Dan Lanning Discusses Facing Ohio State in the Rose Bowl

Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning met with reporters on Monday to discuss a New Year’s Day rematch against Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. Oregon won the first matchup between the Ducks and the Buckeyes on October 12 32-31.

Below you’ll find a transcription of some of his top quotes from his press conference.

Opening statement

Lanning: “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 10 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.”

On a rematch with a team Oregon has already beaten

Lanning: “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.”

On difficulty of navigating long season

Lanning: “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 PRs 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.”

On what Jordan Burch brings to the team and what his presence means in this matchup

Lanning: “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 value of winning in different ways as Oregon enters playoff

Lanning: “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 what distinguishes Will Howard as a quarterback, what he’s seen from him since first matchup

Lanning: “I think he has good size, obviously. He’s a big body, it’s hard to get down. More than that, I think he’s built a lot of confidence in the guys that he’s able to throw the ball to, and even some confidence in the quarterback run game. I think you see him utilized a little bit more in the QB run game later in the season. He does a good job of throwing good balls. He certainly threw a lot of good balls the other night down the field and was able to target those wideouts for explosive plays down the field. He’s playing really good football right now. Certainly played really good football against Tennessee.”

On how Ohio State’s changed and how it changes his approach from first matchup

Lanning: “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 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.”