Dan Lanning is already turning Oregon’s trip to Columbus into more than just another heavyweight showdown.
The No. 2 Ducks visit No.
1 Ohio State on Nov. 7 in a game that has the feel of a college football event built for the spotlight, and the Oregon coach has apparently added a little extra spice to the week leading up to it. According to Barstool Sports personality Ohio’s Tate, Lanning floated a new punishment tied to the Ducks-Buckeyes bet that has already taken on a life of its own.
Ohio’s Tate, also known as Tate Moore, has publicly guaranteed that Ohio State will go 12-0 in the 2026 regular season. That promise has spiraled into a season-long wager with different consequences depending on which team beats the Buckeyes, and Oregon is now in the middle of it.
“So I met Dan Lanning when I went to Big Ten Media Days. Hated that I liked him. Way more fun to hate him, but that's beside the point here,” Tate said in a video that has drawn more than one million views.
The setup has already produced one ridiculous chapter. Two seasons ago, after Oregon beat Ohio State in the biggest upset in Autzen Stadium history, Tate had to eat 320 Peeps because of a previous bet.
Now there’s a new twist. Tate said Lanning personally suggested that if Oregon goes into Columbus and beats Ohio State this November, Tate will have to get the Mike Tyson tattoo painted on.
“If Oregon comes into Columbus this November and beats Ohio State, I will get the Mike Tyson tattoo painted or tattooed or whatever,” Tate said.
Tate later posted that the punishment list had been updated with the help of Lanning, and said the face tattoo would be painted rather than permanent. But there’s a catch: he said he can’t wash it off until he finishes the Peeps he already owes. Tate’s current wager calls for him to eat 10 marshmallow Peeps for every point Oregon scores if the Ducks win.
Lanning has not publicly confirmed the story, but Tate said the idea came directly from the Oregon coach.
The game itself carries plenty of weight without the side bets. Oregon and Ohio State will kick off at 12:30 p.m.
PT on Nov. 7, according to The Athletic, with CBS carrying the broadcast. For Oregon, that means avoiding the dreaded 9 a.m.
PT start that can be brutal on West Coast teams.
There’s also a real chance these teams meet again soon. With Big Ten and College Football Playoff implications hanging over the matchup, Oregon and Ohio State could line up for a rematch a few weeks later in the Big Ten championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
DraftKings has already installed Ohio State as the favorite, with the Buckeyes listed at -6.
That makes sense given the recent history between the programs. The last time they met was in the 2025 Rose Bowl, when Ohio State rolled past Oregon 41-21 before going on to win the national championship. Earlier in the 2024 season, Oregon edged the Buckeyes 32-31 in a wild game in Autzen Stadium.
Ohio State will bring back quarterback Julian Sayin, who broke out in 2025 with 3,610 passing yards and 32 touchdowns while helping the Buckeyes run the table in the regular season. The offense will also feature Jeremiah Smith, who is expected to be a top pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Even with all that competition, Lanning’s respect for Ryan Day came through clearly in an interview with Oregon Ducks On SI reporter Bri Amaranthus. Lanning praised Day’s work on the field and also singled out his off-field commitment to mental health awareness, noting Day’s advocacy after losing his father to suicide when he was eight.
“Obviously what he's done with his program is unbelievable. He's done a great job developing, growing, and improving that team year in and year out,” Lanning told Amaranthus.
“They work really, really hard as a staff. But I think probably as impressive as anything is the stuff that he's done off the field, whether it's suicide awareness, his relationship with his family, being a good family man.”
So while the stakes on the field are enormous, the off-field banter has already started to match it. And if Oregon wins in Columbus, one overconfident Ohio State backer could be staring down a very public combination of face paint and marshmallow Peeps.
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