Dan Lanning question marks reach boiling point with Oregon loss to Oklahoma State

The Big Ten’s start to the 2026 college football season would have you questioning how the last three national champions were three different teams from that conference. Michigan’s controversial win over Western Michigan kept us talking for a full week after the Hail Mary win and now Oregon is taking center stage. Dan Lanning’s squad survived Boise State in Week 1. Call it knocking off the rust or playing against a good team. It doesn’t explain what just happened in Week 2. Oklahoma State upset the No. 6 Ducks, 39-31,

Weather delays extended the game between Oregon and Oklahoma State probably longer than it needs to be, but it also gave Oregon more time to calm down, plan, and get back on track. Lanning needs it more than the Ducks do because the questions about whether he’s good enough to lead Oregon to a national championship are continuing to be at the forefront. 

It’s one thing to struggle against Boise State, it’s another to struggle against Oklahoma State. Last year, Oregon hung 69 points on them. This year, they gave up 21 points in the second quarter to the Cowboys, a team that lost to Tulsa in Week 1. This is exactly why Lanning’s ability to take Oregon to the top of college football is in question and why Oregon fans might be prematurely looking into his buyout.

Why Oregon’s struggles against Oklahoma State are alarming

Dante Moore had plenty of reason to come back to Oregon after last year, though he would have certainly been the second quarterback taken and probably taken in the top 5. What he didn’t come back for was Oregon to struggle and fall apart like they seemingly are this season. Sure, they’re on the road, but a team that couldn’t beat Tulsa shouldn’t be giving Oregon, a national championship contender, any problems let alone beat them.

Two years ago, Oregon was the No. 1 team in the country and last season, they were the No. 5 team in the country with two playoff wins before getting blown out by Indiana in the quarterfinal round of the CFP. A team that good shouldn’t have any issues against Oklahoma State, a team that hasn’t beat an FBS team since 2024. This is a Rutgers-level collapse for the Ducks.

Should Oregon be knocked out of the AP top 25 rankings with this loss? I don’t know if it’s that bad of a loss, but the Ducks should be embarrassed by how they started this year. Lanning should be embarrassed by how a year where everything should be falling into place, it’s crumbling right in front of him. 

What is Dan Lanning’s buyout?

It’s probably a bit early to start firing Dan Lanning. That said, for those of you interested, Lanning is due $56.73 million if he’s fired without cause. That's just as expensive as some of the other notable coaches on the hot seat — though that’s not to say that Lanning is on the hot seat either. Oregon would probably rather invest that $56.73 million into the roster rather than pay a coach to not coach. 

We don’t need to have this conversation just yet, but it’s something to note if things continue to get out of hand. Oregon has been in college football’s purgatory for years. The Ducks have all the potential every year yet always seem to come up short when they shouldn’t. Go back to the four-team College Football Playoff when Ohio State upended them in the national championship game, before then Auburn beat them in the BCS national championship. 

Every year they have the potential but never amount to their expectations. This year might be worse than any other year. Usually Oregon starts hot and struggles late in the year. This year has been a horrible start. It can only make you wonder what the second half of the year will look like. 

Will Dan Lanning ever get over the hump?

This has to be the season Lanning restores faith in the Oregon fan base. This start isn’t the way to do it, but the season isn’t over because of one bad game. The Ducks will have a lot of time to prove they can be championship contenders this season. What they can’t do is fall into old patterns. A slow start means they can’t afford to slip up later in the year. This season, Lanning has to prove he’s the right coach to bring Oregon a national championship. 

If Oregon can’t rebound from this slow start, there will be a lot of questions. Lanning has one of the best rosters in college football, there's no reason why he can’t coach this team to play for a national championship. As difficult as it is, Lanning isn’t helping his case when he’s struggling, and now losing, to far inferior teams.

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