Being a college football athlete and traveling thousands of miles for games is a real headache. But when you travel 15,000 miles over a season while your opponents only cover around 6,000 miles, that’s going to cause some serious wear-and-tear problems. All that time on planes and crossing time zones can mess with your body’s clock, making it hard to get proper sleep or even have a solid day of practice without the right recovery. When your internal rhythm is thrown off, you’re obviously not going to be at your sharpest or giving your all. That’s exactly what the Oregon Ducks are dealing with right now, and head coach Dan Lanning isn’t happy about it at all.

Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks entered the season with a chip on their shoulder. The No. 6-ranked Ducks are 4-0 heading into Week 5, torching everyone on the schedule left and right. It looks like Dan Lanning took that 2024 playoff loss to Ohio State to heart. Now, the team is set to face its biggest challenge of the season so far: a white-out matchup against James Franklin‘s No. 3-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions in Happy Valley. Despite the high-stakes, heavyweight-caliber matchup, Lanning is more concerned about the travel and logistical challenges his team faces heading into the game.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning didn’t hold back when asked about the Ducks’ 2025 schedule — and it’s easy to understand why. “We’re traveling 15,000 miles this year.” Dan Lanning’s crashout absolutely valid. With road games at Penn State (2,600+ miles), Rutgers (2,900 miles), Iowa (1,800 miles), and Northwestern (2,100 miles), the Ducks will fly more than any other team in the B1G. For comparison, most Big Ten teams travel under 6,000 miles in a season. Oregon is covering nearly triple (15,000 miles) that distance.

With games as far east as New Jersey (Rutgers) and Pennsylvania (Penn State), the Ducks will spend more time in the air than any other Big Ten squad. You gotta feel for Dan Lannings. But it’s not just the travel that has Lanning raising an eyebrow. “We play seven teams that have more prep time than we do,” he added. Look, even one or two extra days of rest or game planning can make a real difference.

Lanning summed it up with a sharp, slightly sarcastic line: “It’s almost like they didn’t want us in the Big Ten, or something, right?” While he may have been joking — at least partly — the stray was pretty obvious. Whether by coincidence or design, the Ducks are facing one of the most demanding slates in the country.

What does Vegas think about this match-up?

The Oregon Ducks and Penn State Nittany Lions at the White-Out game has to be the best game of the week; perhaps outside of Alabama at Georgia, depending on who you ask, but regardless, the oddsmakers expect it to be close. Penn State is the favorite by 3.5 points, meaning they need to win by at least 4 for bettors to cash in. The total points line (over/under) is set at 52.5, which shows experts think both teams will score often. On the moneyline, Penn State is around 165, while Oregon sits near +140, so Penn State is seen as more likely to win, but Oregon offers a higher payout if they pull off the upset.

Analysts believe this matchup could go either way. Some lean toward Oregon covering the spread because of their strong stats. For example, the Ducks rank high in yards per play and offensive efficiency, and quarterback Dante Moore has been sharp. Their defense could also put pressure on Penn State QB Drew Allar, who has been inconsistent.

In Penn State’s case, the Nittany Lions have some clear advantages. They will play at home in their famous “White Out” game, where more than 100,000 fans create one of the loudest atmospheres in football. The Nittany Lions also had a bye week, giving them extra rest and time to prepare. Overall, the line has dropped from 4.5 to 3.5 points, showing that some bettors trust Oregon to keep it close. With two strong teams, this game could come down to which quarterback makes fewer mistakes in a tough, high-energy setting.