With a 35-5 record as head coach of the Oregon Ducks, Dan Lanning has established himself as one of the top head coaches in college football. He is now looking to replicate that success in the College Football Playoff, and he shared some motivational words for his team ahead of the Rose Bowl against the Ohio State Buckeyes, echoing one of the best NFL coaches of all time.
Dan Lanning Says ‘Doing Your Job’ Is the Only Way To Win the Rose Bowl
Lanning knows how difficult it will be to defeat Ohio State. They may have done so already this season, defeating the Buckeyes 32-31 in Euguene in October, but to repeat that victory for a second time is as challenging as it comes in college football.
Ohio State was in that game until the last second. The Ducks came out on top in a shootout, but the scoreline could easily have swung the other way. Furthermore, a devastating loss to the Michigan Wolverines looks to have galvanized the Buckeyes, who emphatically dispatched the Tennessee Volunteers in the College Football Playoff opening round.
Lanning is well aware of the threat posed by Ohio State, which is favored entering the Rose Bowl. When prompted, the Oregon head coach gave a rousing message to the Ducks from the Rose Bowl.
“The way you maintain it is you win.“ Lanning kept it simple but made it known exactly what he needs from his players if Oregon is to keep their season alive and qualify for the semifinals.
Lanning told his team to focus and do their jobs in an answer that more closely resembled that of current North Carolina Tar Heels and former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.
“You do it by focusing on each play, each moment, not making it bigger than it is. Just trying to make sure that you can maintain your focus on what your job is. Everybody has a job for the team, doing that job for your team. If we do that, things will go the right way.”
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Lanning is well aware of what it takes to win a National Championship. As defensive coordinator of the Georgia Bulldogs, Lanning was part of a team that finished the regular season undefeated and won the National Championship Game.
The Oregon head coach will need all his experience if the Ducks are to overcome one of the most challenging opponents in the sport.
Oregon enters the Rose Bowl as an underdog despite finishing the regular season undefeated, winning the Big Ten Championship, and being ranked No. 1 in the nation by the College Football Playoff Selection Committee.
The matchup has the hallmarks of a classic in the most traditional college football setting: the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
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