Oregon entered the season with the kind of roster that usually buys a team some margin for error. Instead, the Ducks are 3-2 after a rough home loss to UCLA, and the gap between the preseason hype and what’s actually showing up on Saturdays has become impossible to ignore.
This was supposed to be a year built around retention, recruiting and portal firepower. Dante Moore, A'Mauri Washington and Matayo Uiagalelei all passed on the NFL Draft to chase a National Championship, and Oregon spent heavily to make sure this staff had everything it needed from a talent standpoint. But talent alone doesn’t explain why the Ducks are already staring at a near-perfect finish just to keep their Playoff hopes alive.
At some point, the accountability has to land on Dan Lanning.
The offseason losses of both coordinators created a tough spot, but it also opened a door for Oregon to go out and hire a top offensive mind to pair with Moore. Instead, Lanning chose to elevate Drew Mehringer. That kind of internal promotion has worked before in Lanning’s tenure, but this one hasn’t come close to matching the success of the Kenny Dillingham and Will Stein hirings.
Against UCLA, the issues were obvious from the start. Oregon had a bye week to prepare, and still the offense came out flat while facing a Bruins team that can run the ball at will.
The only early burst came when the defense recovered a fumble on the 1-yard line. Outside of that, it took more than 49 minutes for Oregon to score on offense.
The frustrating part is how little the Ducks have done to put their best playmakers in position to make an impact. Dakorien Moore is clearly their most dangerous weapon after the catch, but there’s no visible urgency to get him the ball early and often. Jamari Johnson is the sort of matchup problem defenses should be losing sleep over, and yet Oregon didn’t get him involved until the 58th minute.
Even then, Oregon still had life. A late touchdown from its third-string quarterback gave the Ducks a chance to force overtime, but a decision earlier in the game had already boxed them in.
Because Oregon had gone for a 2-point conversion early, it needed another one just to tie the game. Two uncreative play calls kept the Bruins ahead and ended that hope.
Maybe Mehringer eventually finds a rhythm as a playcaller. The problem is that time is not exactly on Oregon’s side.
Players like Dante Moore, A'Mauri Washington, Matayo Uiagalelei, Evan Stewart, Jamari Johnson and plenty of others are not easy to replace, and this roster was built to win now. Instead, it’s slipping away one wasted week at a time.
In Other News...
Auburn Heads Into Georgia Week With One Big Problem To Solve
Auburns prep for Georgia week has put the focus squarely on the basics, with Alex Golesh, Joel Gordon and DJ Durkin using their latest press conference to sketch out what still needs cleaning up on both sides of the ball. The staff pointed to fundamentals, situational game planning and the kind of physical play that will be required against a Georgia team that rarely gives opponents much room for error.
The availability side of the equation matters, too, and the Tigers already know linebacker Xavier Atkins will be out. That forces Auburn to keep adjusting while trying to sharpen its offense and tighten its defense, and it leaves the staff with a very familiar midseason task: find answers fast enough to matter in one of the SECs most demanding game weeks. [Read more 🡒]
Auburns Georgia Test Suddenly Feels Bigger Than One Linebacker
The build-up to Auburns matchup with Georgia had already been intense, but the chatter around linebacker Xavier Atkins added another layer of uncertainty in the days leading up to kickoff. Rumors swirled that Atkins had been dismissed over disciplinary issues, yet he has not been kicked off the team, leaving the Tigers to sort through what his status means for a defense that has little margin for error in this kind of game.
If Atkins is unavailable, Auburn would likely lean more heavily on DeMarcus Riddick to handle a bigger workload on defense. For a rivalry test that already demands clean communication and physical edge, the possibility of shifting responsibilities at linebacker only sharpens the stakes for a unit trying to settle in before facing Georgia. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Heads To Georgia With Upset Hopes Resting On Two Concerns
Auburn comes out of its bye week staring at a tall assignment in Athens, where the Tigers will try to test No. 1 Georgia with a little extra time to prepare. The matchup is already a steep climb, and Auburns path gets narrower when you look at the two areas that have shaped the conversation around this team: Byrum Browns play at quarterback and the uncertainty surrounding the defense.
Brown has given Auburn a passing threat with 1,055 yards and seven touchdowns, but the seven interceptions have also left room for concern in a game where every possession figures to matter. On the other side of the ball, there are unconfirmed reports that linebacker Xavier Atkins may not be available, which would only add to the challenge of slowing a Georgia offense that rarely offers many chances to recover. [Read more 🡒]