The Oregon Ducks snuck out a win over the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday, but it was not free from a little bit of controversy at the end. In the final moments of the game, Oregon was penalized for having too many men on the field. At the time, this seemed like a silly penalty to take because it put Ohio State just about in field goal range with six seconds left down only one point. However, it worked out because Will Howard inexplicably slid as the clock ran out, and the Oregon fans rushed the field.
When asked on Monday about the penalty, it sure seemed like it was intentional.
Evil Smile
Lanning was asked about this penalty, he could not keep a smirk off his face as he responded.
The Ohio State fans were understandably upset by the response as Lanning was bending the rules to cut as much time off as possible for the Buckeyes to attempt a field goal. However, it was a masterful plan for Lanning as it forced an incompletion and ran the clock down to only six seconds. Those four seconds proved to win the game for Oregon as Howard slid with no time remaining.
How Big Was This For Oregon?
This win was massive for Oregon as it moved them up to number two in the AP Poll and put them in prime position in the Big 10 and College Football Playoff. They are now the highest ranked Big 10 team, one ahead of Penn State, and can afford a loss or two down the stretch to make the new 12-team College Football Playoff.
Lanning doing something like this showed how important this game was. Oregon wanted to prove they belong in the Big 10 and beating the class of the conference with Ohio State is a good place to start. Lanning also made his case as one of the top head coaches in the country, and appears to be building something really special in Eugene.
The rest of the season sets up very well for the Ducks. The only ranked teams they have left to play are Illinois and Michigan, both teams ranked outside of the top 20. Oregon is primed to make a run at a championship, and it seems like they have adopted the “any means necessary” mentality, willing to bend the rules a little bit if it gives them a competitive edge and a victory at the end of the night.
Although this decision was genius, moving into the future, the rule on this should be changed. An intentional penalty should not hurt the losing team and give them a small chance of coming back. A too many men on the field penalty should be a deadball foul ensuring no time comes off the clock. Having more men on defense gives them an unfair advantage anyway, so there really is no reason for the offense to lose time and try a play with a low success rate. The time on the clock is more important than the five yards. But this is the reality, and Dan Lanning went against the beaten path and it was masterful given the situation.
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