Dan Lanning appeared on Big Noon Kickoff this morning, and Fox analyst Urban Meyer pressed him about Dillon Gabriel’s play at quarterback and playing Ohio State.
“I always talk about playing the game, not the occasion,” Lanning said.
He credited constant growth and the desire to be physical for Oregon’s 5-0 start.
Three-time national champion Meyer asked him about Gabriel’s slow start last night, implying he might not be ready for the Buckeyes. Meyer said, “He’s been in some big games, maybe not as big as the one coming up next week.”
Lanning said, “It’s going to be a fun experience for Dillon. He’s continued to get better and better every week. He had a couple of errors that we can’t have this past game. And he knows that. But that’s what growth’s about, figuring out what you can improve on.”
“Certainly this stage is going to be a one, but it won’t require anything special from him, just a standard performance and we’ll be able to go out and execute at a high level.”
It was 7:30 A.M. in Eugene, and Lanning was already in the office, getting ready to break down film and evaluate both Ohio State and the win over MSU. The Ducks are 5-0 and they’ve improved steadily over those five games.