Oregon football talks Big Ten, national championship goals: ‘We’re mighty different’

Like a seasoned vet, Oregon football coach Dan Lanning approached his first availability at Big Ten media days at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis Thursday with a nearly nine-minute opening statement.

The third-year head coach talked about culture, the three players — quarterback Dillon Gabriel, tight end Terrance Ferguson and linebacker Jeffrey Bassa — that were attending the event with him and other general talking points coaches typically discuss at conference media events. It certainly didn’t look like his first time at the Big Ten podium.

Days after a massive inflatable duck adorned in green and yellow was seen floating the White River in downtown Indianapolis, Lanning talked about what sets Oregon apart from all of its new conference rivals from coast-to-coast.

“I hope we get to travel that duck to all of our away games this year,” Lanning said. “We’re mighty different when it comes to the jerseys we get to wear or the facilities we’re in. We’re innovative. We’ve always been on the cutting edge of everything we do. We certainly positioned ourselves to be on the cutting edge, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to compete in the Big Ten.”

Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning speaks to the media during the Big Ten football media day at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Lanning used the phrase “mighty different” several times throughout his many availabilities on Thursday. And Oregon is mighty different from its peers even externally to preseason prognosticators who have picked the Ducks to finish among the nation’s best by the end of the season.

ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit said the Ducks might be his preseason favorite for a national championship. In most sportsbooks, Gabriel is the running favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. In USA Today’s preseason polls, a panel picked the Ducks to finish…


Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/oregon-football-talks-big-ten-215102096.html

Author : The Register-Guard

Publish date : 2024-07-25 21:51:02

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