Josh Pate Reveals Biggest Question Marks for Dan Lanning, Oregon Football

The Oregon Ducks are viewed as a favorite in the Big Ten this season as Dan Lanning has built a powerhouse of a program in recent years. However, there are some areas of concern the team must overcome and Josh Pate of CBS Sports pinpoints those exact issues.

In his latest episode of The Late Kick with Josh Pate , the popular sports analyst likes the Ducks to make a serious run for the College Football Playoff. But there are a couple of key concerns for this team. First, Pate questions whether or not Oregon can improve on the defensive line. Additionally, Lanning must get better play out of the transfers this season.

But that's not the only question mark Pate has for the Ducks. Although there is plenty of hype surrounding quarterback Dillon Gabriel, it's yet to be determined whether or not he's the guy who can lead Oregon to a deep playoff run. Pate ponders whether or not Dillon can deliver "top-three" play from Gabriel.

"Here's what I want to know about Oregon. Is that pass defense going to step up? Because it hurt them against Washington last year twice. They need transfers to pan out in the secondary. If they do that they'll be okay. If they don't then you got some track meets...

"Dillon Gabriel, so they get him at quarterback, big-time transfer. Gabriel's gonna be right up there with some of the best odds to win the Heisman. Are they gonna get top-ten quarterback play from him? Or top-three? Because that could be the difference in winning a title."

Although Oregon ranked ninth in the nation in allowing points (16.9 per game) last season, teams were able to throw all over the Ducks. However, Lanning's defense finished 54th (215.9 per game) in the nation in pass defense last year.

The Ducks proved to be a tough team to play against but the pass defense ended up hurting them in the back end of the season. Oregon missed out on the College Football Playoff entirely after losing to Washington in the regular season and in the Pac-12 Championship.

As for Gabriel, it's hard to imagine he fails to play up to expectations. He has a proven track record after putting up big numbers at UCF and Oklahoma. Additionally, the Ducks have one of the most efficient offenses in the nation. Last season, Lanning's offense finished eighth in total offense and was top two in scoring averaging 44.2 points per game.

Oregon opens up the 2024 season against the Idaho Vandals. They have a few marquee matchups this season as well, including Ohio State, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

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