No.1 oregon ducks Mission accomplished by defeating No. 3 on Saturday. Penn State Nittany Lions With Saturday's 45-37 win, they not only secured the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff, but also won the Big Ten Championship in the conference's first year of existence.
With the win, the Ducks improve to 13-0 on the season, remaining the only undefeated team in the FBS and continuing to defy expectations and continue their strong season after moving from the PAC-12 to the Big Ten.
Heading into the season, many expected the Ducks to be one of the best teams in the country. After all, they had just missed out on the College Football Playoff a season ago, losing. washington huskies sent them to the Fiesta Bowl in the PAC-12 Championship Game.
In head coach Dan Lanning's first year with the program in 2022, the Ducks managed to win 10 games and pick up where they left off a year ago.
Heading into the 2024 season, results were expected from Lanning's group, especially with the expanded College Football Playoff format. However, they won both games and had an undefeated season. ohio Will the Buckeyes and Penn State Nittany Lions get the No. 1 overall seed? That's not true.
Over the years, Lanning has been praised for exuding genuine confidence as a head coach, as seen in his hyper-aggressive style of play, believing in explosive offense and scoring at a high level.
But the one thing that was inevitable for him was the big game. In his first game as head coach of the Ducks, Oregon State was badly beaten. georgia bulldogs 49-3. While they win ranks; BYUThat year, they played against UCLA and Utah State, but faltered in the final stages against No. 25 Washington (37-34) and No. 21 Washington. oregonruining their chances at the PAC-12 Championship.
Then the 2023 season arrived, and Lanning's aggressiveness came under scrutiny after a 36-33 regular-season loss to the Washington Huskies in a battle of the top two teams in the PAC-12. The Ducks had a chance for revenge in the conference championship game, but Lanning's team lost yet another three-point loss, 34-31, and couldn't get past the final boss. .
Well, that story began with a complete turnaround this season, with Oregon State defeating No. 3 Ohio State 32-31 in a battle of the top three teams, and managing to fend off the Buckeyes in the final seconds. Ta. He remains undefeated.
The victory included a tough decision late in the game from Lanning, who kicked the winning field goal with less than two minutes left despite being at the Ohio State 1-yard line. And on the final defense, the head coach intentionally sent 12 players to defend the play with six seconds left in a strategic chess move that ultimately helped the Ducks clinch the victory. Lanning's move prompted the NCAA to “issue a new rule interpretation.” About how to handle penalties against 12 players on the field in the last two minutes. ”
Oregon State beat Illinois 38-9 while playing only one other ranked opponent the rest of the way, but faced adversity during the regular season and played a close three-point road win. wisconsin badger.
But they got one last chance to prove themselves Saturday against the No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions, who will be a challenge on both sides of the ball.
Well, the Ducks scored touchdowns on each of their first three drives and quickly jumped out to a 21-10 lead, before extending that lead to three points with another touchdown.
Of course, Penn State faced some adversity as they tried to crawl back and turn things around, but the Ducks were the more disciplined team and got multiple turnovers, defeating Nittany in a 45-37 win. They had enough offensive success to fend off the Lions.
After the game, the respected head coach praised his players not only for Saturday's win, but for overcoming adversity as the Ducks navigated Big Ten waters and achieved an impressive feat in their first game. Conference Year.
“I'm really proud of the players. They achieved this. I had nothing to do with it,” Lanning said proudly after the game. “I just keep the train on the tracks. We have incredible leadership. We have an incredible coaching staff. And the Big Ten is tough. Tonight's game. I think this is a good example. This is a tough league. It's tough to go out there and win. And I'm really proud of our guys for their effort tonight to be able to do what they did and just contribute that little bit extra. I thought they would donate a little extra, but it showed up.
“I think when you participate in a game like this, you essentially start thinking about the journey you've been on and the journey you've been on. But what brings me joy is when the people you love are with you. We hope you enjoy your trip – Phil, everyone here [Knight],my parents. I know what it means to them for them to be a part of a night like tonight. For them to be a part of that success means more to me than any success ever. ”
As a result of Saturday's win, the Ducks are now 13-0, the only undefeated team in the FBS, and will officially earn the No. 1 seed when the final College Football Playoff rankings are released Sunday afternoon.
They will face the winner of the No. 8 and No. 9 games after a first-round bye on New Year's Day, with just two games left to hoist the National Championship trophy. Lanning and Dax.
But despite the success they've already had, the Ducks are taking the same approach heading into the toughest part of the season.
“Honestly, this is the furthest thing from my mind right now,” Lanning said of the national championship. “I'm worried about tomorrow, I'm worried.” [about] The next day, the next play. I think that's how you get there. I don't think it's a secret what this team wants to accomplish, even if you start to set your sights on the end goal, but you're not going to get there by just looking at it. It takes time. What I'm thinking about now is how I can improve and become better. And there's so much more we can grow in every phase of this game. That's my focus. I think if you focus on the process, the rest will take care of itself. ”
It was a night to remember for the Ducks, but also for Dan Lanning. Not only did he prove he could play in the big games, he also proved he was capable of coming out on top, bringing him his first championship hardware as a head coach. career.
