After Oregon’s second-half surge against Northwestern on Halloween, the Ducks followed it up with something even more eye-opening in the second half against THE Ohio State University. In both games, new offensive coordinator Jay Johnson and starting quarterback Dylan Raiola made the offense look sharp, efficient and fully in control.
That kind of back-to-back showing has created a real question for Oregon’s offseason plans. Just two weeks ago, it felt like the Ducks would head into the winter looking for a new starting quarterback in the transfer portal and an offensive coordinator from outside the program.
There’s still reason to be careful. Only one of Oregon’s in-house hires last offseason has worked out, so nobody should rush to declare the problem solved. But if the final three games and the Bowl Game play out the way the last two have, the Ducks may have to ask whether there’s any need to go searching for replacements at all.
The bigger question is whether Johnson and Raiola are actually the long-term answer or just riding a hot streak.
Raiola, at least, comes with some hesitation. He has already had a couple of games where he seemed completely stuck in his own head and looked like a deer in headlights.
Those performances came with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named calling plays, but they were still ugly enough to leave a mark. Oregon Football hasn’t seen that level of rough quarterback play since Braxton Burmeister tried to step in for Justin Herbert in 2017.
Nobody wants to go back there, and nobody wants to revisit the UCLA & Illinois version of Dylan either.
Johnson’s case is stronger right now, but it’s still a small sample. He has delivered two excellent performances, and that’s the catch: it’s only two.
At most, Oregon will finish the season with a six-game audition. The question is whether that’s enough to justify making him the Ducks’ offensive coordinator for the foreseeable future, especially with the kind of talent Oregon brings in under Lanning’s command.
In Other News...
Dan Lanning Just Added Fuel To Oregons Michigan Buildup
The buildup to Oregons meeting with Michigan at Autzen Stadium has already started to take on the edge fans would expect from two programs with real stakes attached. Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham recently pointed to Dan Lannings recruiting success and the financial resources behind Oregons program, and it was the kind of comment that tends to linger once the teams are headed toward a showdown.
Lanning answered in a way that kept the focus on the Ducks while still nudging the conversation back toward the Wolverines. He praised Whittingham, but also suggested Michigans spending priorities could end up shaping how the program recruits. With the game still ahead, the exchange has only added another layer to a matchup that was already going to draw plenty of attention. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Walks Into An Oregon Atmosphere Fans Already Hate
Autzen Stadium is getting a little extra theater for Oregons first meeting with Michigan since 2003, and the Ducks are leaning all the way into it. For the matchup, Oregon will break out a special Godzilla-themed uniform combination with black, silver and green jerseys, grey pants and a matte black helmet built around the movie monster motif.
The look is only part of the rollout. Oregon is also tying the game to its Ducks of a Feather NIL brand with related merchandise created in collaboration with Toho International, giving the weekend a full promotional package around one of the seasons most anticipated home dates. For a fan base that already treats Autzen as a weapon, the Ducks are clearly aiming to make the atmosphere feel as loud and as unmistakably Oregon as possible. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Could Be Closing In On Another Late Recruiting Flip
Oregon is heading into the Early Signing Period for the 2027 recruiting cycle with plenty of momentum, and the Ducks have managed to keep their class intact so far. That matters this time of year, when programs are trying to protect what they have while still leaving room for one more addition, and Oregon appears to be doing both as it continues to work the board.
One name to watch is Virginia Tech running back commit JP Jones-Priest, who is set for an official visit to Eugene. The 4-star recruit has put together a strong season and sits among the more highly regarded backs in the class, which is exactly the kind of player Oregon tends to keep in play late. Whether the Ducks can turn that visit into a real push remains the question, but the interest is clearly there. [Read more 🡒]