I don't know why it makes me laugh, but we've been hearing Phil Knight is making Oregon a powerhouse since Mike Bellotti was roaming the sidelines. Will they ever get there? They feel like aggy with substantially more money and they've made the title game twice, but got absolutely throttled in their second NC game, and in the CFP last year by Ohio State. I think Lanning is good coach, but I don't think he's ever winning them a title. B1G title, yes. NC? No. Bellotti coached there from 1995-2008, and the "powerhouse" thing was started somewhere around 1996 when Nike got involved.
Bellotti was a very good coach and won a lot of games, which fueld the phrase "Oregon is building a powerhouse", but it got traction in 2007 when Bellotti hired Kelly; Kelly then becomes head coach, left for the Eagles, then Mark Helfrich began on a high note winning 12 and 11 games his first two season before winning 9 and then getting fired after winning just 4 in 2016. Then in 2017 they hired Willie Taggart, so that set them back after he left for Florida State and got his comeuppance. They decided to hire Mario Cristobal for some reason, who had one 10 win season and a 12 win season and shitty seasons in-between. Now we arrive at Dan Lanning, and the Oregon is building a powerhouse has been going strong for 18 years, so at what point do you just admit that you're lying to yourself? Oregon is a good place to play, but they aren't winning a championship anytime soon.
They couldn't do it with the OG Bellotti, not with Kelly, not with Helfrich, lol @ Willie Taggart, who seems more in line with Tyrone Willingham with his decision making skills and ineptitude. Cristobal left and has a shitty record at Miami in 4 years going 5-7, 7-6, 10-3, and currently sits at 6-1. Let's see how he finishes. Now here we are with Dan Lanning...
Now, that's not to say they can't make it, because they have two times and lost 2 times.
2010 - L 22-19 Auburn BCS
2015 - L 42-20 Ohio State First year of the Playoffs
Made the CFP and got river shit smeared on them by fOSU to the tune of 41-21 (uncanny how their first NC game ended almost the exact same way, minus 2 digits)
To me, they don't have "it". Lanning has recruited extremely well, but he's too cocky and he doesn't seem to understand humility. He started at Oregon the same year as Sark.
Recruiting (I'm using 247):
2022 - #16
2923 - #9
2024 - #4
2025 - #3
Not bad at all. Actually really good, but there just seems to be something that keeps them from winning it all. I don't know what it is. Will Stein is a tremendous OC that I'm jealous of, and Tosh Lupoi as their DC. Their defensive ranking is skewed because they have only played one team wihh a pulse, and that was Indiana, who brought the wood for the beating in Eugene. God damnit I'm mad they get Will Stein and we have....regressed every season on offense.
My point being, or question really is, does anyone really believe Oregon can win it all? I don't and I'll die on that hill.