Oregon head coach Dan Lanning held off from instigating. He avoided controversy. He didn’t make it personal.
At no point in the last six days did Lanning let one word slip that could be taken out of context or used as fuel for Colorado, which is exactly what the Buffaloes’ previous three opponents couldn’t do.
Most impressively, he did this all knowing he had the superior team. Instead, Lanning charged himself up to go Super Saiyan on Saturday in the most dramatic of ways. And what he did — aside from perfectly conducting a 42-6 Ducks victory — was provide a playbook to beat Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders at his own game in the media.
To be absolutely clear: There isn’t anything wrong with Deion being Deion. This is not that kind of blog, though I’d bet my bankroll there will be plenty of those coming from other corners of the internet soon. Lanning just managed not to play into Sanders’ media savvy and instead found a way to promote himself and his program. If college coaches and players having fun, espousing intense belief in themselves and providing a little showmanship isn’t for you, there are plenty of other boring teams out there to watch.
Lanning proved the Ducks are far from boring. It was thrilling to watch in real time. There he was in a pregame speech rallying his team by saying Oregon plays for wins while Colorado plays for clicks. There he was calling a fake punt to a defensive lineman near his own goal line already up two scores. There he was again in a halftime interview on ESPN talking about the need to play better — while leading 35-0.
"Not done yet. We're not satisfied. I hope all those people that have been watching every week are watching this week."- Oregon head coach Dan Lanning as the Ducks took a 35-0 lead into halftime vs Colorado pic.twitter.com/myqi8KrCYY
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 23, 2023
Those are the type of comments you’d expect from Sanders had he been given an opportunity to make them. Nothing about Deion or Colorado is boring, which now apparently includes the way they lose.
Coaches at other programs aren’t oblivious to what’s happening in Boulder. They see Sanders changing a college brand virtually overnight. They see the massive TV ratings and celebrity following Colorado has acquired. Which means coaches know playing the Buffaloes nowadays isn’t just a chance to pick up a win, but steal the spotlight.
What’s the saying, again? Always Be Recruiting?
It’s impossible to argue Lanning wasn’t doing just that with his actions and words on Saturday. He knows how many prospects were tuning into watch Colorado and instead he turned the telecast into a three-hour reminder that Oregon deserves their attention, too.
For any of this to work, Lanning had to just bite his tongue all week. Let Colorado take all the attention and pressure. Just save up all ammo for Saturday. Then and only then, release all the smack talk you’ve been holding onto.
Few, if any college coaches, are going to out-quip Sanders during the week or even on a pregame show. He’s simply been doing this far too long and is far too good at it. But once the game starts none of it matters any more.
Deion Sanders responds to Dan Lanning’s pregame speech:
“You better get me right now. This is the worst we gonna be.” pic.twitter.com/vbKyL4c0pV
— On3 (@On3sports) September 23, 2023
Saturday’s loss doesn’t mean the Buffaloes will no longer be prominently featured this season. They will still be a draw each and every week — especially with ranked opponents like USC, UCLA, Utah, Oregon State and Washington State remaining on the Buffaloes’ schedule.
If those programs want to avoid leaning into Deion’s charisma the same way Lanning did, the strategy is simple: Stay quiet until your team’s play has the chance to talk first.
