After winning the Big 10 championship on Saturday, Dan Lanning’s Oregon completed a remarkable and historically successful regular season. However, many feel that the Ducks were not justly rewarded for their efforts. Despite having an impeccable record, the college football playoff committee has placed Oregon in a challenging position, if they are to win that elusive national championship.

Fox Sports’ top college football analyst Joel Klatt called out the CFP committee for placing the Ducks in such a tricky situation. Oregon faces the prospect of having to overcome Ohio State, Texas, and Georgia- three teams with the highest odds to win the title. Klatt pointed out, “Congratulations, Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks, you got absolutely screwed by the playoff committee, because their sentiment of trying to create artificial floors rose some of these teams to the levels where they shouldn’t be. That’s the problem.” 

But despite the challenge that lies ahead, Lanning remains unwavering in his focus, emphasizing that his team’s ultimate objective remains crystal clear – to prove their true value on the field, regardless of the odds stacked against them.

Coach Lanning doesn’t seem bothered with CFP’s alleged “screwing” at all. He said,  “No, because it doesn’t matter, right? Who cares? It’s outside noise; it doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, all we can control is what we do with our opportunity, and this is an unbelievable opportunity. I don’t think there’s anybody that can deny that if we take care of business, like we deserve it, we’ve earned it, and that’s all we want.”

Finishing as the No.1 team in college football, the Ducks’ reward is a first-round bye, but it could work against them. Instead of having one of the easiest roads to the national championship, which most top-ranked teams typically have in the playoffs, they have one of the hardest.

Credit: ImagoDan Lanning’s Oregon is going to face the winner of Tennessee vs. Ohio State’s matchup. Now what happens if the Ducks go past the Bucks or the Vols in the game? The dream to see Lanning and win the title might remain a dream only.

They could end up facing possibly Texas and Georgia in their quest for the title. Hence, there’s a chance they play the three best teams in the SEC, two of them before the title game.

In fact, Penn State beaten by the Ducks in BIG 10 Championship game,  has a better playoff path than them. Penn State is in 6th position and didn’t get a first-round bye, but who cares? The team will host SMU in a home game and will probably win too. After that, they will face Boise State in the run, which might be a tough game, but looking at Oregon’s schedule, their path is a chef’s kiss.

Dan Lanning viewing opportunity in misery

Despite the tough odds, the Ducks coach seems really unbothered with the schedule. Dan Lanning’s main focus is to win the bowl game, whosoever it might be against coach Lanning says, “What an opportunity for us. I’m excited to get the opportunity to compete in the Rose Bowl. Regardless, the end-all goal is you’re going to get to play some unbelievable teams in that process.”

There is no doubt that winning the national championship by beating the toughest teams in the land, would surely cement Lanning and his players’ status in the college football lore. Yet the question remains why teams like Oregon, who have dominated the season, have to face a harder route to the national championship compared to other teams.

Lanning sounds positive and excited about his team’s chances, but if the Ducks end up not playing in the national championship game, there will be a lot of debate.