Joel Klatt Wants to See Oregon Play This SEC Program

Joel Klatt wants to see the Oregon Ducks against this SEC program sooner than later due to the history the coaches have.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks the field during the Oregon Ducks annual spring game on April 25, 2026 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

College football fans have their dream college matchups, including a reporter who shared his current dream matchups between two elite conferences of college football, including the Big Ten.

Joel Klatt was quick to point out the 10 matchups he wants to see between an SEC and a Big Ten team. One of the first matchups he mentions is arguably the biggest matchup that could be made between the power conferences: the Ducks against the Georgia Bulldogs.

Why Georgia Bulldogs vs. Oregon Ducks Makes Sense

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning attends Oregon Pro Day on March 17, 2026, at the Moshofsky Center in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The main reason why fans would want to see this is because of the history between Oregon coach Dan Lanning and Georgia coach Kirby Smart. These two were on the same staff together at Georgia prior to Lanning accepting the Oregon job, as Lanning served as the defensive coordinator for the Bulldogs, while Smart served as the head coach.

Lanning started his career with the Bulldogs in the 2018 season, in which he was the outside linebackers coach. Smart saw plenty of potential in Lanning, which led to a promotion to his defensive coordinator job. He would keep this job from the 2019 season through the 2021 season, but he would later land the Ducks coaching job, which would be his first head coaching job in his career.

Apr 18, 2026; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart shown on the field during the Georgia Spring football game at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Dan Lanning and Kirby Smart Tied to Nick Saban

This wasn't the only time the two coaches were paired with each other, as the Ducks head coach was part of Nick Saban's 2015 Alabama Crimson Tide staff. He served as a defensive graduate assistant while Smart was the defensive coordinator for arguably the greatest college head coach of all time. This was the only season that Lanning and Smart would spend together on Saban's staff.

After Lanning landed the job with the Ducks, the two coaches would play against each other in his first game as a college coach, which was a lopsided victory for the Bulldogs in Atlanta, Georgia, when the Ducks were defeated 49-3. Klatt believes the two need a rematch, but this time he wants to see the game played in Eugene inside Autzen Stadium.

March 30, 2026; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Nick Saban answer questions from the news media at the Saban Center Topping Out ceremony. | Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Lanning has been one of the more successful coaches in recent history, but in a similar fashion to Saban, Smart isn't the coach who is often defeated by his former assistants. This would give Lanning the chance to show that he is not only hanging with the big dogs, but he is at the head of the table among all college coaches.

Another big reason for this matchup would be the overall record being 0-2 for the Ducks. The Ducks have yet to win a game against the University of Georgia, which is something they could change if they played another contest. This is a game that very well could happen in the college football playoffs if both teams meet their expectations. If this were to be the case, the Ducks would have some extra juice to squeeze out of this possible matchup.

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