PASADENA, Calif. — The Oregon Ducks’ undefeated season came to an end with a dominating 41-21 loss to Ohio State at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential. The Buckeyes outgained Oregon 500-276 and scored 34-8 in the first half, making it clear that this was not a game they would be close with.
Coach Dan Lanning attributed the loss to his team’s inability to click on all cylinders, saying “They clicked tonight and we didn’t.” The Ducks’ offense struggled, with four three-and-outs in the first half, while their defense couldn’t stop Ohio State’s explosive plays, which included four touchdowns of 40 yards or more.
Lanning was not interested in making excuses for his team, including a 25-day layoff between games. He praised Ohio State’s plan to attack Oregon and said that his team simply didn’t have the right plan in place. The coach also avoided discussing the College Football Playoff bracket format, which awarded Oregon a first-round bye as the top-ranked conference champion.
The Ducks’ loss exposed them to the possibility of a single loss ending their season, which is now a harsh reality. Despite Lanning’s achievements with the team this year, he acknowledged that losing can be tough, saying “Sometimes, it’s not your day.”
Source: https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/43255021/our-day-ducks-lanning-offer-no-excuses-defeat-osu