Oregon Ducks' Dan Lanning On Challenge Of Ohio State Buckeyes, Rose Bowl Game

The No. 1 Oregon Ducks are riding high after an undefeated season under coach Dan Lanning. Ahead of their highly anticipated Rose Bowl rematch against the Ohio State Buckeyes, Lanning shared his thoughts on the Ducks' historic season and their mindset as they prepare for a shot at the College Football Playoff and a national championship.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning looks on 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

EUGENE - Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning has led Oregon to a historic season. The Ducks are the only undefeated team in college football and have a 13-0 record for the first time in program history. Oregon has yet to win a national championship, and the Ohio State Buckeyes stand in the Ducks' way in a highly anticipated rematch in the Rose Bowl.

Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) and wide receiver Tez Johnson (15) 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 winner will advance to the semifinals of the College Football Playoff and face the winner of Texas and Arizona State, while the losing team's season and national championship hopes will come to an end.

The last time Oregon and Ohio State played, Oregon came away with the victory, beating the then-No. 2 Buckeyes 32-31 at home in Autzen Stadium. Now, the Ducks are tasked with defeating Ohio State for a second time this season.

Oregon is only the second team since 2000 to beat Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State in the same season. No one has achieved that feat and defeated the Buckeyes twice in the same season, but the Ducks, under coach Lanning, have the opportunity to become the first.

Here's everything Dan Lanning said about facing the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl:

On Oregon’s Rose Bowl Opportunity: 

“It’s something we’re extremely excited about, obviously getting to play a great opponent in Ohio State. I think that that’s a great representation of what the Big Ten is capable of. Having these two teams with the opportunity to face off in the 'Granddaddy of Them All.' We’re super excited our players, our staff, certainly myself about getting this opportunity at the Rose Bowl.” 

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On a Rematch with Ohio State: 

“Super excited. Getting the opportunity to play great teams, that’s what it’s about. This part of the year, I think when you play great teams, that gives you some extra motivation to go work really hard, to be prepared and ready to be out there on the field. Obviously Ohio State’s a great team and the path to the end is tough, which is exciting for our team and certainly for me.” 

Dec 21, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day before the game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images / Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

On Navigating a Long Season: 

“I think the real challenge in there has been for me to make sure that I’m keeping our players fresh and our team ready. But our guys are really up for the mental challenge. We’ve got a mature team. I’ve been really proud of the way they’ve prepped all season, and they’ve kind of attacked every single day and put a lot of trust in our coaching staff, on our sports science department, strength staff, that we’re going to have the right plan for them. I’m proud to say this, like several of our players are hitting some of their highest testing numbers this year. We have guys hitting [personal records] in the weight room, and I think that’s unique at this point in the season, but it speaks to how we’ve been able to adapt and adjust some of our performance stuff throughout the year to make sure that we continue to stay fresh.” 

Dan Lanning on Jordan Burch’s Impact: 

“I think just his size and athleticism. God doesn’t make a lot of people that look like Jordan Burch. I think when people see him they’re always surprised to hear that he’s almost 300 pounds because he looks really good at his size. But he plays like a beast on the field. Relentless effort and the fact that we have great depth and several guys that can play edge positions for us, it allows us to make sure that when he’s on the field, he’s fresh. And a fresh Jordan Burch is really dangerous.” 

On Winning in Different Ways: 

Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning celebrates Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, during the Big Ten Championship game between the Oregon Ducks and the Penn State Nittany Lions at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The Ducks defeated the Nittany Lions, 45-37. / Grace Smith/Indianapolis Star / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“I think it’s been really important for us, for our team to realize that we can win in a lot of different ways. And with that piece, knowing that if you’re able to put all three phases together, and you play your best football, you can have a lot of success. Football games come in a lot of different ways, and being able to be a team that can win in multiple different ways is important for us.” 

On Ohio State’s Changes Since the First Matchup: 

“I won’t really get into the differences, but they’re a really good team. I don’t know if there’s a more talented team in the nation. Obviously they’ve got great weapons outside at wideout and across the board, their tight end’s a big target. The running backs are elite. I think they’ve settled in with their offensive line, and that’s really shown up. And then defensively they play with relentless effort. They’ve got talent across the board at really every position."

"Schematically they pitch a lot of different things to you on both sides of the ball that stress you. The ability to play with tempo at times on offense, and then slow it down and come out of a huddle. The shifts and motions, all those things show up. And then defensively, they kind of keep their foot on the gas whether it’s a pressure mentality at times, and then coverage mentality at times. It seems like they’re they’re in the right call a lot of the time. So they do a good job on both sides of the ball with their coordinators and their players do a good job of executing.” 

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