Oregon Ducks' Dan Lanning Emotional Reaction To Winning Big Ten Championship

The No. 1 Oregon Ducks defeated No. 3 Penn State to claim the Big Ten Conference title in Oregon’s first season in the league. The Ducks made history with an undefeated 13-0 season. After the game, head coach Dan Lanning shared his thoughts on the victory, praising his team’s resilience and determination.

Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning hugs quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) after defeating the Penn State Nittany Lions to win the Big Ten Championship in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images / Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

EUGENE- The Oregon Ducks are Big Ten Conference champions after beating the Penn State Nittany Lions. After the game, Ducks coach Dan Lanning shared some of his thoughts with the media.

"I don’t have a lot to say except for how proud I am of these guys. We’ve talked about moments this year where, you know, guys have to put each other on their backs, and I thought the offense tonight did an unbelievable job. I thought the defense made a critical stop when it mattered most, but I’ll say this: the belief in our team throughout the game—it never wavered," said Lanning.

Upon the Ducks' entrance to the Big Ten Conference, many concerns arose about whether or not Oregon would be able to handle the physicality of the Big Ten. Not only did the Ducks prove they were ready for the physicality, but they were prepared for anything Big Ten programs threw at them. The Ducks walked into the conference and took it over, finishing the regular season undefeated and beating No. 3 Penn State 45-37 in the Big Ten Conference Championship. 

Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; The Oregon Ducks celebrate defeating the Penn State Nittany Lions to win the Big Ten Championship in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images / Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

The Ducks saw standout performances from multiple student-athletes throughout the game. Oregon quarterback and the NCAA all-time touchdown leader Dillon Gabriel threw for 283 yards and 4 touchdowns. Tez Johnson had 11 receptions for a career-high 181 yards. Oregon sealed the victory with a deep interception from Nikko Reed, crushing the Nittany Lions' conference championship dreams. 

The Ducks are now 13-0 for the first time in school history and conference champions. Not only are the Ducks conference champions, but they have now earned a bye in the first round of the College Football Playoff and will likely secure the No. 1 seed in the CFP. 

Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) hugs wide receiver Tez Johnson (15) after defeating the Penn State Nittany Lions to win the Big Ten Championship in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images / Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

What Oregon coach Dan Lanning said after winning the Big Ten Championship:

Opening Statement:

"I don’t have a lot to say except for how proud I am of these guys. We’ve talked about moments this year where, you know, guys have to put each other on their backs, and I thought the offense tonight did an unbelievable job. I thought the defense made a critical stop when it mattered most, but I’ll say this: the belief in our team throughout the game—it never wavered. We have a bunch of guys in there that love each other and worked their tails off tonight to come out on the other side of a victory. So, kudos to them. I mean, that offense is really hard to stop. You know, they do an unbelievable job over there. So, it was a battle. It was a battle till the very end. So, proud of our players, really proud of their resiliency.” 

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) hands off the ball to Oregon Ducks running back Jordan James (20) on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, during the Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. / Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On the team’s success despite facing adversity throughout the season:

“I’m really proud of our players. They accomplished this. I didn’t have anything to do with it. I just need to keep the train on the tracks, and we have unbelievable leadership. We have an unbelievable coaching staff. The Big Ten is tough, and I think tonight’s game is a great example of that. It’s a tough league. It’s hard to go out there and win, and to be able to do what our guys did tonight—I’m really proud of their effort. I thought everybody gave a little bit extra tonight.” 

On talking to his parents and Nike founder Phil Knight after the win:

“When you get to be a part of games like this, I think you start to think intrinsically about the journey that you’ve been on and being there. But what brings me joy is the people that you love that get to enjoy the journey with you—these guys up here (Dillon Gabriel and Tez Johnson), Phil, my parents. You know, for them to get to be a part of a night like tonight, I know how much that means to them, and that means a lot more to me than any success that I’ve ever had. Them getting to be a part of that success—that’s what it’s all about.” 

Phil Knight & family / Net worth $40.9 billion / Annie Rice / USA TODAY NETWORK

Lanning on his relationship with Phil Knight:

“I mean, he loves this university. He means the world to this university. And I think so often Phil gets acknowledged for what he does for the football program, but you talk about a philanthropist and what he does—him and his wife Penny—and what they do for the greater good of the world. What do college sports look like without Phil Knight? What does athletics in general look like without Phil Knight? What does cancer research look like without Phil Knight? I don’t know that you can put that into words. So, we’re grateful for his contributions and certainly a big part of us having success is making sure we get the opportunity to acknowledge him. 

On beating Penn State:

“I’m just so proud of our team. We’ve had moments where our defense had the offense’s back. Tonight, the offense had the defense’s back. It was a battle back and forth. That’s a good football team. They’re tough to prepare for, but our guys had just enough. There was just enough time for us to take care of it, and to finish it like that, with that physicality—that’s what I love to see.” 

Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; The Oregon Duck mascot makes snow angels in confetti after defeating the Penn State Nittany Lions to win the Big Ten Championship in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images / Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

On Winning the Big Ten in Year One:

“We focused on the next play. We focused on the next moment, the next day. We came to work every single time, and we did that tonight.” 

On potentially winning another championship this year:   

“I'll be honest, this is the furthest thing from my mind right now. I'm worried about tomorrow, I'm worried the next day, the next play. I think that's how you get there. If you start putting the end goal in sight -- I don't think it's any secret what this team wants to accomplish -- but you don't get there by just looking at it. It takes work. I'm thinking right now, how can we improve and get better. And there's a lot more we can grow from in that game in all phases. That's where my focus is at. I think when you focus on the process, the rest takes care of itself.” 

On his team controlling their emotions:  

“I think our guys do an unbelievable job of understanding the reset button. Like, the next play is the most important play. As emotional as the game of football is, they do an unbelievable job of knowing that the job's not done until the job's done and being composed, be ready for the next moment. That's something we really pride ourselves in.” 

On taking out two of Penn State’s offensive weapons in Carter and Warren:  

“I think they had moments that maybe they missed. We have to acknowledge that. They have an unbelievable scheme. They do a really good job there. I will say that we wanted to make sure we always knew where 44 was at. And certainly we always wanted to know where 11 was at. Credit to our offensive line. Credit to Coach Stein and the job he did there, and credit to our guys on defense, knowing where he was at. But there's a lot of room for improvement for us. That's what I'm really excited about, is the opportunity to attack that growth.” 

Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) walks around the field after defeating the Penn State Nittany Lions to win the Big Ten Championship in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images / Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

On becoming ‘the keystone species’ of the Big Ten:  

"That's something coming from us, something we started at the beginning of the season, talking about how you get an opportunity to invade a new environment and somewhere maybe you didn't belong and get the opportunity to take over that environment. We said this is the last step for us to become that. I'm really proud of our guys buying into that thought and building off of it. But, again, motivation is overrated. These guys have to go out and execute. They did that tonight."

---

MORE: Why 4-Star Offensive Line Recruit Alai Kalaniuvalu Flipped to Oregon Ducks From BYU

MORE: Oregon Ducks, Penn State Injury Update: Tez Johnson, Jordan Burch, Trey Wallace

MORE: EXCLUSIVE: Why Five-Star Receiver Dallas Wilson Committed to Oregon Ducks

MORE: Big Ten Championship Game Surprisingly Low Ticket Prices: Oregon Ducks vs. Penn State

MORE: Oregon Ducks Release Black Uniform Combination for Big Ten Championship vs Penn State

MORE: 5-Star Trey McNutt Signs With Oregon Ducks: Early National Signing Day Tracker

MORE: Oregon Ducks Fans Color To Wear vs. Penn State In Big Ten Championship Game

MORE: ESPN Calls Oregon Ducks 'Least Interesting' Team After 12-0 Season?

MORE: Oregon Ducks' Dan Lanning Credits Dillon Gabriel For Signing Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele

MORE: Oregon Ducks' Dan Lanning Is An Elite Recruiter, NIL Isn't Why: Tez Johnson Exclusive

MORE: Big Ten Championship: Oregon Ducks vs. Penn State Betting Odds, Prediction

MORE: Why 4-Star Offensive Tackle Recruit Josh Petty Chose Georgia Tech Over Oregon Ducks