Lanning offers a CFP change that wouldn’t help the Ducks in 2025

The week began with Oregon getting a needed dose of optimism on offense, as Dan Lanning suggested freshman Jordan Davison should be in good shape for the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against Texas Texans after leaving the James Madison game late while favoring his right leg.

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 to Lanning he did not mince words on the CFP format, saying, “The way we do the College Football Playoff is messed up … in my opinion, this game should be played at Tech. There should be home field advantage for them.”

In other words, even with Oregon headed to the neutral site of the Orange Bowl, Lanning’s position is that the higher-seeded team should travel rather than benefit from a bowl setup that robs it of a true campus advantage.

The timing is what makes the comments stand out. Oregon is the No. 5 seed and Texas Tech is the No. 4 seed, so a home game in Lubbock wouldn’t benefit the Ducks at all. If anything, it would make Oregon’s path steeper, which gives the criticisms a different weight; it seems more like a principle than a convenient appeal.

The Ducks are trying to solve their own problems going into that showdown. Lanning conceded the opening against James Madison it was “bitter” because the first half looked like a contender, but the second half exposed the sloppiness and lapses that cannot make it to the quarter-finals.

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 went with the stick.

That’s why Davison’s potential availability is important. He’s been a major part of Oregon’s balance this season, with 625 yards and 13 touchdowns on 98 carries, and any limitation in the backfield raises the level of difficulty against a physical opponent like Texas Tech.

So Oregon heads into Jan. 1 with two things at once: a hopeful key playmaker’s health update and a head coach openly looking for a playoff model that would make this quarterfinal even more difficult for his own team.