NEWYou can now listen to PK Press Club articles!
The Oregon Ducks will face the Texas Tech Red Raiders in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal game that doubles as the Orange Bowl.
The game will be played at a neutral site although Texas Tech is the No. 4 seed in the bracket. It’s an idea that Ducks head coach Dan Lanning has struggled to wrap his head around. With the playoff format as it currently is, only the first round sees home games for the higher seeds. Subsequent rounds are considered bowl games, keeping some of the old methods intact.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PK Press Club
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning calls his team during the first half of the first round of the NCAA College Football Playoff against James Madison, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, in Eugene, Oregon. (AP Photo/Lydia Ely)
Lanning also took issue with the scheduling of the quarterfinal matches. Oregon beat James Madison, 51-34, on Saturday, but won’t face Texas Tech until New Year’s Day. Texas Tech hasn’t played since the Big 12 Championship on Dec. 6.
“I don’t know if there’s a side benefit. I think it’s more of an indicator that the way we run the playoffs in college football is messed up. I mean, in my opinion, we’re really excited to go to the Orange Bowl, but that game should be played at Texas Tech. They’re a higher ranked team. We should play a week like right after the last game. The next playoff game should be next Saturday. The next playoff game should be played the following Saturday. The next playoff game should take place next Saturday, then a championship game.
Lanning said part of the challenge is keeping the same rhythm for his players despite the lack of streak in playoff games this part of the year.
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning looks at the scoreboard during the first half of the first round of the NCAA College Football Playoff against James Madison, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, in Eugene, Oregon. (AP Photo/Lydia Ely)
LANE KIFFIN WINS HUGE BONUS WITH FORMER TEAM’S COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF VICTORY
“It definitely takes a skill and an art to make sure your team is prepared when you have long breaks. And I think that was clear last year,” he said. “Certainly, it will be clear now. You have a little more time to prepare for this match, but a little different from the previous one.
“And that’s the other part that doesn’t really make a lot of sense, is the sequence of days between each game and each Playoff. There just isn’t really a rhythm. And for us as a coach, it’s about how do we create that rhythm? How do you challenge yourself to say, ‘OK, how can we keep things the same as much as possible for our players?’ And it’s difficult when you have big gaps and big breaks like that.”
Oregon will certainly have a challenge against Texas Tech.
Texas Tech Red Raiders linebacker Ben Roberts (13) and linebacker Jacob Rodriguez (10) celebrate an interception against the BYU Cougars during the second half at AT&T Stadium on December 6, 2025. (Jérôme Miron/Imagn Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PK Press Club APP
Joey McGuire’s team is 12-1, with its only loss coming against Arizona State earlier in the season. The Red Raiders average about 42.5 points per game, which ranks third in the country. The defense allows 10.9 points per game, which also ranks third nationally.
