Throughout the season, I repeatedly brought up the topic of “peaking” at the right time. After last season’s blowout loss to Ohio State in the quarterfinal Rose Bowl game, reports surfaced that Dan Lanning put in a concerted effort to make the 2025 Ducks peak at the right time.
And, they did. But, we were hoping there was another level to the “peaking.”
The 23-0 shutout over Texas Tech in the quarterfinal Orange Bowl was Oregon’s 2025 “masterpiece.” There was no further upward mobility in the Ducks’ realm of vertical ascendency; they were at their 2025 Mt. Everest. Even our Mr. FishDuck took a pause from his Oregon online betting fun, to marvel at the defensive gem that the Orange Bowl was for Oregon.
That game, like the entirety of Oregon’s 2025 season, was completely imperfect. This was simply who the 2025 Ducks were. A good, young team that was not championship material, but that was theoretically building toward being a champion in 2026.
Will the Ducks “just do it” in 2026? Here are three keys…
Dante Moore
The obvious first place to look is the man in the most important position on the field. For the Ducks to win it all next year, Moore has to become the next Fernando Mendoza. The post-game emotion in the loss to Indiana had some Oregon fans online questioning if Oregon would even want Moore back after the Peach Bowl debacle.
Which, of course, is silly.
Can the Ducks turn the edge and break away for a national title? (Photo by Truong Nguyen)
Sure, Moore did not end the season on the up and up. But, I believe after a full offseason to look back on this past year and learn, that he will be a much more complete quarterback next season. Keep in mind, Mendoza was not exactly a Heisman finalist before this season; guys do get better. And, look no further than Oregon’s own Bo Nix when it comes to improvement.
By all accounts, Moore exceeded expectations in 2025. But, we were unrealistically expecting perfection from a first-year starter after he showed great belonging and promise. He has all the tools, and the smarts. He could use a little more fire in the belly, and I suspect he will be in New York for the ceremony next December.
Become NFL Lite
As I watched the Ohio State-Miami game in the quarterfinals, I said to myself, “Wow, these teams are really good.”
What I meant by that was that they were both better than Oregon. To me, Miami, Ohio State and Indiana were the three teams I believed to be the crème de la crème of the college game that I would now title as “NFL Lite.” Everyone else in the playoffs, at various levels, were just really good college teams.
Will Lanning lead the Ducks to the championship in 2026? (Photo by Tom Corno)
By NFL Lite I mean that they have the aura, the vibe, the physicality, the size, (possibly the paycheck), and the mindset of grown men in the NFL, while the young Ducks were still playing college ball. I hate to admit it, but Mario Cristobal proved me wrong. He has always had the recruiting and the physicality part down — sometimes so ad nauseam it becomes a satire of itself — but he has done enough to loosen up his straitjacket of an offense to become a complete team. And, next year, he will have a better quarterback, so watch out.
The Lanning Factor
With so much young talent coming back next season, the Ducks will be a preseason media darling to possibly win it all. While in theory it does look good for the Ducks, the Ducks have to now grow from their experience. And, not just the players, but head coach Lanning.
2026 is Lanning’s chance to join the elite.
In 2024, Ohio State was the preseason darling who was “bringing everybody back” and they won it all. In 2025, Penn State was the team that was “bringing everybody back” and they crumbled under expectations. Where will the 2026 Ducks finish? As champs? As chumps? Or, somewhere in between?
There is only one acceptable outcome.
Failure: “Just don’t do it!”
Darren Perkins
Spokane, WA
Top photo credit: Scott Kelley
Natalie Liebhaber, the FishDuck.com Volunteer Editor for this article, works in financial technology in SLC, Utah
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Darren Perkins is a sales professional and 1997 Oregon graduate. After finishing school, he escaped the rain and moved to sunny Southern California where he studied screenwriting for two years at UCLA. Darren grew up in Eugene and in 1980, at the tender age of five, he attended his first Oregon football game. His lasting memory from that experience was an enthusiastic Don Essig announcing to the crowd: “Reggie Ogburn, completes a pass to… Reggie Ogburn.” Captivated by such a thrilling play, Darren’s been hooked on Oregon football ever since. Currently living in Spokane, Darren enjoys flaunting his yellow and green superiority complex over friends and family in Cougar country.