Oregon’s Dan Lanning Stands Above West Coast Rivals in New Ranking

A new ranking of Power Four coaches out West has Dan Lanning and Oregon at the top, but the numbers behind that standing reveal just how far the Ducks have come under Lanning.

Oregon coach Dan Lanning oversees the Oregon Spring Game at Autzen Stadium in Eugene April 25, 2026 | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

West Coast football has plenty of star power, historic programs and coaches who know how to command a spotlight. But when it comes to consistently beating the teams that matter most, one program currently stands out: The Oregon Ducks.

Dan Lanning's Compelling Statistic

According to CBS Sports' evaluation of Power Four coaches against AP Top 25 opponents, Oregon coach Dan Lanning owns a 15-8 record against ranked teams, good for a .652 winning percentage. That mark leads every Power Four coach in the West and is good for No. 3 in the Big Ten.

It also puts Lanning in rare company nationally. Only 10 Power Four coaches enter the 2026 season with a career winning percentage of at least .500 against AP Top 25 opponents.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning speaks during the head coaches’ press conference ahead of the Peach Bowl at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia, on Jan. 8, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The statistic is not meant to tell the entire story of a coach's résumé. CBS' evaluation accounts for where an opponent was ranked at the time of the game, includes every stop of a coach's career and does not account for where teams ultimately finished the season. Still, it provides a useful measurement of how often coaches have been able to win when facing teams already recognized among the nation's best.

There is plenty to like about the current state of football out West. USC remains one of the biggest brands in the sport. Washington has already shown what a West Coast program is capable of after reaching the national championship game following the 2023 season. Arizona State, Colorado, Utah and BYU have also all developed their own identities.

Nov 11, 2023; Eugene, Oregon, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley, left, and Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning talk before a game at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The region also has no shortage of personality. From Los Angeles to Eugene, Seattle, Boulder and Tempe, the West has a different feel than other parts of college football. There is the history and Hollywood appeal of USC and UCLA, Oregon's uniforms and Nike connection, Washington's resurgence and coaches like Deion Sanders and Kenny Dillingham who bring their own national attention.

But Oregon has done something different with that attention. It has consistently turned it into results.

The Numbers Behind Oregon’s Rise Under Dan Lanning

Lanning is 48-8 overall at Oregon, which gives him a .857 winning percentage and the highest winning percentage in program history among coaches with at least two seasons. The Ducks have also won at least 10 games in each of his first four seasons, going 10-3 in 2022, 12-2 in 2023, 13-1 in 2024 and 13-2 in 2025.

Lanning went 9-0 in Big Ten play during Oregon's first season in the conference. Also in Oregon's debut season in the Big Ten, Lanning led the Ducks to a Big Ten championship and the No. 1 overall seed in the first 12-team College Football Playoff.

Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks celebrate defeating the Penn State Nittany Lions to win the Big Ten Championship in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

That transition was another test of whether Oregon's success could translate beyond the Pac-12, and it undoubtedly did.

Oregon Ducks Competing in the West

The Ducks have built a program that combines the flash associated with West Coast football with the depth and physicality required to compete not only in a hard-nosed, gritty conference like the Big Ten, but for national championships as well.

Lanning has developed quarterbacks, recruited at a national level and continued to produce NFL talent. Bo Nix set the NCAA single-season completion percentage record at 77.4 percent and became a Heisman finalist. Dillon Gabriel became an All-Big Ten performer. Oregon has also continued to build top-10 recruiting classes and send talent to the NFL.

Oregon quarterback Bo Nix throws down field against Oregon State during the second quarter at Autzen Stadium on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023, in Eugene. He now plays for the Denver Broncos. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Being the best program in the West is not the ultimate goal for Lanning. Oregon has already reached the College Football Playoff, won a conference championship and established itself as a national contender under Lanning.

The one thing that's missing is a national championship.

West Coast football has not produced a national champion since USC's 2004 title. Washington came within one game of ending that drought after the 2023 season, but the Huskies fell to Michigan in the national championship game.

Jan 19, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Detailed view of the CFP championship trophy on the sidelines during the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Oregon has spent the Lanning era getting closer to that same stage. Now, the Ducks' goal for 2026 is finishing the job.

The .652 winning percentage against ranked opponents shows Lanning has already built a program capable of beating the best teams in the country. The coming season gives Oregon another opportunity to turn all of that into the one accomplishment still missing from Lanning's résumé.

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