David Pollack is done with Oregon.
After the Ducks fell 39-31 at Oklahoma State in Week 2, Pollack said on "See Ball Get Ball" that he’s backing off the preseason national title pick he made before the year. Oregon, which he had chosen to beat Texas for the championship, took a major hit in the Associated Press Top 25 after the upset and now sits 15 spots lower.
Pollack didn’t leave much room for interpretation.
"I'm off the Oregon train," Pollack said. "Out. I'm out on them."
That sparked a back-and-forth with co-host Brent Rollins, who asked, "Are they like the Penn State or Clemson team in 2025?" Pollack replied, "You're already putting them there."
The comparison wasn’t flattering. Penn State and Clemson opened last season ranked No. 2 and No. 4 in the AP poll, and both ended up in the Pinstripe Bowl.
Pollack’s frustration was aimed at Oregon’s lack of balance, not quarterback Dante Moore.
"I'm jumping off. Dante Moore is a really good quarterback, and he's got really good weapons," Pollack said.
"But man, the balance really made them super hard to stop. It makes Dante Moore go to the next level.
They don't have any balance. They can't run the football.
So I'm ready to do it now."
The numbers backed up that concern. Oregon ran it 30 times for just 90 yards in Stillwater. Moore finished 14 of 29 for 191 yards and two touchdowns, while Oklahoma State piled up a 554-281 edge in total yards.
The decisive moment came late in the fourth quarter. Oregon was trailing 36-31 with under seven minutes left when Dan Lanning kept the offense on the field on fourth-and-8 from the Oregon 33.
Moore rolled right, couldn’t find anyone open and threw incomplete, turning the ball over on downs. Oklahoma State answered with a field goal on the next possession to stretch the lead to 39-31.
Pollack pointed straight to that sequence as the last straw.
"If I needed any more evidence to do it now, how about fourth-and-8 in your own territory?" Pollack said.
"You're down five. It's 36-31.
Oklahoma State's up. Not only do you run a play, you're not even really that organized.
It was absolutely a disaster. I can say it right now.
I'm out. It's not going to turn around."
Lanning defended the decision afterward, saying, "I think you have to be aggressive in those moments, especially when you're not having success, to keep it going," and added, "If it works, it works. If it doesn't, then you create short fields."
The loss dropped Oregon from No. 6 to No. 21 in the AP poll. The Ducks began the season at No. 2, and this marks their lowest ranking since 2022, Lanning’s first year in Eugene.
Oklahoma State, meanwhile, entered the game off a 1-11 season and a 24-10 loss to Tulsa in Week 1. Quarterback Drew Mestemaker led the Cowboys with 317 passing yards and 109 rushing yards in the win.
Oregon now turns to Portland State on Friday before Big Ten play opens at USC on Sept. 26.
In Other News...
Oklahoma States Oregon Win Looks Even Bigger After Lannings Admission
Oregons rocky start has made an early-season win over Oklahoma State look even more significant in hindsight, especially with Dan Lanning now acknowledging how much the Ducks have had to sort through since then. The preseason buzz around Oregon was enormous, but the on-field results have not matched it, and the Ducks have already been knocked down in the rankings after a close win and a loss.
Lanning put the responsibility on himself when he pointed to a lack of leadership as part of the reason the team stumbled out of the gate, while still expressing confidence in both the players and the coaching staff. For Oregon, the bigger question now is less about what the outside expectations were in the summer and more about how quickly the Ducks can settle into the kind of consistency that makes that Oklahoma State result feel like a foundation rather than a one-off. [Read more 🡒]
Former Duck Pushes Back As Dan Lanning Panic Starts Again
The chatter around Dan Lanning picked up again after Oregons loss to Oklahoma State, but one familiar voice moved quickly to temper the reaction. Former Ducks player and analyst Geoff Schwartz pushed back against the panic, pointing to Lannings overall success in Eugene and arguing that criticism should come with accountability, not a rush to judgment every time the Ducks stumble.
Lanning, for his part, did not dodge the issue after the game. He acknowledged mistakes in his postgame comments and made it clear Oregon has work to do as it moves forward. For a program with expectations as high as Oregons, the margin between concern and overreaction can get thin fast, which is why the next stretch will say plenty about whether this becomes a brief wobble or something bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Dante Moore Debate Just Got Uncomfortable For Oregon Fans
Dante Moores first season with Oregon has already taken on an uneasy edge after a challenging start and a loss to Oklahoma State, and now the conversation around the quarterback has drifted well beyond the usual September noise. Moore entered the year with first-round draft buzz hanging over him after being projected that way last season, which only adds more weight to every shaky drive and every setback the Ducks take on offense.
NBC Sports analyst Joshua Perry stirred the pot on the Zack Gelb Show by floating a scenario no Oregon fan wants to hear: that Moore might fake an injury if the struggles continue in order to protect his NFL Draft stock. It is an uncomfortable debate because it puts Moores long-term future against his immediate obligation to keep playing, and it leaves Oregon with a storyline that can linger as long as the offense keeps searching for answers. [Read more 🡒]