"We certainly learned from that one": Oregon HC Dan Lanning reflects on heartbreaking Rose Bowl loss to Ohio State

Dan Lanning led Oregon to a dominant regular season in 2024. The Ducks went undefeated and won the Big Ten championship before embarking on their College Football Playoff schedule. That was where things went ugly, as the team fell short of the national title projection.

Entering the playoff as one of the top four conference champions, Oregon received a first-round bye. This didn't eventually prove advantageous to the team, nor to the other three that got it. The Ducks were eliminated by Ohio State, which defeated them 41-21 in the second round in the Rose Bowl.

In his press conference session at Oregon's first spring practice of 2025 on Thurdsay, Dan Lanning reflected on the highly disappointing loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes. He noted that there was a lot to learn from the defeat and the goal for the team is to get better in 2025.

“I think life is all about experiences," Lanning said. "Every day we walk out here, we learn, we grow. And you gotta learn from wins. You gotta learn from losses. We certainly learned from that one, but this is a new season, too.

“That has no impact on our next season. All the wins that we had last year. They have absolutely no impact on this next season, either. So it's really about focusing on what's next and continuing to improve back.”

Dan Lanning evaluates Oregon’s roster for 2025

Oregon will be without some of its top stars from last season in 2025. The Ducks had a program-record 12 players get invited to the NFL Combine this year. These include names like Dillon Gabriel, Jabbar Muhammed, Tez Johnson, Ajani Cornelius and a host of others.

Speaking on Thursday, Dan Lanning offered his evaluation of the program's current roster. The coach highlighted the work that needs to be done and the opportunity the spring presents.

“There are some great players, but they don't necessarily have the same experience that we've had in the past, or at least last year," Lanning said. "We had a lot of experience returning last year. So we got to figure out what these guys can do. You don't figure that out in one practice.

“And that's what the springs are for. We have a lot of opportunities to step out in the field and figure out what we have, but I think we're a team that can attack you in different ways, and we have to take advantage of that back.”

Dan Lanning will aim to lead Oregon to the national championship this season after the disappointing end to the team's campaign last season. Without a doubt, the Ducks will be one of the teams battling for the ultimate goal next season after making a statement in their first year in the Big Ten.