Joel Klatt Has Oregon's 'Big Game' Narrative Under Dan Lanning Wrong

The Oregon Ducks have taken a step forward in all four of coach Dan Lanning's seasons in Eugene, but analyst/announcer Joel Klatt has question marks about their ability to win big games.

Jan 2, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; Fox Sports broadcaster Joel Klatt emcees the Holiday Bowl trophy presentation at Snapdragon Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Oregon Ducks are gearing up for the 2026 college football season. Oregon has made the College Football Playoff the past two seasons, getting a round further this past season than they did the season prior. Will Oregon take another step forward in 2026?

Fox Sports college football analyst and announcer Joel Klatt has high hopes for the Ducks. However, there is one looming question mark he sees hovering over them.

Joel Klatt Claims Oregon Has “Big-Game Issues”

Apr 24, 2024; Detroit, MI, USA; NFL Network analyst Joel Klatt speaks to the media at the Play Football Prospect Clinic at The Corner Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Recently on “The Joel Klatt Show,” Klatt ranked Oregon No. 1 in his top 12 teams for the 2026 college football season.

After ranking them, Klatt dove into the biggest question mark each team has. He remains skeptical about Oregon's performance in big games under coach Dan Lanning.

“The biggest question for my No. 1 team, Oregon, this one is about their big-game issues. And they have them. That’s now become an issue,” Klatt said. “The one caveat I’ll say about this is that Oregon has taken a step forward every single year under Dan Lanning.”

Where Joel Klatt is Wrong About Oregon Under Dan Lanning

Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning celebrates Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, during the Big Ten Championship game between the Oregon Ducks and the Penn State Nittany Lions at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The Ducks defeated the Nittany Lions, 45-37. | Grace Smith/Indianapolis Star / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Klatt went on to say how Oregon’s only losses in each of the past three seasons have been to teams that have been in the national championship game. Klatt even went on to say that Oregon has a Penn State under coach James Franklin feel to them. Penn State notoriously couldn't seem to beat highly ranked teams under Franklin.

While the part about Oregon's only 5 losses since 2023 coming to elite teams may be true, Klatt is leaving out all of the big wins that Oregon has won under Lanning.

Two seasons ago, Oregon hosted the Ohio State Buckeyes at Autzen Stadium. This was a top three showdown and Eugene was the host of ESPN’s College GameDay for what was considered one of the biggest games off the college football season. The Ducks won an epic back and forth affair by a final score of 32-31. That’s just about as big as a regular season game can get, and Oregon won it.

A few months later, Oregon played the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Big Ten championship. Oregon was ranked No. 1 and Penn State was No. 3. The Ducks won this game to secure their first Big Ten championship in program history along with the No. 1 ranking and first round bye in the playoff. Once again, this was clearly a big game against an elite opponent that Oregon won.

Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning celebrates amid a crowd of fans on the field as the No. 3 Oregon Ducks knock off the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes 32-31 Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In 2025, Oregon had an early season matchup against Penn State on the road. Penn State under James Franklin was deemed to be the program that “couldn’t win the big game” and this game against Oregon in a top 10 matchup was an opportunity to put that to rest.

Oregon instead went on the road as underdogs, beating Penn State in overtime. Penn State’s season fell apart after this, but at the time it was clearly a big win for the Ducks. .

Oregon made the playoff, beating James Madison in round one and then had a quarterfinal matchup against Texas Tech. This Texas Tech game was as even as it could get when it came to the betting odds and picks for it. Oregon didn’t allow a single point and picked up a big playoff win to advance to the semifinal.

Jan 1, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning and players on the podium to receive the champions trophy following the 2025 Orange Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Dan Lanning has only been with Oregon for four seasons and at the very least, has four “big wins.” His overall record is 48-8. This narrative that Lanning can’t win big games is simply false and just too early to even tell. He hasn’t won “the big game,” but he’s only in year five as a head coach and has taken a step closer each year.

If Lanning is going to get that tag, then just about every coach in the country that hasn't won a national title should have it too.

A legitimate criticism one can make about Oregon in the Lanning era is that when their season has ended in the playoff, it has been in a blowout. The Ducks have had some incredibly talented teams and even if Ohio State two years ago and Indiana this past year were better, both games essentially being over by halftime is a problem.

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