Kirk Herbstreit Worries College Football Powerhouse Has Lost Its Sense of Urgency

Every college football season finds one or two teams that get all the attention during the preseason, including from AP pollsters, but who stumble early on out of the gate and defy all those expectations in the worst way, and already in 2026 one team clearly fits that bill.

Considered the next logical contender to extend the Big Ten’s run of national championships, Oregon has not exactly looked the part, playing very close in the opener and then losing to unranked Oklahoma State. Ranked No. 2 in the preseason, the Ducks are now just No. 20 in the latest poll.

Clearly, something is off, and Kirk Herbstreit thinks it comes down to one word.

Herbie Diagnoses the Problem

Kirk Herbstreit Worries College Football Powerhouse Has Lost Its Sense of Urgency — USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“When I watch Oregon, I don’t sense the same urgency,” he said on College GameDay.

“Especially offensively. [The urgency] that they’ve played with in the past. They’re searching for a rhythm. Remember, Will Stein, a big part of Bo Nix and Dante Moore, their development, the timing, the rhythm. We’re not seeing that right now.”

Both of the Ducks’ coordinators departed the program during the previous offseason, with Stein becoming the head coach at Kentucky, and co-defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi taking the top post at Cal. Their departures removed key architects of the offense’s precision and the defense’s identity. Herbstreit noted the early-season impact.

“Oregon, I feel like, coming into this game is still kind of searching for rhythm and trying to find it. This could be a good game if they could find a way to win that could catapult them into the season,” Herbstreit said.

Oregon Steps Into a Serious Challenge This Weekend

Herbstreit’s observation carries weight because the ESPN voice has long respected the program’s standard established under Dan Lanning’s leadership. Previous teams with Stein and Lupoi on the sideline operated with a crispness that elevated their quarterback play and defensive power and masked potential growing pains.

Now, with new play-callers stepping in, the early film clearly shows an Oregon team that is still calibrating. Offensive possessions have lacked sharp decision making and tempo that defined previous Duck teams, and overall energy has slipped below the high bar that Lanning’s program has set for itself.

Herbstreit’s comments come at a pivotal moment for Oregon, coming into Saturday’s road game against No. 12 USC, a critical matchup for both sides, each looking to make a statement and shut down their respective doubters. What happens in the Coliseum will give the winner some much-needed ammunition, and the loser facing even more pressure.

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