Dan Lanning shares importance of winning 12 games

For just the sixth time in program history, Oregon was able to reach the 12-win mark. All of them have come in the past 13 years but this was the first under head coach Dan Lanning. The latest victory came against Liberty in the Fiesta Bowl, capping off the year in impressive fashion.

During his postgame press conference, Lanning asked what getting to 12 wins meant and just how important it was. He gave all the credit to the players for buying into something at the beginning of the season and being able to accomplish it. While the overall goal of competing for a national championship may have not been met, going 12-2 is still an incredible feat.

Lanning also knows he is just getting started at Oregon after 22 wins throughout his first two seasons in charge. The Ducks are primed to continue their great run with the 2024 season and beyond.

“I just think it speaks to the base that these guys have created,” Lanning said. “For where we’re headed and for what we’re about to do. They believed in what we wanted to accomplish. Really, this is all about our players. Our players had buy-in. They knew what the goal was and what to accomplish. We’re going to build off that in the future. They set the stage for that.”

Oregon has been player-led over the past two seasons, specifically by Bo Nix. Not too many players in college football have as much experience as the quarterback. With Lanning having to rework the roster and improve different spots, relying on somebody like Nix was going to be critical.

And for the most part, the move worked. Oregon won double-digit games for the second season in a row, something only two others in program history have done during their first two seasons in charge.

Lanning mentioned the future, where Oregon will be a member of the Big Ten Conference. Some familiar West Coast foes will be following them and two of them appear on the 2024 schedule. Other than that, there will be seven new conference foes for Lanning and the Ducks to play.

Getting back to 12 wins would be a major success and likely mean some kind of postseason play. Finding a way to turn all of the wins into a trophy at the end of the season could be one of Lanning’s goals moving forward.