Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks might not be in a good mood right now. The Ducks are flying high, but not quite high enough. Lanning’s program checked in at No. 9 in the CFP rankings, trailing its No. 6 standing in the AP polls. They’ve yet to notch a ranked win. However, analyst Chris Fowler finds a silver lining for Lanning and co.

On November 4, he posted an IG reel. The caption read, “Quick take on the #cfp #rankings first edition. Sorry, no ranting overreactions. And we’re excited to get to the Big XII for a Top10 collision @byufootball @texastech_fb .Diving into prep, will have more on this game as I navigate to Lubbock. #collegefootball #cfb #cfbplayoff.” Fowler addressed how Lanning’s Oregon is ranked lower than fans believe it deserves. Here, Fowler came up with something positive: “Good news for the Ducks. They have by far the toughest stretch run in the Big Ten.”

Oregon is ranked No. 6 in the AP Poll, but only No. 9 by the CFP committee,  a noticeable drop. The reason? To Fowler, Lanning’s boys’ double-overtime road win at Penn State, which was a huge victory earlier in the season, went undervalued. According to Fowler, even though the Nittany Lions’ form declined afterward, that win was still very tough and should count for more. But Lanning will get a fair chance to win back the trust.

“At Iowa is tricky. Indiana barely won there. Washington at the end of the year. USC comes to Autzen,” noted Fowler. Road game at Iowa is always a tough place to play. Oregon might get a breather as it hosts the USC Trojans at Autzen Stadium. They will close the season with the Washington rivalry. But they got to do it.

For the second straight season, the Ducks have cracked the CFP’s top 12. A year ago, they set the standard, debuting at No. 1 and never letting go, the first team in CFP history to hold the top spot from start to finish through championship weekend. Oregon can’t afford another slip as they are now haunted by Notre Dame, who is breathing on the Ducks’ neck. 

“Notre Dame is lurking there just behind them. Six straight wins. Biggest challenge they have down the stretch is Pitt,” said Fowler. Looks like the Oregon head coach has already tapped into a ‘go get it’ mindset.

Dan Lanning respects the pressure at Kinnick

Lanning’s got respect for the challenge ahead. He called Iowa’s Kinnick Stadium one of the Big Ten’s most intimidating road environments, and he’s ready to embrace the noise. Oregon’s upcoming face-off also has personal significance for him. With Iowa City only a short drive from his hometown of Kansas City, Missouri, Lanning’s expecting a few familiar faces in the stands. 

“It’s gotta be one of the greatest traditions in college football. To realize that just a few yards away from you there’s some guys fighting a battle that matters a lot more than the game. But for a Saturday every week that they get to maybe be somewhere else other than that hospital is a pretty cool moment,” Lanning said. Now, how is Oregon’s luck going to fare against the Hawkeyes?

Few places hit harder than Kinnick. Iowa’s 26-7 home record since 2021 speaks for itself, and under Kirk Ferentz, the Hawkeyes have made a habit of humbling giants, a 5-1 mark against AP top-five visitors from 2008 to 2021. Before the Iowa face-off, there is one more reason for Oregon to lose its good night’s sleep.

Early in the third quarter of Oregon’s Oct. 25 matchup against Wisconsin, quarterback Dante Moore took a hard hit to the face after a short run. The redshirt sophomore removed his helmet, revealing a bloodied nose as trainers hurried to his aid. The Ducks quarterback then left the field. Thank god his recovery time coincided with Oregon’s bye week. As per the October 29th update, Dan Lanning said, “He[Moore] had good practice today. Was out there rolling. Did a great job.” Now it’s time to see if Oregon can turn the rest of the season into a CFP springboard.