The No. 6 Oregon Ducks are rolling after a dominant 41-7 win over Oregon State, but head coach Dan Lanning is already shifting focus to the next challenge: a primetime clash with No. 2 Penn State.
Now 4-0, the Oregon football team has won each of its games by at least three possessions, yet Lanning admitted after Saturday’s victory that the Nittany Lions present a different kind of test.
“They're really talented. Schematically, as challenging as anybody we'll play,” Lanning told Olivia Cleary of KEZI 9 News. “It'll be a real challenge, but one we're excited to attack.”
The matchup takes place in Beaver Stadium, home to Penn State’s famous White Out, widely considered one of the most hostile environments in college football.
Lanning knows what awaits. “I feel good about our team. I really like our team. This will be a good environment for us to go play in,” he said, per Erik Skopil of 247 Sports.
“We're going to be playing people who have a lot of talent as well and a good scheme on both sides of the ball. It will be a real challenge for us.”
To prepare, Lanning revealed the Oregon football team is simulating the deafening crowd noise during practice this week by blasting “Mo Bamba” through the speakers.
“It’ll play a couple times,” he said in a press conference posted by Basic Blues Nation on X. “We’ll do everything we can to be ready for that environment, for sure… I don’t love that song.”
Dan Lanning discusses Oregon preparing for the White Out crowd by playing Mo Bamba at practice this week:
“It’ll play a couple times. We’ll do everything we can to be ready for that environment, for sure…I don’t love that song.”#WeAre #PennState pic.twitter.com/9WvPzWeOKb
— Basic Blues Nation (@BasicBlues) September 23, 2025
The highly anticipated showdown isn’t just about the environment, though. It’s also about Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, who has become one of the breakout stars of the 2025 season.
Lanning recently explained to Joel Klatt what has changed for Moore compared to his freshman year at UCLA.
“The work has made Dante different,” Lanning said. “Now you look at a guy that's calm within the chaos and makes big moments seem small with how he handles them.”
The numbers back it up. Moore has completed nearly 79% of his passes with seven touchdowns and just one interception, while Oregon’s offense leads the nation in red-zone efficiency and sits in the top five in yards per play.
With Penn State looming, the White Out atmosphere will provide the clearest test yet of whether Moore and the Ducks are truly ready to contend for a College Football Playoff spot.
