Photo by: Eric Evans/GoDucks.com
Playoff Prep Well Underway For Ducks
12/18/24 | Football
Oregon will learn Saturday its opponent for the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day.
The Oregon Ducks are nearly two weeks into their preparations for the College Football Playoff, and just about two days away from knowing their opponent in the Rose Bowl.
The top-ranked UO football team is halfway through its second week of practices for the Rose Bowl, a College Football Playoff quarterfinal game to be played on New Year's Day. The Ducks will face the winner of a first-round matchup to be played this Saturday, between Tennessee and Ohio State.
The penultimate practice for Oregon prior to a holiday break will take place Saturday morning. Then the team will watch the game between the Buckeyes and Volunteers, before honing in on the winner.
"We're kind of prepping for both," UO coach Dan Lanning said following practice Wednesday. "Really the first week (following the Big Ten championship) we focused on us, and did a really deep dive into us and who we are and what we've done well, what we can improve. And then really this week, we're working on a little bit of both Tennessee and Ohio State."
The Ducks earned the luxury of having a bye in the first-round of the newly expanded 12-team playoff, by winning the Big Ten and having the No. 1 ranking from the CFP selection committee. There's been time to self-scout, time to get a head start on Ohio State and Tennessee, and time to rest and heal up from the grind of a regular season that saw the Ducks in one span play eight Big Ten games in eight weeks.
"Recovery, it's been a big piece," Lanning said. "We've been able to kind of distribute our practices a little bit differently than we would during a normal game week — more like a three-day-on, day-off model. More recoveries and lifts, opportunities to take advantage of the weight room as well. And then just really studying ourselves; you can do a lot deeper dive when you have a little bit more time."
Quarterback Dillon Gabriel said the chance to self-scout has been particularly advantageous for Oregon the past two weeks.
"I think in the year and during the season, you tend to what's urgent and what's important," the UO senior quarterback said. "Now you're able to peel everything back and self-scout. I don't think we'd have that time if we didn't have the bye."
The lack of a first-round game this week also made it even easier for Gabriel to leave the team last week to be honored at awards banquets. He was in Las Vegas as a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy in the middle of last week, then went on to New York for Saturday's presentation of the Heisman Trophy.
Gabriel ended up finishing third in the balloting for the Heisman. And while honored to have been considered, he made it clear Wednesday his focus has been and remains on team goals.
"I'm just glad I got to represent our guys," Gabriel said. "You look at a body of work as a whole, as a unit, and you just appreciate all that goes into it. I'm glad I could represent them. I met a lot of great people. I had a lot of great conversations. I'm grateful and blessed to have been a part of that too."
Lanning attended Oregon's practice Saturday that concluded the first week of playoff prep, then caught a flight to New York for Saturday's ceremony, along with offensive coordinator Will Stein.
"What an awesome event, first-class event," Lanning said. "And you know, Dillon was certainly deserving of that. So I'm glad he got to be a part of that."
The top-ranked UO football team is halfway through its second week of practices for the Rose Bowl, a College Football Playoff quarterfinal game to be played on New Year's Day. The Ducks will face the winner of a first-round matchup to be played this Saturday, between Tennessee and Ohio State.
The penultimate practice for Oregon prior to a holiday break will take place Saturday morning. Then the team will watch the game between the Buckeyes and Volunteers, before honing in on the winner.
"We're kind of prepping for both," UO coach Dan Lanning said following practice Wednesday. "Really the first week (following the Big Ten championship) we focused on us, and did a really deep dive into us and who we are and what we've done well, what we can improve. And then really this week, we're working on a little bit of both Tennessee and Ohio State."
The Ducks earned the luxury of having a bye in the first-round of the newly expanded 12-team playoff, by winning the Big Ten and having the No. 1 ranking from the CFP selection committee. There's been time to self-scout, time to get a head start on Ohio State and Tennessee, and time to rest and heal up from the grind of a regular season that saw the Ducks in one span play eight Big Ten games in eight weeks.
"Recovery, it's been a big piece," Lanning said. "We've been able to kind of distribute our practices a little bit differently than we would during a normal game week — more like a three-day-on, day-off model. More recoveries and lifts, opportunities to take advantage of the weight room as well. And then just really studying ourselves; you can do a lot deeper dive when you have a little bit more time."
Quarterback Dillon Gabriel said the chance to self-scout has been particularly advantageous for Oregon the past two weeks.
"I think in the year and during the season, you tend to what's urgent and what's important," the UO senior quarterback said. "Now you're able to peel everything back and self-scout. I don't think we'd have that time if we didn't have the bye."
The lack of a first-round game this week also made it even easier for Gabriel to leave the team last week to be honored at awards banquets. He was in Las Vegas as a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy in the middle of last week, then went on to New York for Saturday's presentation of the Heisman Trophy.
Gabriel ended up finishing third in the balloting for the Heisman. And while honored to have been considered, he made it clear Wednesday his focus has been and remains on team goals.
"I'm just glad I got to represent our guys," Gabriel said. "You look at a body of work as a whole, as a unit, and you just appreciate all that goes into it. I'm glad I could represent them. I met a lot of great people. I had a lot of great conversations. I'm grateful and blessed to have been a part of that too."
Lanning attended Oregon's practice Saturday that concluded the first week of playoff prep, then caught a flight to New York for Saturday's ceremony, along with offensive coordinator Will Stein.
"What an awesome event, first-class event," Lanning said. "And you know, Dillon was certainly deserving of that. So I'm glad he got to be a part of that."
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