Dan Lanning is changing up Oregon’s travel routine for a reason that jumps off the schedule immediately: Saturday’s trip to Oklahoma State comes with a 9 a.m. Pacific time kickoff on the Ducks’ internal clocks.
That early start is pushing No. 6 Oregon to leave for Stillwater on Thursday instead of its usual road-game departure a day later. Lanning said the extra day gives his team more time to settle in after crossing multiple time zones.
“We are going to travel on Thursday, and that's strictly because we're playing in a 9 a.m. game,” Lanning said. “So, when you're traveling multiple time zones and you're going to play early, I think there's an advantage to getting there a little bit earlier.”
The schedule tweak does not change Oregon’s normal Thursday practice rhythm. The Ducks usually work out that morning anyway, so they’ll finish their standard practice before heading east.
It’s also the kind of adjustment that comes with Oregon’s national footprint. Saturday’s nonconference game is one more chance for the Ducks to handle a cross-country type of challenge before they get deeper into a Big Ten road slate that includes USC, Illinois, Ohio State and Michigan State.
The only road kickoff time already announced for those games is the trip to Michigan State, which will be a Friday night game at 5 p.m. PT on Nov.
The timing in Stillwater should help with the heat only a little. The forecast calls for about 86 degrees at 11 a.m.
Saturday and roughly 92 degrees by 1 p.m., according to the National Weather Forecast. Morning thunderstorms are also possible, though that outlook could still change before kickoff.
Oregon is walking into a different-looking program, too. Oklahoma State has a new head coach in Eric Morris, along with more than 40 new staff members and 91 new players.
There are 21 players on the roster who followed Morris from North Texas. Saturday will be Oregon’s first game at Boone Pickens Stadium and just the third meeting between the Ducks and Cowboys.
It’s also Morris’ first home game in the post-Mike Gundy era, which adds another layer to Oregon’s first trip to Stillwater.
“I know this will be his first home game there,” Lanning said of first-year Cowboys coach Eric Morris. “I'm sure it'll be an unbelievable atmosphere. Actually, never coached there, but I know they do a really good job, and it's really a new team, a lot of new faces in that program.”
The Ducks have plenty of momentum on the road, even if this trip comes with extra variables. Oregon has won 12 straight away from Eugene, dating back to its 36-33 loss at Washington on Oct.
14, 2023. That’s the longest active road winning streak in college football, and the Ducks are 18-2 on the road under Lanning.
That 12-game streak stands alone by a wide margin. Ohio State has the next-longest active road run at seven games since losing in Eugene on Oct. 12, 2024.
“The first opportunity for us to travel on the road and see what we are able to do on the road,” Lanning said. “So, it's a good opportunity for us.”
Saturday also gives Lanning a chance to hit a milestone. Oregon’s next win would be the 50th of his head-coaching career, and the game at Oklahoma State will be his 58th leading the Ducks. He is 49-8 at Oregon.
Both teams come in after Week 1 swings in opposite directions. Oregon opened the season with a 34-27 win over Boise State at Autzen Stadium, while Oklahoma State was beaten 24-10 by Tulsa, an American Athletic Conference team that finished 4-8 last season.
Oregon also has a lopsided memory against the Cowboys in 2025, having rolled to a 69-3 win that stood as the largest margin of victory over a Power Four opponent in program history.
After the Ducks were tested more than expected against Boise State, a cleaner outing against Oklahoma State would calm plenty of early-season nerves.
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