College football: Why Oregon, Dan Lanning are fine being the Big Ten underdog ahead of the upcoming season

The Oregon Ducks have had a phenomenal season 2024, including a Big Ten championship and a Pink Bowl place in the playoffs of university football. Oregon won its first 13 games of the season, but the season ended horribly for them with a peel of 41-21 by Ohio State in Rose Bowl. The Ohio State had an advance of 34-0 in the second quarter and never looked back.

On Wednesday at the Big Ten Media Day, the head coach of Oregon, Dan Lanning, was questioned about the loss of the Ohio State to the Rose Bowl. He tilted his cap in the head coach of Ohio State Ryan Day and what the Buckeyes did well, and also clearly indicated that he had not forgotten the defeat but aims to move on and to correct what led to their disappearance on such a large stage in Pasadena.

“We always remember losses regarding victories. I think you can learn a lot.” The coach Day did an incredible job last year to have his team in a position to succeed. There are things I think I could have done better at the end. I don’t think we played our best football. “

While not using it as an excuse to lose against OSU, Lanning also underlined the long stopover that Oregon had because of having a bye in the first round of the playoffs. Oregon went for 25 days without playing, and Lanning said to ESPN: “You would like rust to be overturned when you walk on the ground” and said that the long break was something of which it is “not crazy”.

Lanning was mainly positive throughout the afternoon, stressing Oregon’s successes last year, especially without defeat during the action of the Big Ten conference during the regular season and winning the Big Ten championship. But now, as Lanning has said, he wants to “double” and focus on the Oregon process and make the future better than the past.

“What should we continue to improve? There are always learning lessons, but that does not necessarily have an impact on the future,” said Lanning.

Although Lanning spoke at length about the loss of Ohio of Ohio after being questioned about this over half a dozen times throughout the afternoon in Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, he focuses on what is ahead of his program, and he finds the distinctions and failures last season to have little impact on the future trajectory of the Oregon program.

“We have a whole new team and new challenges. What happened last year has nothing to do with the future,” said Lanning. “Building this, from scratch, to get the opportunity to return to the kitchen, to determine what we will be able to contribute for our recipe and to create an excellent meal is something that fascinates us.”

Oregon will go to the season as an -owner to win the Big Ten. Oregon finished third in the pre-season surveys carried out by USA Today and Cleveland.com, with Penn State at No. 1 and Ohio State at No. 2. Oregon also has the third best chances of winning the Big Ten on Fanduel Sportsbook. The fact that Ohio State and Penn State receive all of the pre-season buzz is something that Lanning is aware, saying to Heather Dinich d’Espn: “I don’t mind being the silent murder.”

If Oregon is to become a silent assassin and take a race in the playoffs, they will do it with a new quarter-back leaving for Dante Moore. Last season, Oregon had Dillon Gabriel, Heisman finalist and a player who started 63 collegial games, the most in the history of the FBS. Now, the keys are given to Moore, who is in his third year of university ball and started five games at the UCLA in 2023 before transferring to Oregon last season. In all, Moore has passed for 1,659 yards, 11 affected, 9 interceptions, with a completion rate of 54.8.

“I think what probably impressed me the most with Dante was not to want to be in a microwave society,” said Lanning. “Not just wanting to do it quickly because there is an opportunity in front of him, but to have a slow cooked meal, to have the opportunity to sit and mature and learn, learn experiences that you do not necessarily have to be on the ground to feel.”

Although this does not look like the year of Oregon to make a serious series for a title, this story of foreigners could be all the motivation they need to find a high level success in 2025.