The last time Oregon and Ohio State faced off, Ducks coach Dan Lanning‘s shrewd understanding of rules allowed him to run precious time off and escape with a win.
Since then, the NCAA closed the Lanning loophole and the Buckeyes have racked up wins — aside from a hiccup against rival Michigan — to force a highly anticipated rematch in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day.
After eighth-seeded Ohio State (11-2) earned a commanding 42-17 victory over Tennessee in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Saturday, the two head coaches discussed their Rose Bowl showdown.
During the teams’ first meeting in October, the Buckeyes trailed 32-31 and were driving with seconds left when Oregon was flagged for having too many defenders on the field. The Ducks gave up five yards, but four seconds ran off the clock and the Buckeyes quickly ran out of time to score.
After the game and the controversy surrounding the penalty, the NCAA announced “after the two-minute timeout in either half, if the defense commits a substitution foul and 12 or more players are on the field and participate in a down, officials will penalize the defense for the foul and at the option of the offended team, reset the game clock back to the time displayed at the snap.”
Lanning said the top-seeded Ducks (13-0) expect to be tested during the Rose Bowl rematch.
“That last game came down to the very final seconds, so not taking anything for granted and making sure that every single play counts and the next play is the most important,” he said.
Three months later, Buckeyes coach Ryan Day and his team have focused on growth rather than the controversial final minute of the Oregon loss. Now, his message for the rematch is clear: execute.
“It’s about execution, about our preparation. It’s about how we go about our meetings, how we go about our walk-throughs, how we go about our practices,” Day said. “There’s a reference point as we move into this one. Our guys know what we’re up against.”
He said the Buckeyes are upbeat after their performance against the Volunteers.
“You feel the confidence in the locker room,” Day said. “To know that we already have a playoff win under our belt will give us confidence going into the game. Also, knowing our opponent gives us confidence.”
The Buckeyes will need that confidence against Oregon, which is on a quest for a perfect season and the first national championship in school history.
Ohio State coach Ryan Day leads his team to the field during a win over Nebraska in October.
(Jay LaPrete / Associated Press)
This year’s Ducks are primed to achieve that goal, boasting a dynamic offense led by quarterback Dillon Gabriel — a Heisman Trophy finalist — along with speedsters Tez Johnson and Evan Stewart at wide receiver.
Gabriel has been the Ducks’ leader in his first year with the team, having transferred after previously playing at Oklahoma and Central Florida.
“I’ve been really impressed by Dillon’s poise,” Lanning said. “It doesn’t matter if there’s just a couple of seconds left on the clock or fourth and nine. … He’s able to stay cool as the backside of the pillow in big moments, and it’s certainly paid off for us.”
It will be crucial for the senior to display composure against a stout and athletic defense that has proven capable of stopping a mobile, dual-threat quarterback such as Gabriel. Lanning emphasized that Gabriel must take what the defense gives him in order to succeed.
“It’s important for Dillon to be able to take what’s there,” Lanning said. “At times, he’s going to make those plays with his legs when they’re in coverage. At times that means he’s going to have to throw the ball, but Dillon’s proven that throughout the year he can do both.”
Oregon’s road to the national championship is less favorable than that of other teams in the CFP, as they have to face the winner of the Ohio State-Tennessee matchup.
However, Lanning embraced the challenge when the brackets were announced, knowing that advancing to the next round would require facing a tough opponent.
“Super excited … getting the opportunity to play great teams, that’s what it’s about,” Lanning said. “In this part of the year, when you play great teams, it gives you some extra motivation. … The path to the end is tough, which is exciting.”
The Ducks had extra time with the first-round bye, using it to game plan for every aspect of facing Ohio State. Lanning closely reviewed the previous matchup while also assessing how the Buckeyes have evolved since then.
“If you got the time, you look at it all,” Lanning said. “You look at the history of the team, the coordinators. This is unique because it gives you a little bit more time to evaluate the big picture. … Then the original matchup, what that looked like and what they’ve done since.”
