The 2024 season has started with everything head coach Dan Lanning and his Oregon program could dream of: a No. 1 national ranking, a top-3 win, an undefeated record.
But one thing Lanning doesn’t have in his three seasons with the Ducks is a resume-boosting win on the road.
The first game Lanning ever coached on the Oregon sidelines was against the team he won the national championship with as the defensive coordinator the season prior. Then-ranked No. 3 Georgia obliterated the No. 11 Ducks 49-3 in Atlanta.
The road woes continued and became more heartbreaking as Lanning’s first two seasons progressed. Later that season, Oregon had the opportunity to finish the 2022 regular season on a high note and clinch a spot in the Pac-12 Championship Game. Lanning failed his first test against the Ducks’ formidable foes, Oregon State, in Corvallis, Oregon.
Then comes what happened to the program one year ago. The difference between Oregon making or missing the College Football Playoff was just two games.
Both games were against Washington. Both were on the road. Both ended in defeat.
A No. 1 overall ranking and an expanded 12-team playoff means one misstep shouldn’t prevent the Ducks from making the postseason this time around. However, for the sake of favorable seeding and maintaining positive morale, this trip to Michigan still matters.
With the Wolverines currently out of the national rankings, a loss would be detrimental to Oregon’s hopes of staying atop the polls. Furthermore, Michigan’s history of winning national titles puts a target on its back — regardless of whether or not it’s had the same success this year.
“Obviously, they have a storied history. It’s an exciting game to get to be a part of,” Lanning said. “That’s what you sign up for when you’re in the Big Ten.”
The first season in the Big Ten already brought an all-time victory against Ohio State. As time expired and the Ducks won 32-31, Lanning appeared more emotional than usual on the sideline.
“In moments like this when you want to be filled with complete joy, the relief is one of the biggest feelings you feel,” Lanning said after the Ohio State win. “Because of how hard your guys worked, how bad you know they wanted it — but it’s never about the team that wants it the most. It’s never about the team that just has great emotion. It’s about the team that executes.”
But that was at home and the Wolverines aren’t a top-3 team like the Buckeyes. They aren’t the same team they were last year when they won the national championship. Last week, Michigan dropped out of the Top-25 for the first time since 2021.
Still, the Ducks haven’t had a whole lot of success playing in Ann Arbor. They’ve lost three of four matchups there all-time but won 39-7 the last time they met in 2007. Oregon didn’t even score at Michigan until that outing.
“To have the ability to handle travel and go play in a tough environment is going to be a fun challenge for our team,” Lanning said.
For the Ducks to break Lanning’s bad mojo on the road, they’ll need to capitalize on every opportunity for points, something that hurt them against Washington, and not let their foot off the gas, a costly mistake in Corvallis in 2022.
The Ducks still have to conquer Wisconsin and postseason opponents away from Autzen. A defining victory at The Big House, however, would check one of the final boxes Lanning is missing before winning a coveted national championship.
