Oregon is coming off an impressive season, during which they were just a win against Washington away from a possible college football berth. The Ducks fell to the Huskies by a field goal in Seattle and once again in the Pac-12 championship at Allegiant Stadium.
This impressive season is why so many speculated that head coach Dan Lanning would leave Euegene and take over the Alabama Crimson Tide after Nick Saban’s retirement. However, Lanning set the record straight that he would stay with the Ducks until further notice.
PFF College football analysts Max Chadwick and Dalton Wasserman ranked Lanning as the third-best coach in the country, only behind Georgia’s Kirby Smart and Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer. The third-year head coach is ranked the best in the Big Ten, with Ohio State’s Ryan Day also cracking the top 10.
Top 10 Head Coaches in College Football♨️
(Via: @MaxChadwickCFB | @PFF_Dalton) pic.twitter.com/GGZRsXPzuK
— PFF College (@PFF_College) August 14, 2024
Lanning served under Smart at Georgia for four seasons as a defensive coordinator before ultimately making the move to the west coast. At 38 years old, he poses an impressive 22-5 record with steady improvement each season.
The Ducks have high hopes for their inaugural season in the Big Ten, and many hope they can compete for a conference or even national championship. A big reason for that is the retention of offensive coordinator Will Stein, who was a key reason why former Oregon quarterback Bo Nix was so successful last season.
Replacing Nix will be former Oklahoma transfer quarterback and Heisman trophy favorite Dylan Gabriel. Gabriel will also have no shortage of weapons in Eugene, with wide receivers Tez Johnson and Evan Stewart among the best in college football.
Oregon will open up their season on Aug. 31 against Idaho, before what should be an interesting week 2 game against a sneaky good Boise State team at Autzen Stadium.