On Wednesday, the Oregon Ducks, led by head coach Dan Lanning, were eliminated from the College Football Playoffs after losing to the Ohio State Buckeyes 41-21 in the Rose Bowl. Following the contest, Lanning had praise for the work Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day did in preparing his team for the game.
He also detailed how proud he was of the performances and dedication his players had for the program. Oregon was the team to beat coming into the Rose Bowl, being the only team in the college football playoff to carry an undefeated record at 13-0. They were the No. 1 seed and top-ranked team in the country entering the quarterfinals. Ohio State entered as the No. 8 seed and sixth-ranked team in college football.
Oregon’s Dan Lanning Commends Ryan Day and Ohio State
After the loss, Lanning expressed his respect for the Buckeyes coaching staff and players and outlined how it was evident that they were ready to play from the first snap.
“They clicked tonight, and we didn’t. And, I didn’t get our team prepared, you know. And, that’s a great team. When you play a great team like Ohio State, you can’t not be clicking on all cylinders,” Lanning said.
“Coach Day and his staff have done an unbelievable job… as a team I think has the ability to go win it all.” 🏆@oregonfootball‘s Dan Lanning has nothing but high praise for @OhioStateFB 🤝 pic.twitter.com/YlmOO2eJHs
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) January 2, 2025
He later added how he admired the job Day had done with the Buckeyes this year and detailed his belief that Ohio State has the ability and talent to win the National Championship this year.
“Coach Day and his staff have done an unbelievable job… as a team I think (it) has the ability to go win it all,” he added.
Ohio State Buckeyes Playoff Preview
The Buckeyes will face off against the Texas Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 10 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. The matchup will essentially be an away game for Ohio State, with the Longhorns playing in their home state.
However, should the Buckeyes prevail in the matchup, they will face the winner of the semifinal contest between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
While all four remaining teams feature talented rosters, it is evident that Lanning believes that the Buckeyes have as good a chance as any to win this year’s National Championship. It’s hard to argue with Wednesday’s dominant performance.
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