After Indiana dominated Alabama Football in a playoff quarterfinal, it has been a challenge to see rays of hope leading to a quick turnaround for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Some Alabama fans will never forgive Kalen DeBoer for how Alabama played against Georgia and Indiana. Even some of DeBoer's staunch supporters don't want to hear DeBoer use the word resiliency anymore - ever.
There was a small break in the clouds of doom on Friday night when the Hoosiers demolished the Ducks, 56-22. Near the end of the first half, the Hoosiers led 35-7. Oregon essentially gave Indiana 21 points, but it was obvious that had it been needed, the Hoosiers could have scored more touchdowns.
In the first half, the Ducks rushed for 17 yards on nine carries. The score reached 42-7 before the Ducks managed a couple of second-half touchdowns, making it appear the Oregon offense had not been dominated by the Hoosiers. The 247Sports Oregon site wrote, "The game felt like the Ducks were beaten by 100."
More than one SEC football team was better than Oregon in 2025
Alabama fans can now claim that the Crimson Tide was a better team than Oregon. The Ducks did play an easier schedule than Alabama. Their best win was over either Iowa or USC. Even with strong wins over Georgia, Tennessee, and Oklahoma, Alabama's too many failures mar any claim that the Tide was better than the Ducks. Georgia and Ole Miss have more solid claims that their teams were better than Oregon.
There is a healthy dose of irony about Oregon's finish to the 2025 season. Respect for Dan Lanning has waned somewhat, with comparisons to James Franklin and not being able to win the big games. Most ironically, is that in a college football era when it is easier to buy wins than ever before, Oregon can't get big postseason wins.
No college athletic program has ever received more financial support from one donor than Oregon has from Phil Knight. According to Ducks Wire, "Uncle Phil has been one of the biggest boosters in the world of college athletics over the last several decades, investing upwards of a billion dollars in the University of Oregon to improve academic and athletic facilities. With a $2B donation to the Oregon Health and Science University's Knight Cancer Institute, Knight is estimated to have given the University of Oregon close to $5B.
Knight is to be commended for his philanthropy. Additionally, Dan Lanning has the opportunity to work with an almost unlimited budget. Given the largess, the Ducks should have been better than they have been. On the morning of the playoff semi-final game, a writer for ESPN called Oregon a college football blue blood. The writer (left nameless here as a gift to his reputation) could not be more wrong. At the very least, a blue blood program must win multiple national championships. Oregon has none. And what they showed against Indiana is that the Ducks are not on a championship threshold.