Dan Lanning has led the Oregon football team to the top spot in college football, but the coach wasn't entirely pleased after the Ducks' 39-18 win vs. Maryland yesterday.
Oregon improved to 10-0, Dillon Gabriel broke an NCAA record, and the Ducks will almost certainly retain their No. 1 status in the next set of College Football Playoff rankings. That doesn't mean Lanning was satisfied with how things went for his team, which committed 12 penalties for 95 yards and went 6-for-15 on third downs.
“We didn't play as well as we could, there's not doubt about that,” Lanning said after the game, via The Associated Press. “I don't think our guys had a lack of prep. But we didn't play as well as we can. I'd say every game this year I've felt like we've grown. This one, we've got some growing moments, so we're going to learn from it.”
The win certainly was not one of Oregon's most convincing, but the Ducks still easily won against the Terrapins. After a 21-10 halftime lead, Oregon held Maryland to just 8 points in the second half and forced three turnovers throughout the game.
Oregon inches closer to College Football Playoff's No. 1 seed with win vs. Maryland
With the victory, Oregon now stands just two wins away from a Big Ten Championship Game berth in its first season as a member of the conference. Additionally, a spot in the first 12-team CFP becomes more of a certainty with each win.
If the Ducks can win each of their next two regular-season games — at Wisconsin and vs. rival Washington — they are very likely guaranteed a spot in the playoff regardless of what happens in the Big Ten title game. If Oregon can win all three, it will almost certainly be the first seed and thus receive a first-round bye.
A loss in one of the next two games, however, could throw the Ducks' playoff chances into question. Although it is likely that Oregon would still advance to the Big Ten Championship Game even in that scenario, a two-loss Oregon, if the Ducks also lost in the conference championship, may not be what the committee is looking for, especially with numerous SEC teams looming and those theoretical losses happening recently.
If the first 10 games of the season are any indication, though, Oregon fans should have little to worry about. The Ducks have won eight games by at least double digits, and the only two they did not came against Boise State (3 points) and Ohio State (one point), both of whom are currently in the top 12 in the CFP rankings.
Oregon will travel to Madison next week to face Wisconsin (5-4, 3-3), which is coming off of a bye week following back-to-back losses.
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