Oregon is already winning huge favors to even win it all. First, Montana State, 59-13, barely broke a sweat. Then came Oklahoma State, who got flattened 69-3. Two weeks in, the Ducks are flexing. But now comes the road trip where their dominance will be tested away from Autzen Stadium. This Saturday, Dan Lanning and his crew will show up at Evanston for a Big Ten clash with Northwestern. Vegas doesn’t like the Wildcats’ chances, pinning them as 27.5-point underdogs against the Ducks, who are averaging 64 points per game. Besides, according to a FOX analyst, Oregon’s got what it takes to win it all. 

Joel Klatt, who is set to be the announcer of the FOX televised Oregon vs Northwestern game on September 13, made a bold statement. “The team that I think is really good? Oregon,” he said on CFB ON FOX on September 11. “They’re different this year… I know that they’re always good and they’re always fast and they’re a good team. This is a team that’s constructed that could be a great team. I think Dante Moore is a step up from Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel. Both draft picks, both really good players.” And Dante Moore’s numbers back it up. 

Against Oklahoma State, Dante Moore went 16-for-21 for 266 yards and three touchdowns. Through two games, he’s thrown six touchdowns without a single interception, totaling 479 yards while barely breaking a sweat. That’s why Heisman whispers are already surfacing. He’s the showrunner of an offense operating at warp speed. “Moore is going to dominate this Northwestern defense,” ClutchPoints’ Bryan Logan wrote, “Expect the Ducks quarterback to throw for over 250 yards and multiple touchdowns against the Wildcats’ defense.” And he’s only getting started.

The Ducks’ ground game has been equally unforgiving. Noah Whittington, the veteran back, ripped off a 59-yard house call against Oklahoma State before fans had even settled into their seats. In just two weeks, Oregon has piled up 565 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. As Joel Klatt added, “When I turn on Oregon, I see the best team in the country. And I’m just saying right now that that looks like a team that could win it all this year.” Still, Dan Lanning isn’t smiling over the weeks gone by. 

Dan Lanning’s pursuit of perfection

After hanging 69 points, Dan Lanning was pointing to flaws. Against Montana State, the Ducks graded at 73% offensive execution. Against Oklahoma State, it’s 72%. That one-percent drop bothered him more than the scoreboard. Five pre-snap penalties, a busted coverage on third-and-10 that left a gap. “It’s clear what we could coach better and what we can execute better,” he said. To him, good is not good enough. And that’s why Oregon feels different, dominant now, terrifying later.

The Ducks haven’t forgotten history, either. Oregon and Northwestern have only met once, way back in 1974, when the Wildcats stole a 14-10 win. That’s a trivia answer, not a prediction. This Saturday, FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff will put Gus Johnson and Joel Klatt on the mic, the perfect soundtrack for Oregon’s national unveiling. If the analyst’s “best team in the country” take is legit, we’re about to see the proof. Because this is their chance to show they devour both at home and on the road. 

Oregon is building a case as the team to beat. Dante Moore is the spark, Dan Lanning is the perfectionist, and Joel Klatt just put the Ducks on notice as the nation’s best. Saturday in Evanston could be about them proving they’re greatness rather than chasing greatness.