Ducks Not Satisfied With Win

Dan Lanning didn’t sound like a coach who just won a College Football Playoff game. Oregon handled James Madison 51-34, sprinted to a 34-6 halftime lead, and still walked off the field with its head coach visibly irritated — because the Ducks didn’t play to their standard.

Lanning’s message was clear: championship football isn’t about the first-half fireworks, it’s about the full 60. Oregon let James Madison hang around by losing its edge after intermission, giving up rhythm drives, allowing explosive plays, and failing to “choke somebody out” when the game was there to be buried. That second half — where the Ducks were outscored 28-17 — is the part that matters most to Lanning, because it’s the part that will get you sent home in January.

The most obvious coaching-point is ball security and situational discipline. Quarterback Dante Moore authored a huge night through the air, but the two interceptions were gift points and a reminder that playoff margins are razor thin. Defensively, Oregon’s third-down execution slipped, and the overall urgency didn’t match the stakes. In other words: the Ducks won, but they left plenty on the field.

And that’s exactly why Lanning’s dissatisfaction is good news for Oregon going forward. Great teams don’t get satisfied; they get sharpened. A “tale of two halves” gives the coaching staff real ammunition — film that’s uncomfortable, correctable, and motivating — heading into the CFP quarterfinal against Texas Tech in the Orange Bowl on January 1.

Oregon’s ceiling is still as high as anyone’s, but Lanning is making sure the locker room hears this: the standard doesn’t change because you advanced. If the Ducks want to keep playing, the second-half version can’t show up again. Special teams flashed with a blocked kick and blocked punt, but Lanning demands units finish with precision.