Oregon will journey to the state of Texas for a regular season game on Saturday. It’ll be the first trip to Lubbock since 1991, and the first trip in general to the Lone Star State for a regular-season game since 2005.

The Ducks expect a hostile crowd. But they also have to be aware of the elements.

Forecasts in Eugene call for a high somewhere in the low 80s on Saturday. Forecasts in Lubbock call a high of 97. It’ll be in the 100s all week leading up to kickoff.

“There’s not a lot I can do for the heat,” Lanning said with a smile on Monday. “We’re not gonna make the guys wear parkas out to practice or anything like that.”

But the Ducks should expect some heat from the Red Raiders and their fanbase.

Tech lost its opener on the road to Wyoming, a double-overtime disaster to open Year 2 under coach Joey McGuire. The group should be angry.

Tech was a trendy preseason team in the Big 12. It was picked to finish fourth in the conference, and even got four first-place votes.

It’s a team led by former Oregon quarterback Tyler Shough. UO’s starter in 2020, Shough completed 31 of his 47 passes for 338 yards and three touchdowns in Texas Tech’s season-opening loss at Wyoming.

“Really excited about this week’s opponent,” Lanning said. “They’ve proven to be one of the best teams at home. Obviously gonna be a really unique environment. Really talented on both sides of the ball, got a really good front, interior that can create some issues, wide receivers on the edge that can create some issues, and a quarterback that operates really well in their system.

“And they play really well at home.”

Tech went 6-1 at home last season. Expect to have some tortillas thrown your way as the Red Raiders open what they hope is another successful home campaign.

Lanning is looking forward to the atmosphere, and what it’ll tell him about his team.

“At the end of the day, good. Right? Good. We want a tough environment. We want to go to a place that’s gonna be challenging,” Lanning said. “That’s what’s exciting about college football, when you get to go to a place where you know the fans are gonna care. At 6 p.m., I think they’re gonna be pretty amped up. That’s exciting for us. That’s the kind of environment we want to play in. Beyond us preparing, that’s all we’ve gotta do.”