The Oregon Ducks are the top-ranked team in the land. Head coach Dan Lanning isn’t focused on that right now.
For the first time since 2012, Oregon finds itself at the top of the polls. The 7-0 Ducks jumped to No. 1 following Texas’ loss to Georgia last Saturday in Austin. Oregon defeated Purdue handily in West Lafayette, winning 35-0, and pitched its first road shutout in decades.
So, the No. 1 ranking certainly feels earned, especially after Oregon’s wins over Ohio State and Boise State this season. But Lanning isn’t paying attention to the number next to his Ducks.
“Who cares?” Lanning said at his press conference.
Dan Lanning’s thoughts on Oregon getting No. 1 ranking for the for the first time since 2012: “Who cares.”
— Matt Prehm (@MattPrehm) October 22, 2024
This is a perfect response to the situation for a head coach. Oregon’s standard is their standard. They’re one of the winningest programs of the 2000s and have become one of, if not the premier program out west. It’s obviously not their first rodeo up at the top either. So it’s just business as usual.
Fans have had no problem boasting about the situation this weekend. For all intents and purposes, it should stay that way. The players can’t buy into their own hype too much, and neither can the coaches. But the fans can celebrate and provide energy that Oregon has feasted off before. With the Ducks‘ forward momentum, anything appears possible right now.
