NFL News NFL News, Reports and Updates
Weeks following the Oregon football team’s Big Ten championship win over Penn State, and subsequent No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff, the Ducks finally know who they are playing in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day.
After No. 8 Ohio State defeated No. 9 Tennessee in the first round of the CFP Saturday, 42-17, the Ducks will have their rematch with the Buckeyes. Oregon defeated OSU 32-31 at Autzen Stadium in October in a battle between top 3 opponents at the time.
While the Buckeyes (11-2, 7-2 Big Ten) were game planning to beat the Volunteers last weekend, the Ducks (13-0, 9-0 Big Ten) have had the last two weeks off, and another week and a half now to solely focus on OSU.
Celebrate Oregon’s first Big Ten season with our new book
Rest and recuperation: Ducks have chance to get healthy, rest tired bodies before postseason run
Both Oregon coach Dan Lanning and quarterback Dillon Gabriel stressed the importance and positives of the extra time off during last week’s press availabilities.
The Ducks adjusted their practice schedule to include more lifts and recoveries, while getting players back to their fully healthy selves before a hopeful run at a national title.
“We’ve been able to kind of distribute our practices a little bit differently than we would during a normal game week, more like a three-day-on, day-off model,” Lanning said. “Opportunities to take advantage of the weight room as well and then just really studying ourselves. You can do a lot deeper dive when you have a little bit more time.”
Though Oregon’s injury report for the Big Ten championship included just three players (Jahlil Florence, My’Keil Gardner and Tionne Gray), its lowest total of the season, there were still players dinged up and tired from a long, 13-game stretch during the regular season.
With extra time off, the Ducks didn’t have to worry…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/oregon-football-did-during-bye-171510665.html
Author : The Register-Guard
Publish date : 2024-12-26 17:15:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
