"Motivation is overrated": Oregon HC Dan Lanning discusses how he inspires his undefeated Ducks team ahead of Washington clash

Dan Lanning’s No. 1 Oregon (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten) welcomes long-term rival Washington (6-5, 4-4 Big Ten) to Eugene on Saturday. The two teams are rekindling their rivalry for the first time since moving to the Big Ten.

Entering into Week 14, the Ducks are the only undefeated team in college football this season. In his weekly media availability session on Monday, Dan Lanning was questioned on how he motivates his players to turn up and give their very best on the gridiron.

“It’s always about performance, right?” Lanning asked the media members. “It’s always about what we’re able to do on the field. I’ve said it several times—motivation is overrated.”

“Our guys have to want to go out there and execute at a really high level. Since the beginning of the season, we’ve talked about playing our best football at the end of November. Well, we’re there, right? So this is our opportunity to go play our best football against a good team.”

Dan Lanning discusses the Oregon-Washington rivalry

Known as the “Border War” or the “Cascade Clash,” the rivalry between Oregon and Washinton is one of the oldest and most iconic in college football. Playing for the first time since exiting the Pac-12, Dan Lanning explains what the rivalry game means to him and his team.

“It’s a great opportunity,” Lanning said. “College football rivalries are extremely special. That’s one of the things that makes this fun—the excitement surrounding the fans, the alumni, and the people who have been part of games like this for a long time.”

“It means a lot to us, certainly. But ultimately, it is another game, right? It’s the next game. You don’t play with emotion—it’s about execution over emotion. These games are going to have emotion; that’s how they’re played. But that’s not what leads to success on the field.”

The two teams first met in 1900, and the rivalry game has been played 116 times since then. Their last meeting was in the Pac-12 championship game in 2023 where Washington secured a 34-31 win. The Huskies lead the series with a 63-48-5 record.

Dan Lanning and his team will hope to keep their undefeated record against the Huskies on Saturday, having already secured a place in the Big Ten championship game.