OU's Lanning: Tighten CFP, end season by Jan. 1

LAS VEGAS -- Oregon coach Dan Lanning is advocating for college football to adopt an NFL-style schedule with limited open weeks, no long layoffs for playoff teams and a season that wraps on Jan. 1 rather than later in the month.

Lanning told ESPN on Wednesday that "you'd love the rust to be knocked off when you step on the field" for College Football Playoff games. Oregon won the Big Ten in 2024 and was the only FBS team to finish the regular season undefeated, but the Ducks waited 25 days before facing Ohio State in a CFP quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl. Lanning's team fell behind 34-0 late in the first half and lost 41-21.

Oregon and the three other teams receiving first-round byes all lost their quarterfinal matchups following lengthy layoffs. Ohio State and Notre Dame, which did not play on conference championship weekend but won home first-round games during the weekend of Dec. 20-21, met for the national championship, which the Buckeyes won Jan. 20.

"I'd be in favor of creating our playoff system to mirror every other playoff system in sports," Lanning told ESPN. "The season's over, and the playoffs start shortly after. The long break is something I'm not crazy about. I wish we played every single Saturday in college football. I wish college football ended Jan. 1."

Asked how the layoff before the Rose Bowl affected Oregon, Lanning replied, "We lost. It is what it is, right? But we were a healthy team coming in. ... It's almost a month. That's a long time." He credited Ohio State for its postseason success and called Oregon's loss "a learning opportunity and a great opportunity for growth."

Lanning noted that an earlier end to the season would create clearer divisions for when teams could focus on games versus personnel and roster construction. Most FBS teams will once again have two open weeks during the 2025 season. The schedule for the 12-team CFP includes games during the weekend before Christmas and keeps Dec. 13 open only for the traditional Army-Navy game.

"January is supposed to be your month that you're able to go on the road as a coach and recruit," he said. "Last year's national championship game was Jan. 20. So when do you go on the road [to] recruit? There's just some things where I don't think the season aligns with the calendar in a lot of ways, and I wish I would speed up."

Lanning would prefer the current Week 0, which this year takes place Aug. 23, as the widespread start to the season. The upcoming Week 0 includes five matchups featuring FBS teams, including Iowa State and Kansas State meeting in Dublin, Ireland.

"I'd love to start Week 0," Lanning said. "A lot of teams play Week 0 already. I'd love to say Big Ten championship, and then the next Saturday is a playoff game, and then the next Saturday, there's the next playoff game."