The 2022 season will always be a memorable one for head coach Dan Lanning and his new Oregon team. After leaving the national champion Georgia Bulldogs as their defensive coordinator, Lanning took the Ducks’ head coach job.
“Oregon is a premier brand. Oregon’s a team that it doesn’t matter what spot in the nation you’re at. You recognize it,” Lanning said on SportsCenter shortly after he was hired. “And for me, I never wanted to leave Georgia for anything less than a job that I thought was an elite one. And this is that.”
In his first season as head coach, Lanning took that Oregon brand to the next level. With a 10-3 record, a bowl win and a national ranking as high as six, he made them a national championship competitor in his first year. With a year under his belt and his recruiting classes starting to show up in Eugene, the bar is high. Here’s a look at the most anticipated games of the 2023 season.
Texas Tech – September 9
All eyes will be on the Texas and Alabama matchup during Week Two this season, but Oregon at Texas Tech will definitely be a can’t-miss game. While Oregon enters the season with high expectations, it’s going to be hard to beat the Red Raiders in Lubbock. On both sides of the ball, there will be really good football played. Tyler Shough, the former Duck quarterback from 2018 to 2020, is now Texas Tech’s starting quarterback, and it won’t be surprising if he has a chip on his shoulder for this game. With both teams having several key pieces returning, this game could have major playoff implications.
Colorado – September 23
Lanning and new Colorado head coach Deion Sanders have traded back-and-forth barbs about their teams’ respective conference moves. During a July 31 press conference, Lanning was asked about his reaction to Colorado leaving for the Big 12 and said, “Not a big reaction. I’m trying to remember what they won to affect this conference and I don’t remember. Do you remember them winning anything? I don’t remember them winning anything.” Colorado’s new head coach Deion Sanders responded sarcastically four days later when asked about Oregon’s move to the Big Ten.
This banter between the two schools is not surprising, especially after a lot of coaches have expressed their frustrations with Sanders on how he manages his team amongst other things. For the first conference game of the season at home, this is going to be one of the loudest games at Autzen Stadium.
Washington – October 14
The rivalry between the Ducks and Huskies has entered a new chapter. Not only did the schools make the conference move to the Big Ten together, but last year’s game was also one of the most well-played games between the two. Both offenses had big plays and the score bounced back and forth until the final whistle was blown. In Seattle, this game could be a potential playoff preview which is always fun during a rival game.
USC – November 11
When the Trojans announced the hire of Lincoln Riley in October of 2021, USC was one of the opponents that Duck fans looked forward to going up against. Unfortunately, they never got to see the two new coaches go head-to-head. But now that Lanning and Riley have a year under their belt with their new teams, this matchup is going to be a fun rivalry, especially with both schools moving into the Big Ten next year. The Bo Nix and Caleb Williams matchup is going to be a fan favorite.
Oregon State – November 24
After Oregon made the announcement that they will be moving to the Big Ten in 2024, Oregon State was unhappy and made that very clear. Oregon State’s Athletic Director Scott Barnes was reportedly furious.
“Conference realignment just doesn’t make sense anymore. What this enterprise was built on was regionality and rivalries,” Barnes said to the Oregonian. “That is gone. That is leaving the Pac-12. Some of the most special pieces about our model are the regionality of competition and rivalries. Those things are forgotten.”
Oregon’s Athletic Director Rob Mullens told 247 Sports that with the in-state rivalry being full of rich tradition, he will do everything he can to keep it going across all sports. Barnes responded that nothing has been determined yet and they aren’t committing themselves to continue playing against Oregon. Following last season’s 34-38 loss in Corvallis, both teams are looking to make a statement as this could possibly be the last time they face each other in the near future.
After an eventful offseason, fans are impatiently awaiting for the season to arrive. New opponents, new recruits, and rivalries will make the 2023-24 season one to remember.
