Dan Lanning isn’t one to bite his tongue-especially when it comes to the College Football Playoff. And as Oregon gears up for its Orange Bowl showdown against No.
4 Texas Tech, the Ducks' head coach is once again putting the CFP structure under the microscope. His message?
It’s time for the Playoff to evolve-and that starts with giving higher seeds a real, on-field advantage.
Lanning Wants More Than a Bye: He Wants Home Turf
Lanning’s central argument is simple but compelling: if a team earns a top seed, it should be rewarded with more than just a week off-it should get to play at home. In his eyes, the current system, which sends teams to neutral sites after a first-round bye, doesn’t fully honor what those teams accomplished during the regular season.
“We’re really excited to be going to the Orange Bowl,” Lanning said. “But this game should be played at Texas Tech. There should be a home-field advantage for them.”
That’s not just coach-speak. It’s a call for the CFP to rethink how it defines fairness and reward. Under the current structure, the top four seeds skip the first round but then head into neutral-site games-essentially giving up one of the most powerful weapons in college football: their home stadium.
Lessons From Experience: Oregon’s 2024 Playoff Run
Lanning’s perspective isn’t theoretical-it’s rooted in experience. Oregon went a perfect 13-0 in the 2024 regular season, earning the No. 1 overall seed.
But when it came time to take the field in the Rose Bowl, the Ducks got steamrolled by Ohio State. No Autzen Stadium.
No deafening crowd. No home-field edge.
Lanning didn’t suggest that playing in Eugene would’ve changed the outcome-that’s not his style. But the point stands: a team that dominates all year long should at least have the chance to play in front of its own fans. That’s not just a reward-it’s a competitive edge, one that’s been baked into the DNA of college football for generations.
Let’s not forget what home-field advantage really means in this sport. It’s not just noise-it’s communication breakdowns, snap timing issues, weather variables, and the kind of travel fatigue that never shows up in a box score. A bye week is nice, but it doesn’t replicate the chaos and comfort of a true home game.
The Texas Tech Factor: What a Home Game Would Look Like
Now, flip the script to this year’s Orange Bowl. Texas Tech, the No. 4 seed, will face Oregon at a neutral site. But imagine this matchup in Lubbock.
The Red Raiders have one of the nastiest defenses in the country. Linebacker Jacob Rodriguez has been a wrecking ball all season-over 100 tackles, four picks, seven forced fumbles.
You put him and that unit in front of a fired-up home crowd? That’s a different level of intensity.
That’s a defense that feeds off the energy in the stands.
Meanwhile, Oregon quarterback Dante Moore would be stepping into a far more hostile environment than a neutral field can offer. And Texas Tech’s own QB, Behren Morton, would get the comfort of his home routine-his locker room, his crowd, his weather.
That’s the kind of environment that should be earned, not neutralized. And that’s exactly what Lanning is fighting for.
A Broader Message to the CFP
Lanning’s comments aren’t just about Oregon or Texas Tech-they’re about the direction of the sport. He’s pointing to a structural flaw that could be addressed with a relatively simple fix: let the higher seed host.
It’s what the NFL does. It’s what regular-season performance should mean.
And it’s what college football, a sport built on tradition and fan passion, could use more of-not less.
The current format, Lanning argues, strips away one of the sport’s most defining features. And for what?
Neutral-site pageantry? If the goal is to reward excellence, then let the best teams play where they’re strongest.
Hunter Yurachek and the CFP committee have some big decisions ahead as the Playoff continues to evolve. Lanning’s voice is just one of many, but it’s a voice backed by results, experience, and a deep understanding of what makes college football special.
At the end of the day, this isn’t about one team or one game-it’s about the integrity of the postseason. For Lanning, giving higher seeds home-field advantage isn’t just fair. It’s necessary.