Two of the biggest myths about Oregon football are that "Dan Lanning inherited a Ferrari" or "Dan Lanning inherited a loaded roster." Those lazy criticisms completely miss the point.
When Lanning came to Eugene in December of 2021 after Mario Cristobal's abrupt departure, the Ducks had achieved one Top Ten finish in the last seven seasons, in 2019 when Justin Herbert led them to the Rose Bowl. They'd been through three head coaches in seven years, and in the last two seasons they'd gone 4-3 and 10-4, blown out in bowl games at the end of each.
Hired on December 11, Lanning had two weeks to salvage the recruiting class before early signing day, while he was still coaching the Georgia defense on their way to the national championship.