Oregon Ducks' Dan Lanning Addresses Ohio State's Growth Since Loss To Michigan

The Oregon Ducks' hopes for a College Football Playoff national championship ended at the Rose Bowl with a 41-21 loss to Ohio State. Oregon coach Dan Lanning addressed Ohio State's growth since the team lost to riva Michigan Wolverines.

Jan 1, 2025; Pasadena, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning reacts after the loss against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2025 Rose Bowl college football quarterfinal game at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

PASADENA – The Oregon Ducks' 2024 football season has officially ended, along with their opportunity to win the program's first-ever National Championship. After a 13-0 undefeated regular season, the Ducks fell 41-21 to a two-loss Ohio State Buckeyes team. The Ducks will head back to Eugene, while the Buckeyes prepare to face the Texas Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl.

“We had an opportunity. We didn't take advantage of the opportunity. I'm not going to make excuses for our opportunity,” said Oregon coach Dan Lanning after the loss.

The Buckeyes got off to a fast start, scoring 34 points in the first half. Despite scoring at the end of the second quarter and the beginning of the third, it would not be enough for Oregon to stage a comeback in the second half.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks off the field as the Oregon Ducks face the Ohio State Buckeyes Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, in the quarterfinal of the College Football Playoff at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oregon's defense struggled against the Buckeyes' dynamic playmakers, including Ohio State’s true freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith. Smith caught seven passes for a total of 187 yards and two touchdowns, helping to secure an Ohio State victory.

With that loss, the Oregon Ducks’ season is over, as is the college football career of many seniors, such as Tez Johnson, Traeshon Holden, Dillon Gabriel, and more.

When asked about Ohio State's turnaround since losing to rival Michigan, Lanning gave an insightful answer.

"Sometimes it’s not your day. I think that was us today. It wasn’t our day today. It wasn’t their day against Michigan," Lanning said. "But what’s unique about college football right now in this dynamic is that you’ve got to be playing your best ball at the end. I think anybody watching Ohio State recognizes they’re playing really good football."

What Oregon head coach Dan Lanning said after Oregon’s 41-21 loss to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl:

Dan Lanning on Recognizing the People in New Orleans:
"Before we get into the game, first off, just want to recognize the people in New Orleans, how we're thinking of them, praying for them. There's no place in the world for that. And the loss of life is always something that you don't want to take for granted. And so I'm hoping for some solutions there."

Dan Lanning on the Loss to Ohio State:
"They clicked tonight and we didn’t. I didn’t get our team prepared. And that’s a great team. When you play a great team like Ohio State, you can’t not be clicking on all cylinders. And they were. They were clicking on all cylinders.

"We really didn’t have the ability to stop them, and we didn’t have the ability to get something going for us on offense. We haven’t faced a lot of moments like this all year. It’s an unbelievable team. Coach Day and his staff have done an unbelievable job there.

"I don’t want to discredit what our players have been able to accomplish this year. We had a great team. We just ran into a great team tonight, and we didn’t play our best. Credit to those guys.

"I’ll say this about our team: There wasn’t a second we stepped on the field where I felt our guys were disheartened, where they didn’t want to give the effort to go out there and play. I just don’t think we had a good enough plan as coaches tonight, and we have to find ways to prepare ourselves for these moments better as a coaching staff.

"But I love that team. I love what those guys were able to accomplish, and it was tough. When you play great teams at the end of the season, somebody’s not going to come out on top. Those guys came out on top tonight. Obviously, that’s a team I think that has the ability to go win it all.

"So proud of our guys. Certainly proud of this season and disappointed tonight. If you’re a competitor, there’s no way you’re not going to be disappointed in the result tonight."

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Dan Lanning on the Long Layoff Between Games:
"I think that’s an excuse. I thought our guys prepared well going in. Obviously, they had a better plan than us. But that’s an excuse."

"That’s an opportunity that we had to recharge. I thought our guys did practice well. I’d tell you if that wasn’t the case. I thought they had a great focus. I just don’t think our plan was good enough. I think they had a great plan to attack us. So credit to those guys."

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day hosts the Leishman Trophy following the 41-21 win over the Oregon Ducks in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2025. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Dan Lanning on Lessons from the Loss:
"We’ve got to be able to adjust a little bit faster. There were some things we were able to get going at points throughout the game. We didn’t adjust fast enough."

"It’s tough when you play a team that doesn’t have a lot of weaknesses. They’ve got strengths. Their wideouts were creating a lot of success down the field. And then their ability to run the ball makes them a dangerous team. They didn’t make mistakes on special teams. You need some of those things to bounce your way."

"And offensively, we struggled to get a first down early on. I thought Dillon did an unbelievable job there at the end of the half, creating a spark for our team. But a lot of those weren’t natural plays. It wasn’t like the first read was there. It was this guy busting his tail, and guys like Traeshon and the O-line fighting like crazy to extend plays and create those moments. We just didn’t have enough of those moments tonight."

Dan Lanning on Ohio State’s Offensive Adjustments:
"I think they were able to find some shot opportunities. Caught us in a couple of coverages that gave them the chance to have success."

"You could decide, okay, we’re going to try to pressure, and that’s still going to leave some one-on-ones. But they got us in some situational checks, some stuff that was successful."

"And they have great players. They have some guys out there that made plays. And you have to give those guys credit."

Dan Lanning on His Team’s Fight:
"Just that. If you give them a great plan, they’re going to have the chance to go out and execute at a high level. They’ve got a lot of fight. Like I said, I thought our guys fought all night.

"There’s probably even more opportunities where I could have given them a chance to fight, and I didn’t do a great job of that. But those guys went out and battled every second tonight."

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) celebrates a touchdown during the first half of the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against the Oregon Ducks at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2025. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Dan Lanning on Jeremiah Smith:
"He’s strong, attacks the ball in the air as well as any receiver I’ve seen. The guy is NFL-ready. He’s that talented and that special.

"And Will Howard did a great job getting him the ball. And he’s tough and he’s physical. He’s got all the tools. A really talented player."

Dan Lanning on Using the Loss as Motivation:
"Probably not there yet. There’s disappointment. But I talked to the team about life in that locker room and how grateful I am for the opportunity to coach this team. I love these guys. And they put it all out on the field for us — blood, sweat, and tears."

"Adversity happens in life. And we’re going to get an opportunity in life to continue to attack and move forward. And I know there’s a lot of winners in that room, and there are guys that are going to have a chance to go on in life and be great fathers and husbands. I hope they saw those examples on our team. They’re going to be great business leaders and NFL players. And they gave their heart and soul to us."

"To me, it’s not about getting knocked down. It’s about getting back up and what you do next."

Dan Lanning on Evan’s Injury:
"He’s a dynamic player. He’s been great for us all year. Kind of got tweaked in pregame, and had been able to practice but was somewhat limited. We thought he was going to be a potential go. Leaned on the side of protecting the player."

"I think in that situation, you asked Evan, he wanted to be out on the field. But you don’t want to put him in a situation that’s not safe for him.

"He’s certainly been a dynamic piece for us all year and would have loved to have him out there for us. But grateful for what he’s been able to do for us this season."

Dan Lanning on Ohio State’s Turnaround Post-Michigan:
"Sometimes it’s not your day. I think that was us today. It wasn’t our day today. It wasn’t their day against Michigan."

"But what’s unique about college football right now in this dynamic is that you’ve got to be playing your best ball at the end. I think anybody watching Ohio State recognizes they’re playing really good football."

Dan Lanning on the CFP Format and Oregon’s Opportunity:
"We had an opportunity. We didn’t take advantage of the opportunity. I’m not going to make excuses for our opportunity."

Ultimately, you have to beat great teams at the end of the year. We didn’t do that. This is the road we had to travel. And they did it better than us tonight.

"No complaints for us for having that opportunity. They just took advantage of it, and we didn’t."

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