Big Ten Crown Lanning’s Great Opportunity
By Ken Woody
Coach Dan Lanning takes his team to Indianapolis Saturday for a highly anticipated first step in the NCAA football championship journey that has been a recurrent dream for Duck fans ever since the days of coaches Mike Bellotti and Chip Kelly. This time, the opponent is powerful Penn State and the winner of the Big Ten title game matching the Ducks against the Nittany Lions will most likely earn one of four first-round byes in the new 12-team playoff format. The loser would more than likely host a first-round game, with the winner advancing to face a top-four seed in the quarterfinals.
Penn State was a preseason pick to challenge Ohio State and Michigan for the league crown with the Ducks a highly regarded newcomer. The Nittany Lions had a relatively easy schedule, getting the Buckeyes at home, and avoiding Oregon, Michigan and Indiana during the regular season. It could be said Penn State choked on the two-yard line against Ohio State but, behind an improved offense, got into the championship game when the Buckeyes choked against a mediocre Michigan squad.
If the current Duck football machine takes a look at the last time the Ducks and Lions bumped heads (Rose Bowl, 1995), they will see Penn State score an 82-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage, aided by two obvious holding non-calls at the point of attack (the offense’s right side, the Ducks’ defensive left). For the neutral observer, which seemed to not include the officials, it was a painful reminder that the Pac-10 Conference just didn’t measure up to the Big 10’s powerful position on the national stage.
Penn State’s conference reputation is the annual contender not named Michigan or Ohio State. This year coach James Franklin changed offensive and defensive coordinators. Although the Nittany Lions improved this season, they still showed signs of inconsistency at the quarterback position and offensive play calling, which reared its head in the loss to Ohio State—the defense shut down the Buckeyes ultra-talented offense, but the failure of their offense relegated them to the outside looking in. What they saw in Michigan-Ohio State “hate fest” was OSU’s abject collapse by their quarterback and offense, and suddenly, with a win over hapless Maryland that weekend, the Nittany Lions were in the championship game.
Watch Penn State’s tight end, Tyler Warren, a do-everything athlete who is big bully when he’s blocking, and a gifted receiver running routes and getting open against all defenses. Warren is constantly in motion or shifting, forcing defenses to adjust to him and leaving other skill players with advantages against coverage. He is the best blocking tight end in the league, and perhaps, in the nation. It’s not often you see a tight end with 978 yards on 81 receptions for a season.
If the Oregon defense can hold Warren in check, they will still have to contain running backs Nicholas Singleton, 733 yards, 7 touchdowns; and Kaytron Allen, 698 yards, five touchdowns. Quarterback Drew Aller was at times terrible last season, but has improved greatly this year, completing 204 of 285 pass attempts for 18 touchdowns and only five interceptions.
The Nittany Lions averaged 33 points per game and allowed only 14 points, highlighted by 32 sacks while allowing only eleven of their own. The defense is stout, sparked by Abdul Carter’s 10 sacks and limiting opponents to an average of 170 yards through the air, and a measly 97 on the ground, both totals well below Penn State’s norm of 248 yards passing and 195 yards rushing.
The Ducks have their work cut out for them: they represent a major threat to the Penn State defense that will face a more experienced quarterback in Dillon Gabriel, who has been voted Offensive Player of the Year in the Big Ten Conference and has been a legitimate contender for the Heisman Award throughout the season. The amazing seasons of Boise State’s running back Ashton Jeanty and Colorado’s offensive and defensive dual threat Travis Hunter may overshadow Gabriel’s outstanding performance, but in that the Heisman was originally (1935-Jay Berwanger, University of Chicago) designated for the all-around best player in the times of two-way players on both offense and defense, Hunter could be the right choice.
Coach Franklin called a fake punt from his own 34-yard line late in the fourth quarter with a one-point lead against Minnesota, identical to the same one coach Lanning ran against Maryland. Other than that, one could say that Franklin tends to be conservative in play calling, a tendency that cost him dearly in losing to Ohio State on the goal line on his home turf. When the Nittany Lions stall, look for Tyler Warren (number 44) to get the call, he is a genius at getting open in a tight spot and expertly runs a variety of patterns.
The Ducks racked up 10 sacks and 16 tackles for a loss against Washington, but Lanning will find that Penn State is much tougher and more experienced than the Huskies. The ‘Book of Lanning’ says “the team that runs better, usually wins,” and that will be the case in this contest. Oregon rushed for 222 against Washington and gave up no sacks, while allowing the Huskies a only 43 yards rushing, key indicators of why the Dawgs were shellacked.
The Ducks’ defense had their best overall game against Washington, in pursuit to the ball carrier, tackling and discipline. Lanning will point out that there is still plenty of room for improvement, while conditions for advancing will depend on techniques and discipline practiced daily since spring ball: getting hands up in the pass rush, establishing the edge of the defense and not allowing Aller to scramble when receivers are covered.
Oregon’s offensive line has improved greatly since the Boise State game. This will be their most difficult test to date. Abdul Carter is a fun player to watch, if you don’t have to block him. Coach Franklin has him coming at you from a variety of locations; compare him to Jordan Burch and Matayo Uiagalelei, both of whom are at the top of their games. Check out linebacker Brice Boettcher, who was on fire against the Huskies. Defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi has had Boettcher and other linebackers coming on more blitzes on both run and pass plays against Wisconsin and Washington than in previous games.
The Ducks showed some improvement in kick returns against the Huskies; definitely more aggressive in covering and blocking, two chores that they have been average in execution over most of the season. The Ducks turned their game against Boise State around on the basis of a punt return and kickoff return; this game is even in many ways and the turning point could be a special team play that ignites the offense and/or defense.
At this stage there is a confluence of fatigue from a long season, such as observed in the Maryland and Wisconsin games, with the hopes and dreams of unprecedented stature in the college football world. Coach Lanning calls it an “opportunity” and that’s what the Ducks have worked so hard to realize. They push for it: the first step, after twelve first steps, on the journey to gridiron immortality.
Ken Woody coached college football for 18 years as an assistant at Oregon, Washington, Utah State and Washington State and as a head coach at Whitman College and Washington University-St. Louis. He conducts a coaching clinic, free to all, at the 6th Street Grill every Wednesday during the season. Plays from Oregon games are analyzed, there are scouting reports for opponents, and highlights from referees; all to learn and enjoy football and understand why the Ducks win or lose.
Questions and comments welcomed.
Contact Ken at: woody8783@comcast.net
