Oregon coach Dan Lanning spent Wednesday publicly questioning the College Football Playoff calendar, arguing that long layoffs for teams with first-round byes disrupt rhythm, staffing continuity, and player focus. One day later, his team delivered a performance that backed up his stance.
On Thursday night at the Orange Bowl, No. 5 Oregon overwhelmed No. 4 Texas Tech for a shutout win, 23-0, in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal, advancing to the Peach Bowl semifinal while extending a growing trend of bye teams falling flat in the expanded playoff format. Lanning had suggested earlier in the week that playoff games should be played on consecutive weekends and conclude by Jan. 1, eliminating extended breaks that coincide with coordinator departures and the opening of the transfer portal. Oregon is navigating that reality firsthand, with offensive coordinator Will Stein and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi already preparing to take new head coaching jobs elsewhere.
“The longer the season stretches, the harder it is on everyone involved,” Lanning said Wednesday. “Players, coaches, staff — continuity matters.”
On the field Thursday, Oregon looked anything but disjointed.
The Ducks’ defense smothered one of the nation’s most productive offenses, forcing four turnovers and holding Texas Tech scoreless for the entire game. Matayo Uiagalelei delivered the game’s defining moment early in the third quarter, stripping quarterback Behren Morton and returning the fumble deep into Red Raiders territory. One play later, Jordon Davison powered in for a touchdown.
Davison finished with two rushing scores, while quarterback Dante Moore threw for 234 yards, and Atticus Sappington added three field goals. Freshman Brandon Finney Jr. was a standout for Oregon, recording two interceptions and a fumble recovery as the Ducks consistently shut down Tech’s attempts to find momentum.
The shutout marked a historic defensive showing for Oregon, which had never previously blanked a top-10 opponent despite more than a century of matchups at that level. It was also Oregon’s first shutout of a ranked team since 2012. The result added to a growing narrative around the CFP’s new structure. In six quarterfinal games across the last two seasons, teams coming off first-round byes have now lost every single time.
After the win, Lanning reiterated that playing sooner helped his team maintain rhythm, especially after defensive inconsistencies in its previous game.
“We talked a lot last week about our standard,” Lanning said. “This week, they showed what that looks like.”
Oregon is now set to compete in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 9, with the winner advancing to the national championship game in Miami Gardens on Jan. 19, the very date Lanning believes illustrates the playoff’s timing problem.
For now, though, the Ducks remain focused on what’s ahead.
