Games are entering the 7th week of the season, and Oregon is still undefeated with a 5-0 record. Dan Lanning had his best win of the season when he went to Happy Valley and defeated Penn State during their iconic “White Out” game. This marks Lanning’s first ever win against an AP top-five team on the road in his career. The Ducks have a real shot of going undefeated in the regular season. Only one ranked opponent remains on their schedule. The Indiana Hoosiers. Considering how Curt Cignetti has been coaching, this game will prove to be an even bigger test than Penn State. Lanning needs to bring his best, but injuries are making that difficult.

Lanning is going to lose a key weapon on his offense as WR Evan Stewart’s return is still to be confirmed. After suffering a knee injury back in June, there were speculations that Stewart might be out for the entire season. But then Lanning’s update gave fans hope as he said, “It’s going great, and it’ll be interesting to see when we’re able to get him back, potentially, and what he looks like… But again, the main focus for that is Evan and today, right? And then tomorrow, and then the next piece. But he’s coming here with a great attitude every day.” Stewart is not the only casualty for the Ducks.

While giving an update on Evan Stewart, Trey McNutt, and Dillon Gresham, he made it clear that “They will all be down this week.” Now losing a player like Stewart, who recorded 613 yards and five TDs in his debut season, is not that easy. He was also leading all wideouts returning this fall after Tez Johnson and Traeshon Holden went to the NFL.

Even defensive back Trey McNutt’s update comes as a big shocker for Oregon knowing their crucial game against Indiana. Back in August during fall camp, McNutt broke his leg during practice. After that, he needed 6-8 weeks of recovery time, which gave fans hope that he might return by week 7, but it looks like that’s not happening anytime soon. Trey was a true freshman with lots of hopes for his debut season that has been tragically cut short.

Then comes in wide receiver Dillon Gresham, who’s out for some weeks after being seen with a neck brace during Oregon’s game against Montana State. After redshirting last year, this year was supposed to be his best season, and here we are still waiting for his comeback. While playing like a wrecking ball, he was California’s leading receiver with 2,051 yards and 31 touchdowns in 2022 and had more than 100 yards in 10 games and broke the 200 mark two times. It remains to be seen how the injured Ducks hold up against Indiana. Because it looks like Lanning’s already excited for the game.

Dan Lanning makes his stance clear on Indiana

Since joining the program in 2022, Ducks coach Dan Lanning has offered nothing but consistency, leading them to a 10-3 run in his debut season. And since then it just kept going with 12-2 in 2023, and last year he gave them a playoff run with an undefeated regular season. But even Curt Cignetti is turning heads with Indiana’s turnaround in recent seasons. Last year after going 11-2, the Hoosiers had their first double-digit win season in program history. And it’s not just the case with Indiana. Cignetti led James Madison to a 10-0 record back in 2023.

After their win against ranked opponent Illinois, the Hoosiers look stronger than ever. Dan Lanning knows what they are going up against, as he said, “Unbelievable opportunity sitting in front of us here with a top-10 matchup versus a really good team. You watch these guys on tape. They do a lot of things well. I think the first thing that stands out to us when you look at special teams and how dominant they’ve been in special teams and blocking kicks is just what they do and then how they play their players’ strengths.”

That’s a straight fact. The Hoosiers’ special team is their real strength, as kicker Nico Radicic has converted five of his six field goals so far and all 32 extra points. Let’s not forget his career-long 46-yard field goal too. So it’s pretty clear that Cignetti has legs to push them through 50-plus yards. This win might decide Dan Lanning’s playoff fate because after Indiana there’s no team that might give strong competition to them. If they survive Indiana, an undefeated regular season is surely within grasp.