Those expecting some animosity between Oregon’s Dan Lanning and Colorado’s Deion Sanders will be disappointed. Lanning recently came under fire for some of the tactics he used on Saturday, including a fiery pregame speech in which he boasted: “You fight for clicks, we fight for wins.”
Speaking to the media on Monday, a few days before his team’s 42-6 win over the Buffaloes, Lanning cleared up the key talking points. Above all, he praised Sanders and his influence on college football as a whole.
“I am also grateful and can clearly acknowledge that the attention we received this Saturday is due in large part to Deion and his contributions to college football,” Lanning said. “If anyone can’t see what he’s done for college football and how he brings excitement to college football, that’s crazy. I said that last week too. He did a lot for the game. He’s building something there. I think that’s very, very clear. There’s no secret there. But it wouldn’t matter if I had my 10-year-old son playing on the other sideline. I will do everything I can to win.”
Lanning’s speech wasn’t the only thing that sparked controversy. Lanning didn’t leave the bench empty until the fourth quarter, long after Oregon had a five-touchdown lead. Despite the deficit, he attempted fourth-and-goal twice in the final 30 minutes and also attempted a 2-point conversion in the first quarter after Oregon scored its second touchdown.
“At the end of the day, I’ll say this: We’re playing to win the game,” Lanning said. “And you saw a 15-second clip from a window view outside the house showing what was happening in the locker room. I know our locker room. I’m in the house 100% of the time. I know how our players felt at the start of this game and I know what it takes to motivate our players. That’s my job, to motivate our players. He (Sanders) has a job. I also have a job to go out and perform on the field.
“But in this house they had a certain feeling. They had a certain feeling about a group that stomped on the ‘O’. They had a certain feeling about guys who talked to them in foreplay. I’m proud of these guys because what.” They decided to talk to their pads.
Oregon climbed to No. 9 in the AP Top 25 after beating Colorado. The Buffaloes, meanwhile, were eliminated after steadily climbing to No. 19 thanks to a 3-0 start.