The week started with Oregon getting a needed dose of optimism on offense, as Dan Lanning suggested freshman running back Jordon Davison should be in good shape for the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against Texas Tech after leaving the James Madison game late while favoring his right foot.
That injury update now sits alongside a much bigger, and much louder, message from Lanning about how the postseason is structured. Olivia Cleary reported on X that Lanning didn’t mince words about the CFP format, saying, “The way we do playoffs in college football is messed up… in my opinion, this game should be played at Tech. There should be a home field advantage for them.”
In other words, even with Oregon headed to a neutral-site Orange Bowl, Lanning’s view is that the higher-seeded team should be traveling, not benefiting from a bowl setup that strips out true campus advantage.
The timing is what makes comments stand out. Oregon is the No. 5 seed, and Texas Tech is the No. 4 seed, so a home game in Lubbock would not benefit the Ducks at all.
So they are trying to clean up their own issues heading into that showdown. Lanning admitted the opener against James Madison felt “bittersweet” because the first half looked like a contender, but the second half exposed sloppiness and lapses that can’t travel into a quarterfinal.
Oregon led 34-6 at halftime and still allowed JMU to win the second half 28-17, including a late 99-yard touchdown drive that stuck with the staff.
That’s why Davison’s potential availability matters. He’s been a major piece of Oregon’s balance this season, posting 625 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on 98 carries, and any limitation in the backfield raises the degree of difficulty against a physical opponent like Texas Tech.
So Oregon heads into Jan. 1 with a hopeful health update for a key playmaker, and a head coach openly pushing for a playoff model that would have made this quarterfinal even tougher on his own team.
