Finally, mercifully, and after the majority of Oregon fans had already tuned out and devised something else to do with their Friday night, the game ended.
Indiana 56, Oregon 22…and it was hardly even that
close.
If there was anything to hang their hat on for Oregon faithful, it was that at least Indiana’s fan base is not remotely as obnoxious as Ohio State’s, so at least they won’t have to spend the next eight months being harassed about the blowout like last year.
But still, this has got to be a concern, right?
Dan Lanning, who was and is a great fit for Oregon and who we should be thankful we have, was completely and utterly outcoached on the biggest stage.
Again.
It wasn’t exactly a stellar performance from Will Stein and Tosh Lupoi either, but they’re gone now. Moving on.
Dan is still our future, and I still fully believe he will be the coach to deliver the football program its first National Championship.
But sheesh, he’s got some things to clean up.
Down in Pasadena last year, Ryan Day and his staff outperformed Dan and his exponentially en route to winning the National Title.
Oregon was blown out, embarrassed.
There was a whole year to recover, reconstruct, and show how much growth had occurred. And in the Orange Bowl on New Year’s Day, it certainly looked like they had, with a 23-0 shutout.
On to the Peach Bowl, and a chance at redemption against the Hoosiers.
Oregon was, again, blown out and embarrassed.
Now granted, Ohio State was not going to be stopped by anyone last year and Indiana…well, same scenario this year. Not hating on our old pal Mario Cristobal, but I don’t see any way he stops the inevitable. Indiana is the nation’s best team and has been all season.
There was a discrepancy in blue-chip talent for sure…and it favored Oregon.
Didn’t matter, Curt Cignetti and his boys wanted it way more. They took it, forcefully.
So, no huge shame in losing in the Playoff to these two squads. It’s the way both losses unfolded. The way the games were completely over by halftime. The way Lanning, who again is an excellent coach, was made to look like an assistant in over his head.
After the game Dan preached about how he’d know how well he’d coached these young men by the kind of husbands and fathers they’d become.
That’s great Dan, but they need to care about the game too. They need to care as much as Indiana did. Because this wasn’t a case of supreme talent being maximised as with Ohio State.
This was simply a team who wanted it way more than Oregon did.
