The market for recruiting college football players is now extremely public, to the point where coaches openly talk about paying players. Even so, coaches keep targeting Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning for supposedly paying more than everybody else.

The latest example came from Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham ahead of the Wolverines’ matchup with Oregon on Saturday. When asked about Lanning, Whittingham offered a compliment before taking a jab at the Ducks’ spending.

“He really does a great job recruiting. It doesn’t hurt that you have $50 million at your disposal to, in essence, to outbid everybody, stated Whittingham. “Not everybody, but a lot of people. But that’s not his fault. That’s a credit. I mean, that’s a credit to their program and their dedication and desire to win and the support they have.”

Every program is paying players, including Michigan

I always find it awfully sanctimonious when coaches bring this up and complain about other programs paying more. Everybody is paying players. A brand like Michigan is still in bidding wars with other top brands for many of the best players in the country.

Why would a coach at one of the most powerful programs in the sport go down this road? Michigan isn’t some small school scraping by with leftover resources. The Wolverines compete for the same recruits Oregon does, and they do it with plenty of money of their own.

Lanning pointed that out, and he also fired back with a genuinely funny response.

“I’ve got nothing to say to Coach Whitt other than I think he’s an unbelievable coach,” Lanning jabbed back. “I get it. They’re spending more of their money now on coaches they’re letting go. Maybe it makes it hard to sign players.

Lanning was referencing Michigan’s recent decision to fire offensive coordinator Jason Beck, whom the program is paying a lot of money to go away. Whittingham opened the door, and Lanning walked right through it.

Oregon has heard this complaint before

This isn’t the first time a coach has taken a shot at Oregon’s spending. Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy did the exact same thing before his team faced the Ducks.

“Oregon is paying a lot, a lot of money for their team,” Gundy said last season. “From a nonconference standpoint, there’s coaches saying they should play teams that are spending the same amount of money.”

Oregon went on to beat Oklahoma State 69-3, and Lanning said afterward that he used Gundy’s comments as motivation. That result should have served as a warning to every coach thinking about poking at the Ducks before kickoff. Apparently, Whittingham didn’t get the message.

The most glaring issue with these comments is that they accomplish nothing for the coach making them. They don’t help recruiting, they don’t change the market, and they hand the opponent free bulletin-board material. Lanning has already shown he’ll use it.

Why Oregon should win in Ann Arbor

Regardless of motivation and comments about paying players, I think Oregon is going to win this game.

The Ducks’ offense has looked completely different since Jay Johnson took over play-calling duties from Drew Marringer. The unit has more rhythm and looks far more comfortable executing the game plan than it did earlier in the year.

That doesn’t mean this will be easy. Michigan’s defense is legitimately good, and it will test Oregon in a way few opponents have. However, the Ducks have plenty to prove after Whittingham’s comments, and they now have the same kind of fuel that helped them run Oklahoma State off the field.

Coaches should eventually stop pretending they aren’t playing the same game as everyone else. Until then, Oregon will keep taking these shots personally, and Saturday could be another reminder of what happens when someone gives Lanning a reason.