Oregon Ducks:
Dan Lanning was a candidate to replace Nick Saban at Alabama, but the 38-year-old rising star realized he has a great thing going at Oregon. Lanning is 22-5 in two seasons, with three losses by exactly three points each to Washington. The Ducks will host the Huskies and Big Ten favorite Ohio State this season, so the schedule sets up for Lanning to make a run at a national title. He’s got the quarterback to do it.
Offense
Bo Nix departed for the NFL after posting incredible numbers (77.5% completions, 45 touchdown passes, three interceptions) in the Oregon offense last season. Don’t expect a decline at the position because Oklahoma transfer Dillon Gabriel is a Heisman Trophy frontrunner. Gabriel has an NIL deal worth a reported $1.4 million. In 50 games at Oklahoma and UCF, Gabriel passed for 14,865 yards and 125 touchdowns, in addition to rushing for 1,060 yards and 26 TDs. Tez Johnson and Evan Stewart will be big-play receivers for Gabriel, who also can lean on tight end Terrance Ferguson and running back Jordan James. While the line has a new look, it does feature three senior starters. It will be tough to top last year’s production (44.2 points and 531 yards per game), but the offense should be similarly explosive.
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Defense
A former defensive coordinator at Georgia, Lanning will have this unit ready to compete in the Big Ten, a more physical conference than the Pac-12. The Ducks have an impressive mix of returnees, led by linebackers Jeffrey Bassa and Jestin Jacobs, and transfer portal additions. Jabbar Muhammad (Washington) and Kobe Savage (Kansas State) will start in the secondary. The defensive front is not as strong on paper as Ohio State’s front, but Lanning has recruited so well that the talent should not be doubted. The Ducks, who allowed only 16.5 PPG last season, will fit into a league full of rugged defenses.
Outlook
Oregon projects as the favorite in all 12 regular-season games. There are five big-time games on the schedule — Ohio State, Washington and Boise State at home, plus Michigan and Wisconsin on the road — and the Ducks will win three or four of those to get to 10 wins and a playoff spot. If Gabriel stays healthy (his backup is UCLA transfer Dante Moore), Oregon can win 11, but that’s a risky bet. The October showdown with the Buckeyes is as big as it gets.
Pick: Over 10.5 Wins
