Summary of Oregon’s Offense Fails: Inside Dan Lanning’s Reset + Week 9 Picks

Overview of The Audible

Bruce Feldman and Stewart Mandel spend most of this episode unpacking Oregon’s offensive collapse, Dan Lanning’s decision to fire his offensive coordinator, and what it says about the risks of promoting from within. From there, they broaden the conversation to the season’s biggest preseason misses and hits, then finish with Week 9 college football picks and upset specials.

Oregon’s Offensive Reset

• Oregon’s loss to Illinois was the tipping point for a major shakeup: Dan Lanning fired offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer after a dismal stretch on offense.
• The hosts agreed Oregon’s preseason title hype now looks badly off, especially after losing both coordinators in the same offseason.
• Their main takeaway: great head coaches still miss on coordinator hires, and success often depends on the ecosystem around the play-caller.
  • They cited examples like:
    • Nick Saban’s staff depth, which let Alabama absorb departures without falling apart.
    • Joe Brady at LSU, where support and role clarity helped a relatively unproven assistant succeed.
• They also noted Oregon’s problems may not be solely about coaching:
  • Injuries and receiver attrition have hurt the passing game.
  • The Ducks were reportedly missing several top receivers, with some expected back soon.
• Despite Oregon’s bad optics, the predictive models still like the Ducks, which is why they’re still favored against Northwestern.

Other Midseason Disappointments and Surprises

Biggest preseason misses

• Penn State: Bruce said he thought they’d be playoff-caliber, but injuries and underperformance have derailed that expectation.
• NC State: He also expected more from CJ Bailey and the Wolfpack, but the defense has been poor and the season has already cost Dave Doeren his job.
• Cal: Stewart admitted he bought into the Tashard/Lupoi preseason optimism, but Cal has been one of the ACC’s biggest disappointments.
• Kentucky: Stewart regretted projecting a 4–8 season, noting that Will Stein’s offense has them in first place in the SEC.
• Vanderbilt: Bruce said his preseason read on Vandy — that the Diego Pavia-led magic would fade — has been validated.

Broader coaching takeaway

• They returned repeatedly to the idea that coordinator success is highly context-dependent.
• A coach can look brilliant in one program and struggle in another if the roster, support staff, or organizational structure changes.

Analytical side note

• The hosts briefly floated a fun research idea: whether teams that storm the field the week before tend to underperform the following game.
• They suggested Vegas lines would be the best baseline for studying it.

Week 9 Game Picks

Notable pick logic

• Florida/Georgia: The panel liked Florida to at least keep it close, citing Georgia’s recent sloppiness and the size of the spread.
• Arizona/Texas Tech: Bruce backed Arizona behind Noah Fifita and Brent Brennan’s overachievement; Stewart trusted the more expensive roster and took Texas Tech.
• Ohio State/USC: Stewart backed Ohio State’s defense and Ryan Day’s quarterback-proof reputation; Bruce and Ralph leaned USC because of Ohio State’s unsettled offense without Julian Sayin.
• Utah/Cincinnati: Stewart liked Cincinnati to cover after an emotional win; Bruce and Ralph expected Utah’s physicality and Cincinnati’s emotional letdown to matter.

Upset Specials

• Bruce: Louisiana Tech over South Alabama
• Stewart: Maryland over Illinois
• Ralph: Fresno State over Oregon State

Betting and Record Check

• Against the spread records
  • Bruce: 13–21–2
  • Stewart: 14–20–2
  • Ralph: 17–17–2
• Upset special records
  • Bruce: 5–4
  • Stewart: 4–4
  • Ralph: 1–7

Closing Notes

• The episode ends with the hosts joking that the weekly picks have been rough, but the banter and contrarian angles are still the point.
• They also remind listeners to send mailbag questions for the next episode.