Oregon head coach Dan Lanning pulled off one of the smartest rule manipulations of the year with 10 seconds remaining in the Ducks’ regular season matchup against Ohio State, purposely taking a 12-men on the field penalty to take an extra four seconds off the clock.
Oregon won the game as the time ran out on a Buckeye drive that made it to their 38-yard line, edging the eventual national champions out 32-31, en route to an undefeated regular season.
Dan Lanning Discusses Ohio State, 12-Men on the field Rule
Lanning readdressed the game on “Bussin’ With The Boys,” admitting he purposely sent an extra player on the field to gain an advantage.
“There’s one where you get an opportunity to call a timeout, try to get a little bit of an advantage,” Lanning said. “Time is more valuable at that point in the game than yardage. It worked out, but now it’s a different rule. So, can’t do it anymore.”
Now, the NCAA has changed its rules, putting time back on the clock even if teams take the five-yard penalty—Ohio State would have gotten another playoff with 10 seconds remaining.
Lanning admitted the Ducks look for every advantage they can in the rule book, working on specific scenarios to use in games.
“You’re looking for every advantage you can get in football, whatever the rule might be,” Lanning said. “… You talk through all those scenarios where a penalty makes sense. It might be better to get a pass interference rather than give up a big play. We spend time on those every single week as a coaching staff. Some of them show up a lot more than others.”
KEEP READING: Analysts Reveal 5 Key Points That Prove Dan Lanning’s Oregon Power Grab
“We have a group that works with us regarding analytics. What’s the right penalty to take? What’s the wrong penalty to take? And when you have a team that can assess those situations, you can attack it.”
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