INDIANAPOLIS — No, the inflatable Duck was not Dan Lanning’s idea.

But that massive inflatable bath toy was never going to find its way into the middle of the largest waterway in the Indiana capital without the head coach’s say-so.

Lanning loved it.

“I thought it would be a good way to say, ‘Hi,’” Lanning said with a cheshire grin.

The star of Big Ten media days wasn’t Lanning, Dillon Gabriel or any of the other coaches and players who descended on Lucas Oil Stadium this week. It was the inflatable fowl, the size of a three-bedroom starter home, that the Oregon Ducks plopped in the middle of American’s heartland.

It could be seen from various vantage points through downtown Indianapolis — and probably the moon.

This was classic Oregon, in that anything about Oregon is ever classic. Vintage, perhaps, but rarely dated or recycled. Never boring.

“We don’t want to be the team that walks in the room and just says ‘Hey, we’re here for the first day,’” Lanning said, as he stopped to chat between media obligations on Thursday. “We’re coming in with our brand-new kicks on for the first day of school. We want to stand out.”

The Ducks have no problem standing out.

Never has that been truer than it is right now — which in modern history of Oregon football is really saying something.

The Ducks have grabbed the tradition-laden Big Ten by its lapels. They have done it with the best recruiting class in the conference and some of the most extravagant NIL resources in college football. One media poll picked them to finish second in the conference. The league’s top broadcasters believe the Ducks are a lock for the new 12-team College Football Playoff.

Truth is, Lanning’s team made a splash in the Big Ten long before it dropped the giant Duck in the White River.

The coach stood at a podium Thursday morning and addressed 70,000 empty seats. An NFL stadium is a heck of a place for a news conference. Around the top ring of the lower bowl, a digital screen announced, “Big Life. Big Stage. Big Ten.”

Two television networks had full sets on the turf at Lucas Oil Stadium to go live from the event. Hundreds of reporters filled work tables in front of the stage to hear the coach of Mighty Oregon.

Standing there, wearing a gray suit and green-soled Jordan 1s, Lanning commanded the stage.

“What should the Big Ten know about Oregon?” Lanning asked. “That we’re mighty different.”

Lanning’s an old football coach at heart, but the guy gets branding, doesn’t he?

“We’re mighty different when it comes to the jerseys we get to wear or the facilities we’re in,” Lanning continued. “We’re innovative. We’ve always been on the cutting edge of everything we do. We certainly positioned ourselves to be on the cutting edge and we’re grateful for the opportunity compete in the Big Ten.”

Of course, none of that plays as well if the Ducks aren’t as good as advertised when games start on Aug. 31. Ohio State’s visit to Eugene on Oct. 12 was talked about by those in attendance this week as the Big Ten’s game of the year and a likely preview of the conference championship game right back here in Indianapolis in December.

Beyond that, sportsbooks give the Ducks the third-best odds to win the national championship, behind Georgia and the Buckeyes.

That’s a whole lot of noise about the Big Ten’s newest arrival.

You’ll never get Lanning to directly engage with the outside chatter about his team, of course.

But does it ring true for him? All the people saying that this Oregon team is the one that can do it all?

Down on the turf, away from the cameras, Lanning thought about his answer.

“This is the most talented team that I’ve coached since I’ve been here at Oregon,” he said.

All the wonky rankings say that’s true. The Ducks have more top-tier recruits than in Lanning’s first two years. They have more depth at key spots, especially the skill positions. The new quarterback, Gabriel, has a chance to set the NCAA record for career-passing yards.

But didn’t the Ducks just see a school-record nine players get selected in the NFL draft? And this year’s team is more talented?

Without a doubt, Lanning said.

“That being said, talent doesn’t always equate to wins,” he said. “So we have to go out there and we have to do the work for us to be successful. Is this team capable? Absolutely. Certainly capable.”

The last two years, Lanning’s teams came painfully close to the CFP before late-season losses to Washington knocked them out of the chase.

This year, the expectations are even higher. And, yes, bigger.

If the Ducks really want to stand out in their new conference?

Well, they know what to do.

A warning to Lanning & Co.: Trophies don’t float.

— Bill Oram is sports columnist at The Oregonian/OregonLive.