The final time Oregon and Ohio State confronted off, Geese coach Dan Lanning‘s shrewd understanding of rules allowed him to run precious time off and escape with a win.
Since then, the NCAA closed the Lanning loophole and the Buckeyes have racked up wins — aside from a hiccup against rival Michigan — to force a highly anticipated rematch in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day.
After eighth-seeded Ohio State (11-2) earned a commanding 42-17 victory over Tennessee within the first spherical of the Faculty Soccer Playoff on Saturday, the 2 head coaches mentioned their Rose Bowl showdown.
In the course of the groups’ first assembly in October, the Buckeyes trailed 32-31 and have been driving with seconds left when Oregon was flagged for having too many defenders on the sector. The Geese gave up 5 yards, however 4 seconds ran off the clock and the Buckeyes rapidly ran out of time to attain.
After the sport and the controversy surrounding the penalty, the NCAA introduced “after the two-minute timeout in either half, if the defense commits a substitution foul and 12 or more players are on the field and participate in a down, officials will penalize the defense for the foul and at the option of the offended team, reset the game clock back to the time displayed at the snap.”
Lanning mentioned the top-seeded Geese (13-0) count on to be examined in the course of the Rose Bowl rematch.
“That last game came down to the very final seconds, so not taking anything for granted and making sure that every single play counts and the next play is the most important,” he mentioned.
Three months later, Buckeyes coach Ryan Day and his group have targeted on progress relatively than the controversial closing minute of the Oregon loss. Now, his message for the rematch is evident: execute.
“It’s about execution, about our preparation. It’s about how we go about our meetings, how we go about our walk-throughs, how we go about our practices,” Day mentioned. “There’s a reference point as we move into this one. Our guys know what we’re up against.”
He mentioned the Buckeyes are upbeat after their efficiency in opposition to the Volunteers.
“You feel the confidence in the locker room,” Day mentioned. “To know that we already have a playoff win under our belt will give us confidence going into the game. Also, knowing our opponent gives us confidence.”
The Buckeyes will want that confidence in opposition to Oregon, which is on a quest for an ideal season and the primary nationwide championship at school historical past.
Ohio State coach Ryan Day leads his group to the sector throughout a win over Nebraska in October.
(Jay LaPrete / Related Press)
This 12 months’s Geese are primed to attain that aim, boasting a dynamic offense led by quarterback Dillon Gabriel — a Heisman Trophy finalist — together with speedsters Tez Johnson and Evan Stewart at vast receiver.
Gabriel has been the Geese’ chief in his first 12 months with the group, having transferred after beforehand enjoying at Oklahoma and Central Florida.
“I’ve been really impressed by Dillon’s poise,” Lanning mentioned. “It doesn’t matter if there’s just a couple of seconds left on the clock or fourth and nine. … He’s able to stay cool as the backside of the pillow in big moments, and it’s certainly paid off for us.”
It is going to be essential for the senior to show composure in opposition to a stout and athletic protection that has confirmed able to stopping a cell, dual-threat quarterback corresponding to Gabriel. Lanning emphasised that Gabriel should take what the protection offers him with the intention to succeed.
“It’s important for Dillon to be able to take what’s there,” Lanning mentioned. “At times, he’s going to make those plays with his legs when they’re in coverage. At times that means he’s going to have to throw the ball, but Dillon’s proven that throughout the year he can do both.”
Oregon’s highway to the nationwide championship is much less favorable than that of different groups within the CFP, as they’ve to face the winner of the Ohio State-Tennessee matchup.
Nonetheless, Lanning embraced the problem when the brackets have been introduced, figuring out that advancing to the subsequent spherical would require dealing with a troublesome opponent.
“Super excited … getting the opportunity to play great teams, that’s what it’s about,” Lanning mentioned. “In this part of the year, when you play great teams, it gives you some extra motivation. … The path to the end is tough, which is exciting.”
The Geese had further time with the first-round bye, utilizing it to sport plan for each facet of dealing with Ohio State. Lanning intently reviewed the earlier matchup whereas additionally assessing how the Buckeyes have advanced since then.
“If you got the time, you look at it all,” Lanning mentioned. “You look at the history of the team, the coordinators. This is unique because it gives you a little bit more time to evaluate the big picture. … Then the original matchup, what that looked like and what they’ve done since.”
