Dan Lanning didn’t exactly invite anyone onto Oregon’s ride.
During a busy bye week for the No. 15 Ducks, the coach made the media rounds and capped it off Saturday on the Big Noon Kickoff set, where his answer to Mark Ingram II turned heads. Ingram asked Lanning why he “should stay on this Ducks bandwagon,” and Lanning didn’t miss the chance to lean into Oregon’s usual edge.
“I’ll be really honest, we don’t want you,” Lanning said with a smile. “No offense to you.
Hey, Mark, I love you. But I love when no one else believes in us.
So, we don’t need anybody else to hop on the bandwagon. The only people that matter are the people in the locker room.
And it’s about what we do on the field.”
He kept going from there, making it clear that the outside chatter is more useful as fuel than as something worth listening to.
“So, it’s not a knock on you. The talking heads give us fuel.
But we don’t really pay attention to the outside noise,” he continued. “I need more negatives.
Alright. Give me the negative that I can play on the big screen.”
The exchange drew laughs on the show, but it fit the tone Lanning has built around the program. He has a history of turning criticism into bulletin-board material, and Oregon fans have seen that act before.
Back in 2023, he delivered the line, "They are playing for clicks. We are playing for wins." before the Ducks beat Colorado and Deion Sanders. The program also spotlighted Mike Gundy’s remarks about Oregon’s Name, Image and Likeness spending on the video board before a 2025 win.
A few days before Lanning’s latest comments, Oregon’s “Ducks vs. Them” cinematic recap pulled back the curtain on a halftime speech from the Ducks’ 41-27 win over No.
18 USC. That game got tense early when quarterback Dante Moore suffered a scary concussion in the second quarter after USC linebacker Desman Stephens II lowered his shoulder into a sliding Moore, who was stretchered off.
Lanning’s message at halftime was as fiery as anything he’s said publicly.
“They’re telling you right now they can’t beat you straight up because they’re a bunch of (expletive),” Lanning said. “You let them know what we (expletive) think they are by the way you play in the second half. Listen, I want all your energy expended between plays, not after.”
The USC recap also showed Lanning using the image of a wolf in sheep’s clothing, another reminder that Oregon’s message is about staying sharp and not getting distracted by the noise around it.
That approach matters now more than ever. The Ducks entered 2026 with a No. 2 preseason ranking and national title expectations, but an early 39-31 loss to Oklahoma State in Week 2 cooled some of the outside buzz. The road win over USC helped steady things, though Oregon still doesn’t have much margin left.
The schedule is about to get even tighter. The Ducks face eight straight weeks against Big Ten opponents without a bye, starting with No.
23 UCLA at Autzen Stadium on Oct. 10.
Another win, and especially a second straight one against a team ranked in the Week 5 AP Poll, would probably get the conversation around Oregon moving again.
For now, though, Lanning’s message is the one that seems to matter most inside the building: keep the focus in-house and keep pushing toward the College Football Playoff.
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Dan Lanning Sends Clear Message On Oregon's Dante Moore Situation
Dan Lanning didnt sound interested in rushing Dante Moore back, even with Oregon heading into a matchup against UCLA and the quarterback spot still in flux. The Ducks coach said Moore is working through concussion recovery and made it clear the program is following the proper protocol, keeping the focus on the young quarterbacks health rather than forcing a quick return.
If Moore is not cleared in time, Dylan Raiola is expected to get the start, giving Oregon another look at its depth under center. For now, the bigger message from Lanning was simple: the Ducks can handle the short-term uncertainty, but they are not going to gamble with Moores long-term well-being just to solve one weeks roster question. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Commit Is Giving Ducks Fans One Big Reason To Worry
Tae Walden Jr. has already given Oregon fans plenty to like. The four-star two-way athlete in the Ducks 2027 recruiting class has turned heads at both wide receiver and defensive back, and his commitment fits neatly into a class that is already shaping up as one of the stronger groups in the cycle, especially at the skill positions.
Still, there is at least some reason for unease. Ole Miss has continued to push for Walden, and he has already been on campus there with another visit planned later in the season, which is the kind of attention that can test even a firm commitment. For Oregon, the recruitment is less about where things stand now and more about whether it can keep one of its more intriguing future pieces from getting pulled deeper into the SEC conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Faces A Much Different UCLA Test Than Fans Remember
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The history between the programs still matters, but so does the present, and this one carries real stakes with both teams ranked. Oregon has its own case to make in the national picture, while UCLA arrives with enough momentum to make this more than a routine conference test, which is why the early read on the game points to a tighter contest than the series history might suggest. [Read more 🡒]