The Oregon Ducks handled their business in the opening round of the College Football Playoff, outpacing James Madison in a 51-34 shootout. But while the scoreboard told the story of a high-powered offense advancing to the next round, head coach Dan Lanning was focused on something else entirely - the structure of the playoff itself.
As the Ducks now turn their attention to a New Year’s Eve showdown against Texas Tech in the Orange Bowl, Lanning didn’t hold back when asked about the new 12-team playoff format. Specifically, he took issue with how the scheduling and site selection are playing out - and how it’s impacting teams like Oregon, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M, all of whom hosted first-round games last week.
Oregon and Ole Miss came out on top. Oklahoma and Texas A&M?
Not so lucky. But Lanning’s frustration wasn’t about wins and losses - it was about fairness and consistency.
“In my opinion, we’re really excited to be going to the Orange Bowl, but this game should be played at Texas Tech,” Lanning said.
That’s not something you hear every day - a coach openly advocating to play a playoff game on the road. But Lanning’s point wasn’t about giving up home-field advantage. It was about honoring the seeding system and creating a rhythm that makes sense for players and programs alike.
He’s pushing for a model that mirrors what we see at the high school level in many states - where higher seeds host playoff games, week after week, with a consistent schedule leading up to the title game.
“They’re the higher seeded team,” Lanning said. “We should play a week, like right after the first game, the next game should be the next Saturday and the next playoff game should be the next Saturday then a championship game.
We’re trying to fit a lot of things in a different sequence. But in my opinion, this game should be played at Tech.
It should be a home field advantage for them.”
It’s a rare bit of candor from a coach in the thick of a title chase, but Lanning didn’t stop there. He used the moment to take aim at the College Football Playoff Committee’s scheduling approach, calling for a more logical and player-friendly structure going forward.
“I think that was clear last year,” Lanning said, referencing the tight turnarounds that plagued the previous postseason. “Certainly, it’ll be clear now.
You’ve got a little bit more time to prepare now, obviously, than you did the last one. That’s the other part that doesn’t make sense - the sequence of days in between each game.
There just really isn’t a rhythm.”
That rhythm - or lack thereof - is what Lanning sees as a competitive imbalance. While some teams are coming off extended rest, others are scrambling to prepare on short notice, and it raises a fundamental question: how do you keep the playing field level when the schedule itself tilts it?
“How do you say, ‘OK, how do we keep things the same as much as possible for our players?’” Lanning asked.
“It’s tough when you have big gaps and breaks like that. But I know that it’s a sided advantage for one team or the other.
You’re dealing with different issues.”
At the heart of it all, Lanning delivered his message loud and clear.
“The way we do playoffs in college football is messed up.”
It’s a strong statement, but one rooted in the day-to-day reality of leading a program through a postseason grind. Lanning’s Ducks are still alive, still chasing a national title, and still preparing to face a rested and dangerous Texas Tech team in the Orange Bowl.
Kickoff is set for noon ET on New Year’s Eve. The stakes are massive. But for Lanning, the bigger picture is just as important - and he’s not afraid to challenge the system if it means a better, fairer playoff for everyone.