Oregon’s 34-27 home win over Boise State last week did not look like a statement from Dan Lanning’s team. The Ducks came into 2026 with national title talk, but that tight score left fans uneasy. Those doubts grew much louder once Week 2 started.
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The No. 6 Oregon (1-0) is facing Oklahoma State (0-1) at Boone Pickens Stadium. It is the Ducks’ first road game of the year and their first trip ever to Stillwater. Heading into the game, Oregon was a 23.5- to 24.5-point favorite, whereas Oklahoma State had just lost 24-10 at Tulsa, finished 1-11 in 2025, and was rebuilding in Year 1 under Eric Morris.
By halftime, Oklahoma State led 24-17. The score did not show how far Oregon was behind. The Cowboys had 353 total yards to Oregon’s 101. They averaged 9.5 yards per play to Oregon’s 3.1. First downs were 13-5, and time of possession was 17:24 to 12:36. What looked like a close game was already a real problem.
ESPN Insights flagged Oregon’s 252-yard first-half deficit as the worst half-margin of any game under Lanning. That is when the talk turned to the staff.
Drew Mehringer is in his first season as Oregon’s sole offensive coordinator. He had been the co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach since 2022. Mehringer replaced Will Stein, who left for Kentucky. This year, the unit has started slow, stalled on third downs, and rarely hit big plays.
The same questions now sit on the other side of the team. Chris Hampton is also a first-year full-time coordinator. He replaced Tosh Lupoi, who left for Cal. Under Lupoi, Oregon ranked third nationally in total defense and eighth in scoring defense in 2025.
Oregon was built to chase a national title behind Dante Moore and a deep roster. The Ducks also came in with a 12-game active road winning streak dating to October 2023 and an 18-2 road record under Lanning, and they had beaten the Cowboys 69-3 in Eugene last year. Those records are the main reason why fans displayed their frustration with the team online.
One post read, “This is 1000% on Dan Lanning!!! This is what happens when you think you have the best roster in football, so you advance unknown, unproven, inexperienced, offensive, and defensive coordinators. This is one of the biggest mistakes he’s ever fu–ing made, and I hope it costs him dearly. 2026 Oregon has been absolute trash so far!!”
Another fan wrote, “Legit fire both and hire mid-season. Can’t be worse than what we are seeing.”
The Ducks’ Week 1 already cost them several spots on the AP Top 25 Poll despite leaving with a fan. The AP voters punished Dan Lanning’s team for a poor showing against an unranked team. It remains to be seen how far will Oregon fall after Week 2’s result. A loss would be truly disastrous. However, even a win would lead to a drop. Oklahoma State started its season with a loss.
One more fan said, “If Oregon loses this game, enough is enough. Fire Dan Lanning, every year expectations are that Oregon is a contender, and every year the season ends in embarrassment.”
Another posted, “Cancel the season. Fire Dan Lanning. This team is a-s.” A fifth added, “Dan Lanning might have to make the tough decision to fire a coordinator in season. This is ridiculous.”
The issue is not only the score. It is the 353-101 yardage gap, the stalled offense, and the defensive drop against a team Oregon was supposed to control.