Have you heard or seen that Oregon is the No. 1 ranked team in college football? Probably. But even after another resounding victory over another ranked team, head coach Dan Lanning and his squad still won’t acknowledge it.
The Ducks (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) trampled No. 20 Illinois (6-2, 3-2 Big Ten) 38-9 in front of a yellow-clad crowd that’s hungry for glory.
“[Illinois] put themselves in position to have that opportunity [to play the No. 1 team], but that’s all that is, it’s an opportunity. Success only matters if you’re satisfied, and I know my team’s not,” Lanning said postgame.
Even after a six reception, 102-yard performance that began with an ankle-breaking, 31-yard touchdown, receiver Tez Johnson remains unfazed as well.
“We don’t care about the No. 1 spot, we just care about going 1-0 at the end of the week. It’s good and all, but we don’t really care that we’re No. 1, we just want to win football games,” Johnson said.
Don’t let the team’s nonchalance fool you, Oregon just walloped a Top-25 team, and, let’s be real, that game was over by halftime.
The Ducks had six possessions in the first half and scored a touchdown on five of those. In fact, the shortest scoring drive in that stretch was still a 54-yard march down the field capped off by a Noah Whittington truck on the goal line.
That play described the whole game — utter dominance.
“It’s awesome seeing guys play physical, I think it’s something our team prides itself in, and when you get the opportunity to run through a man’s face, there’s nothing better than that,” Lanning said.
The quiet and calm in the face of having the nation’s biggest target on their back seems almost too normal for the Ducks. They know about this pressure, but almost more as if it were someone beckoning far off from the nosebleeds rather than it being right in front of them, as it would seem to lay people like us.
“When you’re at the top of the food chain, everybody wants to be that. Everyday we know we got a target on our back, but we don’t care who’s coming after us,” Johnson said.
This team has an unbelievable ability to shrug off national praise, expectation and, even at points, scrutiny. Don’t forget that just two weeks into the season, there was the notion spreading that something needed to change — even quarterback Dillon Gabriel had his job questioned.
Gabriel has since turned in Heisman-caliber performances every week, including his 291-yard, three-touchdown performance on 18 of 26 passing mixed in with a physical score on the ground against Illinois.
This game became special for Gabriel, as well. The Ducks’ sixth-year quarterback made history and moved up to No. 2 on both the all-time FBS passing yards and touchdowns list.
His reaction? “Who cares?” Lanning said last Monday to Matt Prehm of 247sports.
“I’m chasing wins, that’s where I’m at. To be quite honest, that’s been the goal of mine for a long time, but now more than ever. You play a long career like I did, and you realize a lot of things. I choose winning 100% of the time,” Gabriel said.
With all of the outside noise, all of the national lists having the Ducks on top and all the supposed pressure on this team, they stay consistent by consistently ignoring what is and can be said about expectations for this team.
Yes, the Ducks are No. 1, and deservedly so, but this season is much longer than the eight games Oregon has played. There’s more football to be played, and even some areas where the Ducks can improve.
Simply put, the job is not finished.
