Earlier this week, Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning had some comments for the Colorado Buffaloes after their move from the Pac-12 to the Big 12.
Just a few days later, Lanning’s own team was making a great escape from the Pac-12 as well, but landing in the Big Ten rather than the Big 12 alongside the Buffaloes. After Oregon’s practice on Saturday, Lanning met with media members and was able to discuss the move publicly for the first time.
He talked about what it means for the Ducks going forward, how it will impact the recruiting world, and what the current focus is for this final season in the Pac-12. Here are some of the most notable quotes from that press conference:
Opening Statement
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Lanning: It was fun to hear the pads pop. We got to get some angle in the last few days but it was really intense today. Tomorrow was really an off day for our guys. So it was pretty high strain today. My guys had put a lot of effort to leave it on the field, a lot of competitive periods. The offense dominated team run and then the defense came back really dominated third down. We had some good competition in the red area as well. So overall really good day.
Straining to Get Better
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Q: What is straining to you and what are you looking for?
DL: To become you got to do hard things and you got to do hard things consistently. I think Brad Stevens had a saying just a couple days ago, we came across on Twitter or whatever and he was speaking something similar to that. If I want to be good at doing something, I got to do something but not just do it. I have to do it hard. I got to do it intensely and it takes a level of intensity. So that’s what we’re looking for on the field.
Next Week
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Q: What are you looking for in this next week?
DL: You’re just getting to grow and get better. We’re not picking units yet. We’re not quite to that point. We’re still trying to evaluate where guys fit and we want the game to play as many guys as we possibly can. So trying to figure out who’s above the line, who’s below the line? And then if they’re below the line, can we get him above line?
The B1G Move
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Q: Can you speak to the news yesterday (of moving to the Big Ten)?
DL: I think first of all, our players are really excited about that. I think it’s an exciting opportunity for us. We talk about what are we looking for at this university and the way that we recruit on a national level in multiple time zones, playing against the best. That’s something our guys were really, really excited about. Obviously, it’s not really our focus right now. We got an entire season to play. This is about 2023 season. It’s what we want to attack but I think that creates a unique student athlete experience for our guys to move forward and and certainly sets us up. I really appreciate Rob (Mullens) and the administration, all the people at the top who did a great job looking out for the future of Oregon. I think that really protects us.
More Big Ten Talk
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Q: Why was moving to the Big Ten the best decision for Oregon?
DL: I just think that when you come here, you’re looking for an opportunity to continue to compete against the best. And I think there’s no secret that there’s really great teams, and great competition in that league. I think it’s a league that means more than just football. I think obviously, academically it brings a certain prestige. And then the fact that it hits every single part of the United States is big for us because we are a team that is a national brand, which should be seen across the nation.
B1G Recruiting Efforts
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Q: What has been the immediate recruiting impact in terms of reception and meeting and trying to expand the recruiting footprint?
DL: More than anything there’s a clear direction. We have really clear direction right now. It’s not the what ifs, it’s not the where are we. It’s really clear where we’re going to be in the future and how we’re set up for long term.
Scheduling Non-Conference Games, Including OSU
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Q: How does it change your philosophy when talking to Rob about non-conference scheduling in particular, for instance, FCS games may or may not be allowed in certain years. You want to schedule with all of realignment, not just where you are, but where other teams are now?
DL: We want to play great teams and will continue to play great teams. I know Oregon State is a great example of a game that we would love to keep. We want to get that opportunity to continue to play against them. I think it means a lot to people in the state. That’s something we want, but it’s also a little bit out of our control. Now let’s see how the chips fall. But it’s the furthest thing from my mind right now. It’s about the 2023 team.
Freshmen in on the Action
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Q: What do incoming freshmen have to do in order to see the field early on?
DL: A lot of it starts with just hitting the reset button and not letting one mistake be the next mistake. And the mistake after right you’re gonna make some mistakes, especially early. But being able to hit the reset button and keep going on. One thing that is distinctly different this fall compared to last fall is we didn’t have the bodies even go to spot practice. We had to go seven on seven on one field, and 11 on 11 practice on the other field. We have that now. We have a deeper team. We have more players who can play and are available. So that’s allowing those younger players in there and develop quicker.
Opening with Portland State vs Georgia
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Q: How does opening up vs Portland state allow for younger players to get valuable experience versus opening the season with Georgia?
DL: I think everyone we want to recruit, they all believe they have opportunities. But it’s about the opportunity to take advantage of. We don’t prepare differently based on the first opponent. We got to work really hard based on whoever we’re playing. And if you’re ready to play you will. It’s our job to help get some of those guys ready to play if they can help us so we’ll see how that comes. It’s too early right now and put a timestamp on that.