Dan Lanning Skips Christmas Break to Prep Oregon for Texas Tech

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning is taking an unusual approach to the holidays. While most teams would enjoy some downtime over Christmas, Lanning and the Ducks are keeping their focus firmly on their College Football Playoff (CFP) quarterfinal matchup against Texas Tech.

Dan Lanning discussed the team’s holiday schedule, saying, “There isn’t much chance for a break. Our players understood that once we entered playoff mode… we’ll be staying focused and working.”

Instead of a traditional Christmas break, Oregon is using the holiday week to sharpen its preparation. Lanning stressed that the players already had a chance to rest earlier between the final regular-season game against Washington and their first-round CFP victory over James Madison. That reset gave them the energy to dive into intense practice without feeling burnt out.

“They’ll have a chance to spend some time together over Christmas, but after that, the focus shifts entirely to Texas Tech,” Lanning said.

The stakes couldn’t be higher. Texas Tech is making its first-ever CFP appearance, riding high after a historic season and earning a first-round bye. The Raiders will be desperate for a statement win, and Lanning knows Oregon must be ready for a hostile, high-energy environment.

Oregon enters the matchup with confidence after a dominant 51–34 Orange Bowl win over James Madison. But Lanning isn’t leaving anything to chance. In the weeks leading up to the first-round game, the Ducks ran a full mock game, complete with crowd noise and a tunnel entrance behind a Harley, to replicate the intensity of game day. That same level of preparation continues as they gear up for Texas Tech.

For the next eight days before kickoff, players will stay together, eat together, and practice together, ensuring no detail is overlooked. “There’s definitely a skill and an art to making sure your team’s prepared when you have long breaks,” Lanning said.

“Despite the long trip from Eugene to the Orange Bowl, Lanning remains unfazed. ‘We’ve traveled coast to coast more than most teams, so we know how to handle it,’ he said. ‘There’s a football field there, isn’t there?'”

Oregon’s holiday may look different from most families’, but for Dan Lanning and the Ducks, the sacrifice is part of a bigger goal: a chance to take one step closer to a national championship.

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