Oregon
Oregon Football Coach Dan Lanning’s ‘Psychotic Edge’ Inspires Duck Team
Late last fall, a bitter 30-degree chill nestled in Eugene, Oregon. The Oregon Ducks football team ran out on the icy turf at the Hatfield-Dowlin Center. As their cleats crunched, some players were paying more attention to the freeze than others. Distracted, the team’s energy had been noticeably killed by the cold.
Oregon football coach Dan Lanning did something that no one expected – He took off his warm Nike sweatshirt and started calling plays without a shirt on in the frigid air.
His players looked at each other through fogged breath and realized they did not have a normal coach. Lanning’s move fired up his team and heated practice back up to his standards. His players still talk about that day.
Oregon linebacker Bryce Boettcher smiles as he describes Lanning as “psycho in his own way.”
“Lanning is a great coach and cares about his players,” Boettcher told Oregon SI’s Bri Amaranthus. “He has this like, I don’t want to say psychotic, but it’s almost like psychotic edge to him that makes him so fun to be around.”
”When he coaches you, he always has this look in his eyes that he’s ready to go for anything,” Boettcher said.
The buck stops with Lanning, who earns the respect of his team through his own grit.
When he was 24-years-old, Lanning drove through the night across to the country from Missouri to Pittsburgh in pursuit of his first D1 College Football coaching job. Lanning changed into a suit at a gas station as the sun rose, and turned a cold email into a foot in the door with the Pittsburgh Panthers, where his ambition and tenacity shaped his coaching career.
While his Duck players may not know the lengths he’s gone to get the keys to the Oregon football program, but they do revel in Lanning’s competitive nature.
“It gets you fired up just to know that he would be equally as willing to throw the pads on and play with you as he is to coach you,” Boettcher told Amaranthus. “When you have a coach that’s wanting to throw the pads on with you and play, it makes you want to play for him. That’s what I respect about him.”
Oregon wide receiver Tez Johnson echoed Boettcher’s sentiment about Lanning’s quest for greatness.
“It’s so competitive (at practice),” Johnson told Amaranthus. “You would think we’re out there in a national championship game playing against whoever – we’re so intense at practice.”
One of college football’s brightest young coaches and a top defensive mind, Lanning’s focus is not just on competition. His team DNA stems from accountability and toughness.
This season, Lanning leads Oregon into its inaugural season in the Big Ten conference. As questions whirl about how the Ducks will stack up against the likes of Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State and others – Lanning has built a roster to be envied, with the best transfer class in the conference.
But more importantly, Lanning has stamped the Oregon football program with his work ethic that his players now follow by example, in their own “psycho” ways.
Entering the 2026 college football season, the Oregon Ducks are looking to not only win their first national championship in program history but also their second Big Ten title in the last three seasons.
When the Ducks joined the Big Ten in 2024, they kicked off their inaugural season in the conference in style, finishing the regular season undefeated at 13-0. This regular season was concluded with a thrilling 45-37 win over the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Big Ten championship game.
Eug 040522 Lanning 02 | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
The Ohio State Buckeyes, however, got revenge for their loss to the Ducks at Autzen Stadium earlier in the regular season, beating Oregon 41-21 in the CFP Quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl. Entering the 2026 season, here’s a look at the Ducks’ chances of winning the Big Ten for the second time.
Oregon Ducks Big Ten Title Odds: Who’s The Biggest Threat?
According to the latest betting odds by FanDuel Sportsbook, the Ducks have +270 odds to win the Big Ten championship this season. The one team ahead of them is the Ohio State Buckeyes at +190, who, believe it or not, are in search of their first Big Ten title since 2020. The Buckeyes were upset by the Indiana Hoosiers 13-10 in the Big Ten championship last season.
Among the top teams in the Big Ten next season, Ohio State poses the biggest threat to the Ducks’ chances of not only winning a conference title but also the national championship. The Buckeyes and Ducks will face off in what could be the game of the year in Columbus on Nov. 7.
As exciting as this matchup will be for college football fans, it likely won’t be the only one between the Buckeyes and Ducks. Regardless of which team wins the Nov. 7 showdown in Columbus, the Buckeyes and Ducks could match up again in the Big Ten title game and in the CFP.
Other Teams That Pose a Threat to Oregon
While the Buckeyes are the main threat to the Ducks’ Big Ten title aspirations, other teams will be worth watching. One of those teams is the defending national champions, the Indiana Hoosiers.
Despite the key losses this offseason, which include Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza, coach Curt Cignetti’s Hoosiers restocked talent with the addition of TCU Horned Frogs transfer quarterback Josh Hoover and Michigan State Spartans wide receiver Nick Marsh.
The only two losses that the Ducks suffered last season came against the Hoosiers. If the two face off in the Big Ten championship, Indiana looks to continue its dominance over the Ducks. The Hoosiers and Ducks don’t play each other during the regular season.
The USC Trojans, whom the Ducks will face at the Los Angeles Coliseum on Sept. 26, also look to knock off Oregon in what should be one of the top games of the first month of the college football season. Oregon coach Dan Lanning is undefeated 2-0 against USC’s Lincoln Riley and looks to extend the Ducks’ winning streak against the Trojans to five games.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
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The Oregon Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at July 14, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from July 14 drawing
02-04-10-48-56, Mega Ball: 22
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from July 14 drawing
1PM: 6-3-6-3
4PM: 7-0-0-9
7PM: 2-0-6-0
10PM: 2-5-1-5
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Oregon Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 7:59 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 7:59 p.m. on Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 4: 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. daily.
- Win for Life: 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Megabucks: 7:29 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Oregon editor. You can send feedback using this form.
DESCHUTES COUNTY, Ore. — Oregon State Police are asking for additional witnesses to come forward after a three-vehicle crash on Highway 20E in Deschutes County left two people seriously injured.
Troopers responded at 12:47 p.m. Friday, July 10, to the crash near milepost 41. A preliminary investigation found a westbound 2013 black Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck pulling a single-axle utility trailer attempted to pass a black Dodge 4500 towing a trailer. Police said an eastbound Hyundai Elantra tried to avoid a collision with the Chevrolet, lost control in the gravel on the eastbound shoulder, veered into the westbound lane and collided with the trailer pulled by the Dodge 4500.
The driver and passenger of the Hyundai were flown by air medic to a local hospital with serious injuries.
The crash affected traffic for about five hours. The driver of the Chevrolet was cited for careless driving and unsafe passing.
OSP is asking anyone who may have seen the Chevrolet driving westbound on Highway 20 at the moment of, or prior to, the collision to contact the OSP Northern Command Center dispatch at 800-442-0776 or *OSP (*677) from a mobile phone. Callers should reference case number SP26-255130.
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