Oregon Ducks' Dan Lanning on College GameDay: Key to Beating Penn State

Before the Oregon Ducks face the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Big Ten Championship Game, Oregon's Dan Lanning appeared on ESPN's College GameDay to preview the game. What did Nick Saban and Kirk Herbstreit ask Lanning?

Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning and former Alabama coach nick Saban / Imagn

Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning made an appearance on ESPN's College GameDay on Saturday morning, ahead of the Big Ten Championship Game with the Penn State Nittany Lions. What did Lanning, the former Nick Saban assistant, have to say about his opponent?

"I think you got two really great teams going against each other. I think explosive plays will make a big impact on this one. You know, obviously the takeaway battle," said Lanning. "They’ve got some premier players, some game-changer players that we have to do a good job of controlling, understanding where they’re at. And then we got to take advantage of the moments we get, and the opportunities we get."

ESPN is in Atlanta, Georgia, for the SEC Championship Game in a rematch with the Texas Longhorns and Georgia Bulldogs. However, the Oregon Ducks and Lanning received plenty of air time on the championship weekend broadcast.

Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning and former Alabama coach nick Saban / Imagn

Before ESPN's Pat McAfee asked his question, he gave a shoutout to the Oregon video team for the "Ducks vs. Them" series, posted after every Ducks win. This year's mini-movies have provided viral moments from team meetings, like Lanning's usage of Gladiator against Michigan or "Jump Around" against Wisconsin.

What do these videos say about Oregon's team culture? Lanning revealed his thoughts on GameDay.

"I think buy-in’s huge, especially in today’s landscape of college football. We have a bunch of guys pulling in the same direction. I think those videos give a little bit of a glimpse of behind the scenes of our program. Certainly they help us from a recruiting standpoint. But more than anything, it just shows the culture that we have with our guys," said Lanning.

Nov 23, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin talks to the media after the game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Although Oregon is the No. 1 team in the country and undefeated in Big Ten Conference play, they have to travel over halfway across the country in order to compete against Penn State in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Will it affect Lanning's Ducks? The Oregon coach does not seem to think so. instead, he views the travel time as an opportunity for his team.

"We spent a lot of time focusing on what we can control," said Lanning. "You know, that travel for us is a good opportunity to utilize that time in different ways. Some guys are getting some sleep, some guys are studying a little bit more film, some guys are probably watching a movie and getting out of the zone . . . . But I feel like our team is in a good place. They’ve had a really good week of practice, and certainly excited to compete."

Pat McAfee sits on the ESPN College Gameday set prior to the NCAA football game between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Ohio State Buckeyes at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pa. on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

College GameDay's Desmond Howard asked Lanning how he keeps his team focused as the No. 1 team in the country despite the amount of chaos happening below them.

The Oregon coach's answer revealed the mindset of his entire program. The Ducks have everything in front of them, recognizing that the only thing they can control is winning.

"You know it hasn’t been hard because our focus has been really clear from the beginning. We don’t really worry about the opinions of others. In fact, we call you guys ‘The Machine.’ Everything about what you guys talk about has nothing to do with the result on the field. So, no offense, but we could care less what anybody else thinks. If you want to control results, go win," said Lanning.

Oregon and Penn State will kickoff at 5 p.m. PT.

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