Oregon Ducks' Dan Lanning Calls For College Football Playoff To Mirror NFL

Last season, when the Oregon Ducks fell to the Ohio State Buckeyes by a dramatic 21-41 in the 2025 College Football Playoff Rose Bowl game, many fans pointed to the 25 day "bye" Oregon received after their undefeated regular season as a potential cause for the Ducks' lack of hustle on the field.

Now, in a recent interview with ESPN during Big Ten media days, Oregon coach Dan Lanning is calling for a remedy to the rust from the of weeks, which happened to affect nearly every team given a bye week during the 2024 - 25 playoffs.

"You'd love the rust to be knocked off when you step on the field," said Lanning.

"I'd be in favor of creating our playoff system to mirror every other playoff system in sports," Lanning told ESPN. "The season's over, and the playoffs start shortly after. The long break is something I'm not crazy about. I wish we played every single Saturday in college football. I wish college football ended Jan. 1."

Jul 23, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Oregon head coach Dan Lanning speaks to the media during the Big Ten NCAA college football media days at Mandalay Bay Resort. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images | Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

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In the same interview, Lanning also argued that an NFL-type playoff schedule could aid in roster retention and recruitment, especially pointing to January as the time most coaches go on the road for recruiting visits, but most top teams were competing in the playoffs.

Though Lanning did admit that Oregon was given a "learning opportunity" with the loss (including being down 34-0 shortly before halftime) and praised Ohio State's preparedness when arriving in Pasadena.

Lanning suggested that August 23 act as the start for college football instead of a "week zero" it currently acts as. With all teams starting their season the same week, Lanning posits a more cohesive (and weekly) playoff schedule could be put in place to help the football season end on January 1.

Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Cody Simon (0) celebrates a sack during the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against the Oregon Ducks at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2025. Ohio State won 41-21. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

However, when asked about the change of schedule by ESPN, Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti argued a professional style schedule for college would be "tricky."

"It requires a lot of combining and compressing the regular season," Petitti said to ESPN. "It's tricky to try and get everything done as early as you want. Is it physically possible? Yes, but it requires real compression in how you play. I think it's partly in trying to wrap the season off so you can get some of the tough portal decisions that we're facing about where that goes, and you can just complete your season and then get on to building a team for next season."

After the 2024-25 postseason, the CFP Management Committee changed the competition's rules to no longer include a bye for the four highest-ranking champions, but for the four highest-ranked teams overall. The playoff will continue to have 12 teams.

Ohio State Buckeyes running back Quinshon Judkins (1) runs through Oregon Ducks defensive end Matayo Uiagalelei (10) and linebacker Dylan Williams (20) during the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

If this strategy was employed last year, Big 12 champion Arizona State (ranked No. 12 overall) and Mountain West champion Boise State (ranked No. 9 overall), would have traded their bye weeks with Penn State (No. 4) and Texas (No. 3). Oregon would not have been impacted by this change, as they were ranked No. 1 at the end of the regular season.

“To be clear, any college football playoff format that increases the discretion and role of the CFP selection committee will have a difficult time getting support from the Big Ten,” Petitti said during Big Ten media days.