What if chasing perfection cost you everything? Dan Lanning‘s Oregon Ducks, sitting pretty at 13-0, had the nation convinced they were untouchable. But behind that flawless record lurked a choice—play it smart or play it bold. Now, after a disastrous playoff stumble, fans are questioning if pride got the better of them. Was it all worth it? Or did Dan Lanning and the Ducks outsmart themselves on the road to glory?

Man, if you’re an Oregon Ducks fan, I’m sorry, but you’re probably still shaking your head and questioning life choices after the Rose Bowl disaster. The No. 1 seed Ducks walked in all swagged up to their core in green, white, and yellow drip, riding a flawless 13-0 season and stomping through defenses like a herd of angry elephants. But on New Year’s, in the grand stage of the College Football Playoff quarterfinal, the No. 8 seed Ohio State Buckeyes clapped back hard, handing Oregon a humbling 41-21 loss. This ain’t the Ducks team that edged out Ohio State by a single point back in Week 7.

Oh, and here’s the kicker: Oregon didn’t have to play Ohio State at all. Yep, you read that right. If Dan Lanning and the Ducks had just swallowed their pride and tanked the Big 10 Championship against Penn State, they’d be chilling on an easier playoff route with SMU & Boise State. Instead, they flexed, beat Penn State 45-37, and essentially handed the Nittany Lions a backdoor pass to the Orange Bowl semifinals. Meanwhile, Oregon got a three-week cold front before facing Ohio State, arguably the most dangerous squad in the country.

See, Dan Lanning’s decision-making is getting dragged through the mud, and honestly, it’s deserved. By beating Penn State, Oregon probably avoided Clemson and Arizona State but set themselves up for a nightmare matchup against the Buckeyes. And Ohio State? They weren’t rusty. They warmed up by bulldozing No. 9 Tennessee 42-17 in their first-round game. Oregon, on the flip side, had been sitting around for 3 weeks, looking like they forgot what football even is.

The Ducks were diabolically horrendous today. They simply couldn’t get their run game going at all. Minus 23 rushing yards? That’s not just bad—that’s historically embarrassing. Ohio State racked up 181 rushing yards, looking like they were playing Madden on rookie difficulty. And let’s not even start on the defense, which got lit up like the New Year’s ball in Times Square. What even? You can’t call yourself the No. 1 team if you’re letting opponents hang 41 points on you to kick off the New Year.

Fans call out Oregon’s false bravado

When Oregon insider ‘OregonHomer’ suggested tanking the Big Ten Championship on X, it sounded crazy. But after Ohio State handed Oregon a 41-21 obliteration in the Rose Bowl, fans started wondering if the Ducks should’ve taken the straightforward route. Now, the internet is roasting Oregon’s overconfidence, calling out their collapse on the national stage.

This fan started with a reality check, “With how Oregon is playing today, they would have lost to both Clemson and ASU.“Oregon came into this game acting like world-beaters and left looking like they couldn’t even take on Dabo Swinney’s washed-up crew or Kenny Dillingham’s scrappy underdogs. No. 1 in the country? Try No. 1 in fooling themselves. The Ducks looked so unprepared they might as well have stayed home in Eugene sipping kombucha and watching reruns of their Week 7 win.

One user just gave a straightforward opinion, “Just don’t give up 41 points to them, and this would be a non-issue.” This fan went straight for the jugular, and they’re not wrong. Oregon’s defense got cooked like it was on a BBQ smoker. Four touchdowns over 40 yards? In 22 minutes? For a team that was supposed to dominate every phase of the game, this wasn’t just bad—it was embarrassing.

One user tweeted, “2nd best team in the country?” This fan wasn’t about to let Oregon’s delusions slide. The idea that Ohio State is the 2nd-best team after handing you a 20-point L is pure comedy. Oregon insiders calling the Buckeyes “second-best” is like getting dunked on in a pickup game and calling yourself the better player because you showed up first. Get real.

This user gave the best response, “You would’ve had to beat them eventually anyway. You guys simply weren’t good enough.” This one cuts deep because it’s the truth. All the whining about tanking doesn’t change the fact that Oregon ain’t built to go the distance. Whether they faced Ohio State in the quarters or later, the result would’ve been the same. The Ducks weren’t ready, plain and simple. No excuses, no Hypotheticals. They ain’t simply built like that. Period.

Look, let’s be all real for a second now: Oregon didn’t need to plot their path differently; they needed to play better. Dan Lanning and the Ducks weren’t just beaten—they’ve literally got bullied on national television, and no amount of excuses or Hypotheticals is going to change that. Yes, it could’ve helped, but c’mon, that’s literally lowballing. Instead of crafting plans, maybe focus on earning that No. 1 ranking next time.