Dan Lanning fraud watch activated after getting whooped by Ryan Day

Although fans and analysts alike expected a classic between Ohio State and Oregon in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal, the Buckeyes blew out the Ducks 41-21. Dan Lanning's offensive squad couldn't get anything going in the Rose Bowl. Considering the undefeated record prior to the game and the heavy investment in the squad, many people were putting the Ducks head coach on fraud watch after the loss.

QB Dillon Gabriel, who was playing in his last college football game, went out with a whimper as Oregon only managed one first down through the first quarter. Quite simply, the Ducks were outclassed in this game. Oregon, who seemed like the favorite to win it all this season looked like a high-level high school team playing a Buckeyes squad that was all gas, no brakes on the offensive side of the ball.

While Buckeyes defensive coordinator Jim Knowles deserves a lot of credit for his defensive gameplan in this game, Lanning's offense was clearly not prepared for a game that was expected to be a high-speed boat race from the get-go. Although it may not be the biggest sign, it's possible the Ducks poor offensive performances were foretold as they struggled to get by against non-bowl eligible Wisconsin, beating them 16-13 on the road.

Dan Lanning on fraud watch after blowout loss to end season

With the Ducks unable to make the Rose Bowl even a slight contest, head coach Dan Lanning is taking an pounding on social media. While these tweets don't really offer any additional insight into why Oregon's offense struggled, the creativity of them leads to some hilarious comedy.

While this tweet shouldn't really be taken so literally, it's fair to somewhat question the direction of the program after ths loss. To be clear, no one should be calling for Lanning's head. Still, a win or two in the playoff would have been a huge boost to the coach who has yet to win a playoff game in his short time in Eugene.

Although the squad might seem like the end of the world for Oregon's program, Lanning was able to land a great recruiting class and will probably be highly active in the transfer portal with a lot of NIL money from wealthy boosters. The program already has their next QB with Dante Moore, who had a promising 2023 season with UCLA before transferring this season.

Yes, the 41-21 loss to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl is devastating and ends their 2024-25 season but the sun will rise tomorrow and the coach can try to build a more prepared offense next season. Still, Dan Lanning is on fraud watch for the foreseeable future.