Dan Lanning sees Oregon’s “Ducks vs. Them” series as exactly what it’s built to be: a showcase.
The No. 15 Ducks have turned their postgame video package into one of the more recognizable parts of the program’s image, right alongside the NIL deals, uniform designs and marketing that have helped define Oregon’s brand in a shifting college football landscape. The short film style has caught on with fans, but one detail has stood out all season - there’s no episode when Oregon loses, including after the 39-31 road defeat at Oklahoma State.
Lanning explained why in an interview with CW Sports and On3 Sports college football analyst and former Oregon tight end George Wrighster III on “The Unafraid Show.”
“I get a chance to glance at them before,” Lanning said. “I think it’s always given us a great behind-the-scenes view of what's going on in our program.
You know, what are we trying to detail. Obviously, it's a recruiting tool, it's a marketing tool.”
He said the choice not to post those videos after losses is deliberate.
“I know that people have asked 'why don't you release them if you don't win?' Well, it's like, why would we advertise that?
We want to advertise the positives of our program. We want to advertise the things that go really well in our program and make sure that people can see what's going on and all the work that's really put in behind the scenes.
And obviously our staff does an unbelievable job at creating those and giving a little glimpse at what it's like to be a player here,” Lanning added.
That approach underscores both the appeal and the limitation of a team-made series like “Ducks vs. Them.” The production can deliver big moments with dramatic music and polished visuals, but it is still a program advertisement at its core, built to spotlight Oregon at its best.
Scott Anderson, the senior associate director of video for the Ducks, has been a frequent behind-the-scenes presence around the project. He also helps produce the season intro trailers, uniform reveal videos and the “Yes, There's Moore” promotional piece for senior quarterback Dante Moore’s Heisman Trophy campaign.
Anderson often shares details about the finished videos, including their run time, the music choices and how individual scenes came together. He has also asked Duck fans to send in their own stories so the video team can shape its work around them.
That work has brought major recognition, with Anderson and the Oregon video staff earning seven 2025 Emmy nominations.
In Other News...
Oklahoma State Just Added A Familiar Name With Something To Prove
Braylin Presley is back in the picture for Oklahoma State after a winding college path that took him from Stillwater to Tulsa and now back to the Cowboys. The former OSU player and Tulsa standout has been granted a fifth year of eligibility, giving him a chance to return to the program that first brought him into the Big 12 spotlight.
The move comes as Presley and several other athletes continue to challenge the NCAAs new age-based eligibility rule in court, and that legal fight has kept his status in motion. For now, though, his return still appears to be in limbo on the school side, since he has not yet been formally announced by Oklahoma State and was not on the teams electronic roster Sunday evening. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Gets A Real Week 6 Test Coming Out Of Bye
Coming out of its bye week, Oklahoma State heads into Week 6 with a conference game that has a little more intrigue than a standard early-October matchup. The Cowboys are set to host UCF in Big 12 play, and the timing gives them a chance to build on the momentum they carried into the break after putting together a strong start to the month.
UCF arrives with some uncertainty under center and a road profile that has not been encouraging so far this season, which only adds to the sense that this is a real test for both sides. For Oklahoma State, the game offers a chance to measure whether its recent turnaround has some staying power as the Big 12 schedule starts to tighten. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Heads To Oklahoma State With One Huge Availability Question
UCFs trip to Stillwater comes with more uncertainty than usual, and Scott Frost spent part of the week sorting through the injury ripple effects before the Knights face Oklahoma State. The list already includes several key players, and Frost has tried to stress the next-man-up approach as UCF leans on its depth and waits to see who can make it back in the near future.
One of the bigger questions hanging over the matchup is the offensive line, where center Jacob Maiava is dealing with a lower-body injury and remains questionable. The Knights also appear set to be short on offense and in the middle of the defense, with the availability of quarterback Alonza Barnett III and linebacker Lewis Carter shaping up as a major storyline as kickoff approaches. [Read more 🡒]