Earthquake for the Quack Attack: Oregon stunned by Oklahoma State

The Oregon Ducks have not played well in the first two weeks of their 2026 season, but even if they played poorly against Oklahoma State, few experts thought they would actually lose. Yet, they somehow managed to do just that, absorbing a seismic 39-31 loss which dramatically changes the Big Ten College Football Playoff picture. Oregon meets USC in two weeks. The Trojans might actually go into that game as the favorite now. Let’s talk about this result and what it means:

Oregon will be mad and motivated for this USC game. The Ducks know that if they lose to the Trojans, they will probably miss the playoff this year. What is also wounded in Eugene: this Oregon team’s confidence. This group is not playing with the swagger or edge of previous Dan Lanning teams. Something is very off.

Dan Lanning had to replace two coordinators this past offseason. Oregon looks like a worse-coached team without Will Stein and Tosh Lupoi on staff. Elite programs have to cycle through coordinators without letting their standards slide. Lanning isn’t doing a good job of coaching his coaches. The head coach must maintain quality control, and that’s where Lanning is failing.

The real crisis for Oregon is that the problems are across the board. They aren’t limited to one player or one side of the ball. Oklahoma State outgained Oregon by close to 250 yards in the first half. That can’t be pinned on one guy. Dan Lanning has a lot to fix.

The Ducks visit Ohio State later this season, so if they lose to USC, they will have two losses and will likely lose three games. That would put them outside the playoff. USC has a chance to deal the Ducks a devastating blow.

The Trojans always needed to beat Oregon to reach their goals, but now they will be expected to beat Oregon. There has never been a better chance for USC to beat Oregon. If Lincoln Riley can’t get it done now, when will he ever do it?

Oregon is a mess early in the season. The fact that Oregon-USC is a late September game reduces the amount of time Oregon has to regroup. If this was a late October or early November game, Dan Lanning would have much more time to fix his team before playing USC. Now, he doesn’t.

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