The stage is set for an electrifying Pac-12 showdown this Saturday as the Oregon Ducks prepare to take on the red-hot Colorado Buffaloes.
While the matchup is sexy for several reasons, much of the pre-game chatter has centered around Oregon head coach Dan Lanning and his prior comments regarding the Buffaloes program.
Lanning’s remarks, made before the season, drew significant attention when he nonchalantly responded to Colorado’s Pac-12 exit, saying: “Not a big reaction. I’m trying to remember what they won to affect this conference, and I don’t remember. Do you remember them winning anything? I don’t remember them winning anything.”
1. Oregon coach Dan Lanning's reaction to Colorado leaving the Pac-12:
2. "I'm trying to remember what they won to affect this conference and I don't remember … I don't remember them winning anything."
3. Colorado goes to Oregon next Saturday.pic.twitter.com/UDBgQY2Nzs
— RJ Young (@RJ_Young) September 14, 2023
(In fairness, nothing Lanning said wasn’t true.)
When questioned this week about whether he regretted his earlier statements, Lanning stood firm and refused to retract his remarks.
He clarified that he was referring to the program’s history, which did not include Deion Sanders’ current tenure as head coach.
“No. I don’t regret anything that I’ve said for this program,” Lanning reaffirmed. “At the end of the day, obviously, I wasn’t talking about Deion’s team. I was talking about the past and the future for our team.”
You have to give him credit for standing his ground and not offering some cowardly apology or walk-back.
While the comments have already become a popular talking point in the lead-up to Saturday’s game, Lanning appears unfazed by the controversy. He dismissed the notion that his words would have any bearing on the outcome of the highly anticipated matchup.
“If that serves as material for them, great, right? I don’t think it’s gonna have any bearing on the game and the success of the game,” Lanning confidently asserted.
It’s no secret that Coach Prime has taken the college football world by storm. He and his Buffaloes are currently the talk of the sport and have drawn astronomical viewership numbers for their games.
Who ever thought we’d say that about Colorado football?
Coach Prime on Oregon head coach Dan Lanning: "I respect the heck out of him. I love the way he runs his team, operates, so I have a lot of respect for him."
— Adam Munsterteiger (@adamcm777) September 19, 2023
Unfortunately for Prime and the 3-0 Buffaloes, they most likely are in for a rude awakening when they take the field in Eugene.
They’ve been a spectacular story thus far – and will continue to be. But Saturday’s game against the Ducks has a strong likelihood of getting quite ugly.
What do you think will happen in the game?
Do you give Colorado a chance to pull off the shocking upset?