Oregon Ducks HC Dan Lanning fulfilled a merciless promise to his team against Big Ten rival in 'Gladiator' style
This year, in their first season in the Big Ten, the Oregon Ducks have made it a priority to introduce themselves to their new conference mates. Oregon floated a giant rubber ducky down the river in Indianapolis during Big Ten Media Days last summer, their mascot has been anywhere and everywhere, and they've dubbed themselves as […]
This year, in their first season in the Big Ten, the Oregon Ducks have made it a priority to introduce themselves to their new conference mates.
Oregon floated a giant rubber ducky down the river in Indianapolis during Big Ten Media Days last summer, their mascot has been anywhere and everywhere, and they've dubbed themselves as "That Team Out West." It's a lot of talk. If you're going to make that much noise, you better be able to back it up.
And back it up they have.
Now the No. 1 team in the country for the last three weeks, with a home win against No. 2 Ohio State in Autzen Stadium and a road 38-17 beatdown over Michigan in The Big House on their resume, it's safe to say they've announced their presence.
Last week in Ann Arbor, head coach Dan Lanning set a tone of competitiveness that is jaw-dropping. All week long, he prepared his team with the mindset that he would be taking a late timeout to point out the fact that the stadium was emptying, that dejected fans were heading to the exits when the outcome was all but decided. He spoke it into existence, and then did exactly that.
"I already told you at the beginning of the week, that I'm going to remind you at some point in this game. I'm going to tell you to look up in the stands at some point in this game, and you're going to see them start to empty out. We made the decision before we even stepped on the field, all day, it's thumbs down. It's no mercy," Lanning told his team before the game started.
Referencing the movie "Gladiator," the players then turned to the disappearing crowd, shouting "are you not entertained?!"
"I told you about this moment on Monday. Look around! Look around!" Lanning said on the field during a timeout with his team huddled around him, seeing him point at the iconic stadium, quiet and dejected.
This is the new Oregon Ducks — ruthlessly competitive, showing no mercy, taking no prisoners, and bowing down to no opponent. Respectfully, they march on, never once having shown that any stage is too big for them.
This is a hungry program hellbent on making their mark, not only on their new conference, but on the college football landscape as a whole.
Follow along all year for more Oregon Ducks coverage on A to Z Sports. You can find me on X @JonHelmkamp, as well as follow our main page @AtoZSportsNFL for all the latest news.
