"He did nothing wrong" - When Stephen A. Smith backed Dan Lanning after Colorado comments

Oregon coach Dan Lanning made the headlines when a clip of his pregame speech before the Ducks clashed against coach Deion Sander's Colorado Buffaloes who were getting a lot of hype due to their 3-0 start to the 2023 college football season went viral.

The Ducks coach who had already belittled the Buffs before accused Colorado of being more concerned about the spotlight than wins and demanded that his team end their stellar start to the season.

During a segment of "First Take" after the game that was won comprehensively 42-6 by the Ducks, ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith sided with Lanning's controversial comments (1:00).

"I wanna veer left and discuss this subject, "Stephen A. Smith said. "What that coach, Dan Lanning did, I wanna make sure that I highlight this for everybody. He did nothing wrong. And coach, I hope you're watching when I say this. He's proven to be an exceptional coach the last year, trying to make a name for himself. He convinced his team they were underdogs.

"They were 21-point favorites. He was talking to them like, 'They ain't talking about us. You know what, we're underdogs. We're gonna go out there and show them what this is.' And they flat-out embarrassed and annihilated Colorado. I believe this is one of the great things that could have happened to Prime Time Deion Sanders."

Shannon Sharpe agreed with Smith and revealed that Dan Lanning used the speech as a recruitment tool to counter the charismatic Coach Prime's powerful aura.

"I liked coach Lanning, he worked on that speech," Sharpe said. "This was not just off the cuff, he worked on that speech. He worked on the speech the night before. College coaching is 90% recruiting. They got no chance straight up against Prime in recruiting and his ability to go into someone's living room and sit on their couch and he took that moment. The only reason this game was on television was because of C. U. I got no problem with what coach Lanning said."

Dan Lanning's speech that went viral

Dan Lanning's fiery speech went viral on various social media platforms causing widespread discourse on the popularity of Coach Prime's Colorado Buffaloes who attracted celebrities to their games throughout the season.

"Rooted in substance, not flash. Rooted in substance. Today, we talk with our pads," Dan Lanning said. "You talk with your helmet, right. Every moment. The Cinderella story is over, men. They're fighting for clicks, we're fighting for wins. There's a difference. There’s a difference. This game ain't gonna be played in Hollywood, it's gonna be played on the grass."

After both teams left the Pac-12, Dan Lanning led the Oregon Ducks to an unbeaten regular season in the Big Ten including a conference championship finishing the 2024 college football season 13-1. Deion Sanders led the Colorado Buffaloes to a 9-4 record in the Big 12 and bowl eligibility for the first time in eight years.