Joey McGuire did not hold back their displeasure with the playoff schedule. The huge challenge that presents itself is the amount of time between games, which arrises the age-old question of rest vs. rust.

“There’s definitely a skill and an art to making sure that your team's prepared when you have long breaks. And I think that was clear last year, certainly will be clear now. You got a little bit more time to prepare for this game, but a little bit different than the last one. And that's the other part that doesn't make really a lot of sense is the sequence of days in between each game and each playoff, there’s just not really a rhythm,” Lanning said.

“And for us as a coach, it's about how do you create that rhythm? How do you challenge yourself to say, okay, how can we keep things the same as much as possible for our players? And it's tough when you have big gaps and big great breaks like that," Lanning continued.

Nov 29, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Joey McGuire celebrates with fans after defeating the West Virginia Mountaineers at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

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Lanning also made it clear he felt the game should be played in Lubbock because Texas Tech is the higher seeded team and should earn home-field advantage.

There are only eight teams left vying for the National Championship, and Oregon faces a huge challenge in Texas Tech.

The Ducks will have a total of 11 days off between the first round game and the Orange Bowl, while Texas Tech hasn't played since beating BYU in the Big 12 Conference Championship game on Dec. 6. In the 2024 College Football Playoff, each team that received a first-round bye lost in its debut game... A trend worth watching this season.

Dec 20, 2025; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) is interviewed after the game against the James Madison Dukes at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Oregon's defense is going to need to find it's standard again after a lackluster performance vs. JMU. Texas Tech has a high-powered offense that ranks second-highest in the nation in points per game (42.5).

However, it’s Texas Tech’s defense that has emerged as one of the nation’s best, led by Chuck Bednarik Award-winning linebacker Jacob Rodriguez. The Red Raiders rank third in scoring defense, allowing just 10.9 points per game, fifth in total defense with 254.4 yards per game, and first in rushing defense, giving up only 68.5 yards per game.

It will be strength vs. strength. The Ducks score the ninth-most points per game in the country (38.2) and have scored 50-plus points four times this season.

Texas Tech and Oregon are each set to make their Capital One Orange Bowl debut, squaring off in a matchup that features two of the most well-balanced teams in the nation.

The Orange Bowl kicks off at 9 a.m. PT on Jan. 1 on ESPN.