Dan Lanning Opens Up On Big Ten's Dominance in College Football Playoff

For the No. 5 Oregon Ducks, the Capital One Orange Bowl win against the Texas Tech Red Raiders feels peachy, as the Duck squad turns their attention to the next postseason opponent, a rematch against the No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers for the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

This match signifies a trend seen in the recent few years, and especially in the two-year College Football Playoff: the frequent inclusion of teams from the Big Ten Conference. The last two national champions (Michigan and Ohio State), are both members of Oregon's newer conference.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning watches from the sideline as the Oregon Ducks take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Dan Lanning Gets Real on Big Ten Involvement

Oregon coach Dan Lanning shared his thoughts on the current status of the Big Ten, and how the group fits into the Power Four Conference dynamic in his Peach Bowl joint press conference with Indiana coach Curt Cignetti.

"I've been a part of the SEC, just like Coach Cignetti has. I've been a part of the old Pac-12. I've been a part of a bunch of different conferences, and it's hard to argue that anybody is doing it better right now than the Big Ten. There's some quality from top to bottom," Lanning said.

"Certainly five years ago there wasn't a conference that was rolling and dominating, and I think the way you indicate that is the success of the teams in the conference. And there's a lot of teams that have had success, and a variety of different teams," Lanning added. "Coach [Curt Cignetti] just mentioned it, but we saw Michigan, and Washington a couple years ago in the National Championship game. You see Ohio State. This year you'll see a different Big Ten team. And I think that speaks to the quality and the strength of the conference overall."

MORE: Dan Lanning Doesn't Hold Back On Oregon Ducks' Orange Bowl Performance

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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

The AP Poll Shows Big Ten Dominance

Even looking at this years' AP Poll (which closed at the end of the regular season) the Big Ten is well represented in it's rankings, with five teams from the conference in the top 20. The only conference to outperform the Big Ten in the AP Poll are teams from the SEC conference, which is represented by No. 6 Ole Miss in this years' playoff semifinals.

AP Poll

1. Indiana, Big Ten (Peach Bowl)
2. Georgia, SEC (Lost in CFP Quarterfinals)
3. Ohio State, Big Ten (Lost in CFP Quarterfinals)
4. Texas Tech, Big 12 (Lost in CFP Quarterfinals)
5. Oregon, Big Ten (Peach Bowl)
6. Ole Miss, SEC (Fiesta Bowl)
7. Texas A&M, SEC (Lost in CFP first round)
8. Oklahoma, SEC (Lost in CFP first round)
9. Notre Dame, Independent
10. Miami, ACC (Fiesta Bowl)
11. Alabama, SEC (Lost in CFP first round)
12. BYU, Big 12
13. Vanderbilt, SEC
14. Texas, SEC
15. Utah, Big 12
16. USC, Big Ten
17. Tulane, American
18. Michigan, Big Ten
19. James Madison, Sun Belt (Lost in CFP first round)
20. Virginia, ACC

Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti rubs his face ahead of an interview Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, after winning the 112th annual Rose Bowl game in Pasadena. Indiana Hoosiers defeated Alabama Crimson Tide, 38-3. | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Big Ten Bringing Competition

When it comes to Oregon's regular season, the Ducks had quite the challenge this year, even without facing Michigan or Ohio State. The Ducks faced two then-ranked teams first on the road at Penn State for their infamous White-Out, then at Autzen against the USC Trojans for the first time in the conference. Not to mention, Oregon also walked away with a field-goal win against the Iowa Hawkeyes, the team that won the Joe Moore Award for the best offensive line (an award Oregon was once again a finalist for).

Lanning and Cignetti both contended in their press conference that when it comes to facing stiff competition, the Big Ten brings talented challenges during the regular season to prepare for the playoff.

"Oregon is a great football team. But the Big Ten is a great conference, a lot of good teams top to bottom," Cignetti said. "And that's a great thing about the playoffs. You give 12 teams a chance to win it all, and at the end of the day there's one standing."

"Our guys have been a part of big games. When you play in the Big Ten, you're going to be a part of big games. And every game can go different. Every game has a life of itself," Lanning added.