Oregon HC Dan Lanning Reveals Bold Statement About Ohio State Buckeyes QB

Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning showered Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard with praise.

Oregon coach Dan Lanning oversees warmups before the game against Boise State at Autzen in Eugene Sept. 7, 2024 / Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Ohio State Buckeyes and head coach Ryan Day are set for a major rematch against Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks on New Year's Day.

Seeing these two teams meet up in the College Football Playoff always seemed inevitable. All season long, they were viewed as the top front-runners to win a national championship.

Now, they will both be looking to eliminate the other and end each other's season.

There could not be a better matchup from a coaching perspective. Both Day and Lanning are among the best coaches in the nation. In their first matchup this season, Oregon barely pulled off a 32-31 win over Ohio State.

On the field, the two teams match up well. In every single area, there is no glaring advantage. They are both set up perfectly to win a championship, but only one team can move on next week.

One major key for the Buckeyes will be the play of quarterback Will Howard. If he can put together a strong performance, Ohio State will have a fighting chance. Should he struggle, getting a win would be difficult.

Lanning spoke out about the Buckeyes' quarterback. He showered Howard with a lot of praise.

“I think he's built a lot of confidence in the guys that he's able to throw the ball to and even some confidence in the quarterback run game,” Lanning said. “I think you see him utilized a little bit more in the QB run game later in the season. But he does a good job of throwing good balls. He certainly threw a lot of good balls the other night down the field and was able to target those wideouts for explosive plays down the field.”

Speaking of "the other night," Howard put on a show against the Tennessee Volunteers. He completed 24 of his 29 pass attempts for 311 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. He also picked up 37 yards on five rushing attempts.

Against the Ducks, Howard will need to have a similar performance. Ideally, he would not throw the interception.

Howard facing off in a quarterback matchup against Dillon Gabriel should be fun to watch. Both signal callers are capable of putting points up in bunches. This could end up being a high-scoring game, just like the last time these two teams played.

All of that being said, the respect between the two teams towards each other is clear. Lanning, Day, and the players on both sides are set to play a game that will be must-watch football for any fan.