Oregon is bathing in optimism, but is there reason for pessimism when discussing the Ducks?
Oregon is collecting a lot of offseason wins, but USC fans will be quick to note the lack of Pac-12 championships for Dan Lanning the past two years.
We asked our Pac-12 football panel for its biggest reason to express pessimism — not optimism — about Oregon in 2024.
Matt Zemek, Trojans Wire: Dan Lanning against the big boys. He came up small against Georgia last year. He’s 0-3 against Kalen DeBoer. He had an Oregon team in 2023 which was probably three or four touchdowns better than USC but beat the Trojans by only nine points. There’s a lot to like about Lanning and the job he has done with the Ducks, but in high-end games against top coaches, he hasn’t put forth his best stuff.
Zachary Neel, Ducks Wire: My biggest reason for pessimism about Oregon in 2024? I don’t know…Bo Nix was pretty good, and he’s not coming back. We can feel great about Dillon Gabriel, but replacing a Heisman candidate at QB is no easy task.
Matt Wadleigh, Trojans Wire: The absence of Troy Franklin and Bucky Irving is a tough one, but having to play a grueling Big Ten schedule is a big adjustment from playing teams such as Cal, Arizona State, and those schools.
Don Smalley, Ducks Wire: Just the newness factor of being in the Big Ten. Will the travel overly affect them? We’ll find out. Other than that, 2024 may be the best Oregon roster in a very, very long time.
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