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QuickTake:
Under Dan Lanning, Oregon has reached heights few programs ever touch. But in the playoff semifinals, the Ducks were reminded that rare air brings sharper judgment.
In retrospect, there were signs.
Maybe it was the fact that Oregon was so low on running backs it had two members of the defense take snaps at the position during the week in preparation. Maybe the lack of sleep finally caught up with the departing coordinators.
Or, maybe it was because every bar, hotel, restaurant and inch of sidewalk in Atlanta leading up to the game was filled with Indiana red.
It’s been two days since the Ducks lost 56-22 in Atlanta, and I still can’t get “Hoo-Hoo-Hoosiers” out of my head.
What a whirlwind. What a game.
What a letdown.
Yes, letdown. Even in the big picture — where Oregon had a great season, filled with great moments by great players whose 13 wins equaled as many in a season by any other team in program history — it was a letdown.
Did we expect the Ducks to be in the final four at the start of the season? No.
But this Oregon team proved throughout the year that it deserved to be. It beat Penn State on the road. It handled Iowa, USC, Wisconsin and Washington as it fought its way through a plethora of injuries and hills to climb.
They won the first playoff game in Autzen Stadium history. They shut out Texas Tech to win Oregon’s first Orange Bowl. And with a final four comprised of Miami, Ole Miss and Indiana, Dan Lanning and his staff had put together — on paper — the most talented roster in the field.
Being here wasn’t the expectation. But it was a hell of an opportunity.
And while I do believe Indiana is going to polish off a perfect season next week in the national championship against Miami — and that the Hoosiers are one of the best college football teams I’ve seen — it was Oregon’s second drive that began the deflation.
The Ducks went 75 yards over 14 plays. They took seven minutes off the clock and finished with a 19-yard touchdown pass from Dante Moore to Jamari Johnson.
Despite everything listed above, and despite Moore’s pick-six on the first play of the game, the Ducks were back in it. They looked competent. They looked poised. They looked like they deserved to be there.
You’re darn right it’s hard to beat a team two times in a season.
But it’s the hope that kills, right?
Because as quickly as Oregon was back in it, just as quickly it became a blowout. It felt like Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. It felt like Washington in the Pac-12 title game in 2023 — when, for a second time that season, Michael Penix Jr. and Rome Odunze had their way.
The Oregon Ducks are still one of the most successful programs in modern college football. They reloaded in December with one of the best recruiting classes in the country, and if the pattern continues, they’ll add key pieces for next season’s roster in the transfer portal.
And while the Ducks lost both coordinators, they return Lanning — who has won more games in his four seasons with Oregon than any four-year span in program history.
Chip Kelly went 46-7 with Oregon.
Lanning is 48-8.
That type of success should be celebrated — and the Ducks failing to beat a fantastic team in the playoff semifinals doesn’t change that.
But the rare air Lanning’s Ducks find themselves in creates — fair or not — an emphasis on the final game of the season.
It was the same way for Kelly’s Ducks, who in their two season-ending postseason losses fell by 10 points to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl and by three points to Auburn in the national title game.
Heck, in Kelly’s seven total losses with Oregon, the Ducks lost by a combined 44 points.
The Ducks felt so close then.
Under Lanning, the Ducks felt as close as they’ve ever been in 2024 — then they lost by 20 points to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.
And with the field set up in a way that had no traditional powers in its way, 2025 finally felt like the time being perennially close could pay off.
Then a basketball school won by 34.
What a letdown.
Now, a few final notes from Atlanta:
Indiana is going to be a force
Who had the Hoosiers on their bingo card for “future Oregon villains” when the Ducks joined the Big Ten?
Ohio State? Of course.
Conference stalwarts such as Penn State and Michigan? Definitely.
But Indiana?
This was a school that went 3-9 in 2023 before Curt Cignetti arrived, while averaging just 46,906 fans per home game.
There were more Indiana fans than that at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Friday, and it really feels like the giant has been awakened. Indiana has the largest alumni base in the country, and newly invigorated by football — and fueled by billionaire Mark Cuban’s wallet — there’s no reason to believe the Hoosiers won’t stick around for a while.
They’ve already landed 12 players out of the transfer portal for 2026 — including TCU’s Josh Hoover, one of the best quarterbacks on the market.
Again, Oregon is going to continue to be in the conversation. The Ducks are close. But what we learned about college football in 2025 is that Oregon isn’t just competing with the teams it originally signed up for.
A tip of the hat to Jay Harris
It caused a bit of a stir in the media room Thursday night when Oregon put out its official injury report and running back Noah Whittington was listed as questionable.
This came after Jordon Davison was lost in the Orange Bowl, and after Jayden Limar, Makhi Hughes and Jay Harris had entered the transfer portal.
Was Whittington actually that injured? As it turns out, yes. The senior running back said he picked up a turf toe injury in the Orange Bowl and was limited to just a couple of snaps against Indiana.
Thankfully, Harris hadn’t already moved on to his next school. The former Division II All-American, who joined the Ducks in 2024, finished with 16 carries for 35 yards and a touchdown, along with three catches for 32 yards — all career highs during his two seasons at Oregon.
It wasn’t enough for the Ducks to beat the Hoosiers, but Harris ended up with a fair amount of new fans who will follow him the rest of his career. And it was some nice tape for the one-time fifth-string running back to have as he navigates his next steps.
Dante Moore’s return?
It’s Sunday at 1:26 p.m. and, as of writing this, Moore still hasn’t announced his plans for next year.
“At the end of the day, I don’t know my decision yet,” Moore said after the Peach Bowl. “I’m going to talk to Coach Lanning and talk to my family and everybody, but at the end of the day, I don’t want to think about that right now.”
Despite his struggles against Indiana, Moore had an excellent debut season with the Ducks. He completed 72% of his passes for 3,565 yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
It wasn’t quite Heisman-worthy, but it was still really good quarterback play for someone who had only five career starts under his belt before the season began.
Throughout the year, it became clear to me that Moore is an NFL quarterback. He made some throws this season that were as good or better than what I saw during the tenures of the five former Ducks playing the position in the NFL right now.
But it’s also clear Moore could use more time. Of the two quarterbacks playing in the Peach Bowl, one was poised, calm and hit receivers in their chests like he was throwing darts.
That guy, Fernando Mendoza, didn’t look to me like he would benefit from playing more college games.
Moore does. And while collegiate legacies don’t matter as much as they used to — and money will be a massive factor in Moore’s decision — I have to wonder how much Moore wants that game to be his final showing as a Duck.
The defensive duo returns
It is now 2:26 p.m. on Sunday, and in the hour since I wrote that Moore section, the Ducks have seen two significant players announce their returns.
The first was linebacker Teitum Tuioti, who had 68 tackles (16 for loss) with 9.5 sacks, five pass breakups and two forced fumbles.
The second was edge rusher Matayo Uiagalelei, who had 34 tackles (9.5 for loss), 6 sacks, four pass breakups and a pair of forced fumbles.
Coupled with the previously announced returns of DT Bear Alexander and center Iapani Lalolou, the Ducks are shaping up to be just a quarterback away.
A final note
We’ll have a few more pieces to wrap up the 2025 Oregon Ducks season in the coming weeks. We’ll look back at some of our favorite moments, examine the biggest questions for 2026 and begin to sink our teeth into the winter sports already well underway.
Thank you to everyone for following along during our debut season of coverage at Lookout Eugene-Springfield.
I went to Big Ten Media Day in July by myself, representing The I-5 Corridor. I left the Peach Bowl in Atlanta with photographer Isaac Wasserman, who — along with the rest of our staff at Lookout — did amazing work this season to help showcase the players, coaches, fans and stories that made 2025 so special.
I had a blast. I’m proud of our team’s work. And I can’t wait to chronicle Oregon’s climb back up the hill next fall.
Thank you. It’s been my pleasure.
