The season in the NCAAF is far from over, and ahead of us lies a great matchup in the Rose Bowl. The undefeated Oregon Ducks will face the Ohio State Buckeyes, and Dan Lanning is already gearing up for what will be another clash against Ryan Day and his players.
On October 12, the Ducks defeated the Buckeyes 32-31 in what was undoubtedly one of the toughest matchups for Dillon Gabriel’s team. Nearly three months later, both teams will meet again, but this time in a completely different situation than the one they experienced back then in Eugene.
Dan Lanning, the leader of this team off the field, spoke with the press and shared his thoughts on facing Ryan Day‘s team once again. He expressed great respect for his colleague and emphasized the need to be cautious if they want to emerge victorious.
“Super excited. Getting the opportunity to play great teams, that’s what it’s about. This part of the year, I think when you play great teams, that gives you some extra motivation to go work really hard, to be prepared and ready to be out there on the field,“ the HC stated.
Ohio State Buckeyes at Oregon Ducks OCT 12 October 12, 2024: Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) directs the offense during the NCAA Football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Oregon Ducks in Eugene, Oregon. Oregon defeated Ohio State 32-31.
Additionally, he added that it won’t be easy looking ahead to what’s coming: “Obviously Ohio State’s a great team and the path to the end is tough, which is exciting for our team and certainly for me.”
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Lanning shared his feelings about what lies ahead
Without a doubt, the season so far for the Oregon Ducks has been a dream. In a highly competitive and challenging regular season, Dan Lanning‘s team managed to finish undefeated and has now earned the right to compete in none other than the Rose Bowl.
Trying to maintain a balance between the excitement of playing in such a game and giving it the seriousness it deserves, Lanning made it clear that this will not be just another game in the program’s history.
“It’s something we’re extremely excited about, obviously getting to play a great opponent in Ohio State. I think that that’s a great representation of what the Big Ten is capable of. Having these two teams with the opportunity to face off in the ‘Granddaddy of Them All.’ We’re super excited our players, our staff, certainly myself about getting this opportunity at the Rose Bowl.”
Head coach Dan Lanning of the Oregon Ducks talks with media after the win over Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium on November 16, 2024 in Madison, Wisconsin.
Lanning is aware of Ohio State’s potential
The Buckeyes will be looking for revenge after the close defeat suffered during their visit to Eugene, and Lanning knows that his opponent has a powerful offensive potential that could cause significant damage to his Ducks.
“I won’t really get into the differences, but they’re a really good team. I don’t know if there’s a more talented team in the nation. Obviously they’ve got great weapons outside at wideout and across the board, their tight end’s a big target. The running backs are elite. I think they’ve settled in with their offensive line, and that’s really shown up. And then defensively they play with relentless effort. They’ve got talent across the board at really every position,” the HC started.
Lanning made a final reflection: “Schematically they pitch a lot of different things to you on both sides of the ball that stress you. The ability to play with tempo at times on offense, and then slow it down and come out of a huddle. The shifts and motions, all those things show up. And then defensively, they kind of keep their foot on the gas whether it’s a pressure mentality at times, and then coverage mentality at times. It seems like they’re they’re in the right call a lot of the time. So they do a good job on both sides of the ball with their coordinators and their players do a good job of executing.”
