On Saturday, the Oregon Ducks celebrated the biggest win of the 2024 college football season to date. Oregon defeated Ohio State in a thrilling matchup between two of the nation’s best teams.
But the Ducks got it done without one of their premier defensive players. Jordan Burch, a disruptive defensive lineman, missed the game after he suffered a lower-body injury during practice this week.
He appeared to be a game-time decision going into the game, but he didn’t play in the end. Following the win, Lanning discussed his star defensive player’s absence and what it meant for the team.
“Jordan is certainly a loss,” Lanning told reporters. “You don’t replace a Jordan. He’s been unbelievable this season. But in football, it’s about the next man up.”
Lanning then added more details on his status, giving a clue on his timeline.
“We thought there might be a chance that we would be able to see him out there. We weren’t able to see him out there, but we always want to protect our players first.”
If Burch still potentially could play Saturday night, then the Ducks might not have to anticipate him out for long. Oregon does play on a short week, with a Friday trip to West Lafayette against Purdue on the way this week. He may miss that game out of protection, he may not. If he does, the Oregon star might set his sights on returning against Illinois.
