Oregon Ducks' Dan Lanning Celebrates Ohio State Win: 'This Is Why You Come To Oregon'

In what was one of the biggest games in Oregon football history, the Oregon Ducks defeated Ohio State 32-31. Oregon not only proved they could compete with the best teams in the country -- they proved they can beat anyone in the country. Coach Dan Lanning reacts.

Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning celebrates after defeating Ohio State as the No. 3 Oregon Ducks host the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The stage doesn’t get much bigger in college football for No. 3 Oregon Ducks vs. No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes. It was the first-ever meeting between two top-five AP teams in Autzen Stadium, and there were 60,129 fans in attendance. The most ever in Autzen Stadium history. 

In an incredible game that went down to the very last play, the Oregon Ducks came away with one of the biggest wins in program history with a 32-31 victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes.

“So proud of our players, I’m so proud of our crowd. Talk about big moments, big games; this is why you come to Oregon," said Oregon coach Dan Lanning.

That was the message from coach Dan Lanning as he was surrounded by tens of thousands of rabid Ducks fans who stormed the field. Lanning was so overwhelmed and overcome with emotion that he could barely muster the breath to speak. It was that kind of night in Eugene. 

Oct 12, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning watches during the first half of the NCAA football game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Autzen Stadium / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It was everything you’d hope a matchup of this caliber would be from start to finish. The future NFL players played up to that billing. The coaching matchups didn’t disappoint as both staffs out-schemed each other at times. Both teams lost key players, which affected the outcome. It was a damn good game wire-to-wire. 

Beyond statistics and results, the biggest takeaway should be that Oregon belongs on this stage under coach Dan Lanning. This has been the trend since Lanning took over the job. The Ducks have been in a conference title game and won New Year’s six bowls, but this was arguably the biggest stage they’ve been on since the 2011 national championship game.

It wasn’t perfect by any means. Oregon had its fair share of miscues in all three phases as well as coaching. So did Ohio State. So did Alabama and Georgia when they played in that blockbuster a couple of weeks ago. Mistakes happen, but more often than not, you can tell when a team belongs.

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Oregon Ducks inside linebacker Dylan Williams leaps into the crowd as the No. 3 Oregon Ducks host the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ohio State has what some pundits consider to be the most talented team since the 2021 Georgia Bulldogs. That might be the case. The Buckeyes will surely have double-digit NFL draftees. Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and safety Caleb Downs are arguably the best players in the country, and they’re not even draft-eligible. 

With all that, Oregon never looked like they didn’t belong. They fought for sixty minutes and went toe to toe with what most people thought would be an Ohio State team that would overwhelm them. Little ole Oregon is no longer. They’re no longer the team that can’t handle physicality. They’re no longer the team that’s all speed and no power. They’re no longer the team that fails to rise on big stages.

They’ve announced their arrival to the college football world as a serious national championship contender. They’re now a top-two team in the nation and the conference leader in the clubhouse in their first year as a Big Ten program. They did it the hard way and earned the respect they deserved. 

You can over-analyze the game film and crunch the numbers tomorrow. Tonight, the Ducks are winners, and now the whole world knows it. 

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