Oregon offense under scrutiny as fans call for OC change before Nebraska

The loss to UCLA has left Oregon at 3-2, and some Ducks fans now want Dan Lanning to replace offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer midseason. Justin Hopkins of On3's Scoop Duck took that question head-on this week. He argues that firing a coordinator in the middle of a season could go badly, and that the program's history should make fans careful about what they ask for.

The demands for a change show how fast the mood around the program has turned. On3 framed the shift in a companion piece the same day: Oregon looked like a national title contender earlier this season, and now the goal is reaching the playoff. Two losses in five games leave little room for error in the Big Ten race, and the offense has taken most of the blame since the UCLA result.

Hopkins pushes back on the idea that removing the play-caller would fix things. In On3's telling, firing a coordinator early in the season is a risky move. It can unsettle the players and the staff without solving the problems that led to the losses. Lanning has said nothing publicly about a change, and the On3 piece reports no sign that one is coming.

Whatever happens with the staff, Mehringer's offense has a quick turnaround. Oregon hosts Nebraska on Saturday, October 17, at 11:00 PM EDT on Fox. The Cornhuskers come in at 5-1, so this is no soft landing after a loss. It's a conference game with real playoff consequences for both sides. Another loss would put Oregon at 3-3 and make Lanning's choices much harder to defend. A clear win, especially one where the offense looks like itself again, would ease some of the pressure building around his coordinator.

The market still has Oregon as a clear favorite. The Ducks are favored at -251 on Novig, one of the venues pricing the game, and DraftKings has the best sportsbook price on Oregon at -298. The spread is Oregon -7.5 and the total is 52.5. That total implies a game with plenty of points, which puts more focus on whether Oregon's offense can hold up its end. Full prices are on the Nebraska at Oregon odds page.

The team that beat the Ducks also has a test this week. No. 12 UCLA, now 5-0, hosts 4-1 Wisconsin on Saturday at 7:30 PM EDT on NBC. The Bruins are favored at -125 on Novig, with a spread of UCLA -2.5 and a total of 44.5 (odds page). How UCLA's season goes from here will shape how the loss to the Bruins looks on Oregon's résumé when the playoff picture comes into focus.

For now, the job is Mehringer's, and the quickest way to quiet the calls for a change is to put up points against Nebraska on Saturday night at Autzen Stadium.