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When he sat down to his postgame press conference, Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning still needed a minute to catch his breath.
His face was red, and his hair soaked with sweat. When he tried to talk, there was a hollow raspiness that came out, earned only from the hours of consistent yelling throughout the course of the night.
“Anybody have a heart monitor?” the 38-year-old coach asked after the biggest win of his career.
Lanning and the No. 3 Oregon Ducks had just upset the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes in front of a record crowd of 60,129 fans at Autzen Stadium, 32-31. It’s the type of win that will instantly put them at the top of the College Football Playoff conversation and clear the path for them to get to Indianapolis and the Big Ten Championship Game at the end of the season.
More than any of that, though, it’s the type of win that gives Oregon fans a reason for hope.
A reason to believe.
I’m not talking about the young generation of Duck fans who picked up the sport when Chip Kelly made it cool — the Ducks who throw the O with memories of Marcus Mariota, Justin Herbert, and Bo Nix under center. This win on Saturday night was for the OGs: The Kellen Clemens, Joey Harrington, and Bill Musgrave Ducks.
I grew up in Eugene and saw my fandom begin early in my elementary school days. I’m still close with a lot of my childhood friends that I used to go to games with back in the Harrington era. This past week when shooting the breeze and predicting the outcome of this game, one buddy said something that resonated after forecasting a Buckeye blowout.
“I’ve been a Duck fan my entire life.. it’d be foolish of me to assume that tomorrow is the day they decide to be nice to me after 30 years.”
I found myself thinking of him on Saturday night, as fans poured out of the stands at Autzen Stadium and…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/column-ducks-won-losable-game-074102299.html
Author : Ducks Wire
Publish date : 2024-10-13 07:41:02
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