When he sat down to his postgame press conference, Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning still required a minute to catch his breath.
His face was red, and his hair drenched with sweat. When he attempted to talk, there was a hollow raspiness that came out, made just from the hours of constant shouting throughout the course of the night.
“Anybody have a heartrate display?” the 38-year-old coach asked after the mostsignificant win of his profession.
Lanning and the No. 3 Oregon Ducks had simply upset the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes in front of a record crowd of 60,129 fans at Autzen Stadium, 32-31. It’s the type of win that will immediately put them at the leading of the College Football Playoff discussion and clear the course for them to get to Indianapolis and the Big Ten Championship Game at the end of the season.
More than any of that, though, it’s the type of win that offers Oregon fans a factor for hope.
A factor to think.
I’m not talking about the young generation of Duck fans who selected up the sport when Chip Kelly made it cool — the Ducks who toss the O with memories of Marcus Mariota, Justin Herbert, and Bo Nix under . This win on Saturday night was for the OGs: The Kellen Clemens, Joey Harrington, and Bill Musgrave Ducks.
I grew up in Eugene and saw my fandom start early in my primary school days. I’m still close with a lot of my youth buddies that I utilized to go to videogames with back in the Harrington period. This past week when shooting the breeze and forecasting the result of this videogame, one pal stated something that resonated after forecasting a Buckeye blowout.
“I’ve been a Duck fan my whole life. it’d be absurd of me to presume that tomorrow is the day they choose to be great to me after 30 years.”
I discovered myself believing of him on Saturday night, as fans put out of the stands at Autzen Stadium and cr