What a start to the 2026 college football season, and for Oregon, it’s already turned into a full-blown mess.
Miami, meanwhile, is rolling the way a Mario Cristobal team is supposed to roll against lesser opponents. Cristobal keeps pushing the Hurricanes upward, year by year, in the direction of a program that can again live in the national-title conversation. That’s the same climb he once started at Oregon, where he inherited a 4-8 wreck and still managed to deliver two PAC 12 titles.
Oregon’s current reality looks a lot different. The Ducks are 1-2 in their last three games, and the results have been ugly in every direction: a 56-22 loss to Indiana, a one-score escape against Boise State after trailing going into the 4th Quarter, and then the latest gut punch - handing Oklahoma State its first win in 21 tries against an FBS team, even though Tulsa had beaten the Cowboys the week before.
When Cristobal left to bring his alma mater back to respectability, Oregon fans made their feelings known. A lot of that was straight-up hatred.
In the same breath, they celebrated Daniel Arthur Lanning as the man who would keep the program moving. There was at least some logic to the optimism at first.
Lanning had never been a head coach before, but he stepped into the foundation Cristobal built and carried that momentum all the way to a 2024 Big Ten title.
Now, in each coach’s fifth season at his own school, the contrast is impossible to miss. Miami is climbing.
Oregon is not. Cristobal’s imprint is gone, the Autzen Stadium offices have been fully purged from the aroma of cafecito, and this is Lanning’s program now.
That’s why the online victory laps from Oregon skeptics hit so hard when Miami stumbled earlier in the year. The post about Miami’s loss to SMU was one thing.
Last Saturday was another. If Barstool Oregon was stunned then, the reaction to this latest Oregon loss had to be something out of a cartoon - jaw on the floor, tongue stretched out like a Fruit by the Foot.
Last weekend also brought another uncomfortable snapshot for Oregon: Lanning trying to solve an Eric Morris offense. It was the second time Morris had faced Oregon with Lanning involved. The first came in 2022, when Lanning was the offensive coordinator at Washington State and a young Cam Ward put up 41 points against Oregon.
And then there was the defensive side of the ball. Chris Hampton had to stare at a play sheet while Oklahoma State piled up 554 of yards on offense. That kind of number tells its own story.
The quarterback situation isn’t looking much prettier. Mario’s QB development suddenly looks shaky after these last 2+ seasons, while Dante Moore - who entered the season as the arguable favorite for the Heisman and No. 1 overall pick - went just 14 of 29 and looked nothing like the player he was last year. At this rate, Oregon will be turning to backup Dylan Raiola by mid-season.
The jokes about Oregon needing to go back to scheduling Pac 12 teams kept coming, too. Boise State was tough enough. And if the Ducks want an easier path, they might want their old equal-footing rival Oregon State back on the calendar on a regular basis.
But no, the point here is not going away: Oregon is stuck with first time head coach Dan Lanning, while Coach Whittingham is busy beating Oklahoma and Lanning is losing to Oklahoma State.
So how’s that poll looking now?
Aged poorly, as it turns out.
And as of this summer, Ducks fans were still convinced Lanning was an upgrade over Cristobal, recruiting included. I get that Oregon was the first state to legalize weed, but even FSU fans have sobered up on Mike “no lights” Norvell.
In Other News...
Miami Is About To Face Its First Real Test Up Front
Miamis offense is about to find out a lot more about itself. After two games of easing into the season, Shannon Dawson and Mario Cristobal are focused on a step up in class next week, when the Hurricanes run into a Wake Forest defensive front that has already shown it can make life uncomfortable.
For Miami, the spotlight is squarely on the offensive line and the kind of communication that tends to get tested most when the opponent can win up front without needing much help. Cristobal and Dawson both pointed to Wake Forests early-season defensive work as a reminder that this wont be another dress rehearsal, and the Hurricanes will need cleaner timing and sharper coordination to handle a much tougher assignment. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Is Still In The Fight For A Massive 5-Star Target
Mark Matthews remains one of the biggest name recruits Miami is still chasing in the 2027 cycle, and the Hurricanes are not backing off despite his pledge to Texas A&M. The five-star offensive lineman from St. Thomas Aquinas has stayed in contact with Miami, and the staff continues to treat him as a priority target as it looks to keep stacking talent up front.
Matthews has shown appreciation for the Hurricanes' effort and the family atmosphere around the program, which at least keeps the door open as Miami pushes to strengthen its offensive line haul. With a highly ranked 2027 class already taking shape, landing a player of Matthews' caliber would be a major add, even if he has not suggested any change to his commitment yet. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Faces An Early Test That Could Change Everything
Miamis early-season path gets a quick reality check Friday night when the Hurricanes head to Wake Forest, a road stop that comes with more weight than the calendar might suggest. Around college football, Oregon is trying to steady itself after a loss to Oklahoma State and Houston is staring at No. 13 Texas Tech in Lubbock, so Miamis matchup fits into a busy night that could start shaping how teams are viewed before the schedule really settles in.
For the Hurricanes, this is the kind of game that can sharpen the conversation around where they stand and how far they have to go. Road games always bring a different level of scrutiny, and with standings and perception both still in flux, Miami has a chance to make an early statement while the season is still young and the margin for error is thin. [Read more 🡒]