Nick Saban Weighs in on Dan Lanning's Viral Pregame Speech vs. Colorado

Dan Lanning coached under Saban at Alabama and many consider the Tide head coach to be the Gold Standard of coaching in college football.

Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning drew a lot of backlash for his pregame speech in the locker room prior to a week 4 game against the Colorado Buffaloes.

Saying things like "They're fighting for clicks, we're fighting for wins. There's a difference," and "The cinderella story's over," quickly got people talking.

Fans and coaches alike were debating--and still are--about whether or not a coach should give the media access to a moment like that with his team.

On a recent of "The Pat McAffee Show," Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban, who had Oregon's head coach on his staff back in 2015, was asked about his thoughts on Lanning's viral moment before his team beat the Buffs 42-6. 

Nick Saban weighed in on Dan Lanning's pregame speech before Colorado-Oregon 👀 @PatMcAfeeShow

"I think you can use the media to send a message to your team. I don't think you need to do that right before the game." pic.twitter.com/gJluJ6cPd8

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) September 28, 2023

"I understand what Dan I think was trying to say. And it was probably good for his team to hear in some ways," Saban said. "But it probably wasn't good for everybody else to hear. That's always the argument. Where does the access--where do you draw the line and say?: 'Okay there's gotta be some time when you can talk to your team and say what you have to say, and it's really not for everybody else to hear.' "

Saban's remarks highlight an ongoing dilemma in college football. How much media access does a coach give the public to his team? Do you show them everything that happens like Deion Sanders has at Colorado, or do you run a tight ship like we've seen at Oregon in previous years under Mario Cristobal? 

Saban was asked that very question and shed some light on the role the media plays in motivating a team and influencing narratives around a school's fanbase.

"In the modern world I think you can use the media to send a message to your team. I don't think that you need to do that right before the game. 

"That's something you do on Monday when you talk to the press or whatever and you want to get a message out there because your team's gonna hear that message, so you can reinforce it in a team meeting, but you want everybody to be thinking that way. And sometimes you want your fans to think that way too so that rat poison doesn't get to them."

However Duck fans feel about Lanning's pregame speech, the cinematic recap video titled "Ducks vs. Them Game 4"--which shows Colorado players talking trash before kickoff--seems to indicate that Oregon's head coach is much more willing to grant those on the outside a unique, behind-the-scenes look at his program in 2023.