Oregon’s Rose Bowl Loss to Ohio State: Fuel for the Ducks, Even As Respect Grows Between Day and Lanning
The confetti had barely settled in the cool Pasadena evening before the sting of defeat set in. Oregon’s Rose Bowl loss to Ohio State, a hard-fought 38-31 thriller, left the Ducks both heartbroken and hungrier than ever. Despite the pain, what emerged from the historic matchup wasn’t just bitterness—it was a burning determination and a deepening mutual respect between two of college football’s brightest young minds: Ryan Day and Dan Lanning.
From the opening kickoff, the Rose Bowl lived up to its billing. The Ducks, led by quarterback Dillon Gabriel and a ferocious front seven, came out swinging. Oregon dominated early possession and held Ohio State to just one score in the first quarter. Bo Nix’s replacement, Gabriel, orchestrated a pair of precision drives that quieted the sea of scarlet in the stands. By halftime, Oregon clung to a narrow 21-17 lead.
But Ryan Day had seen this script before. The Buckeyes, notorious for second-half fireworks, came out blazing. Quarterback Devin Brown found rhythm with his elite receiving corps, shredding Oregon’s secondary with back-to-back scoring drives. TreVeyon Henderson broke free on a 56-yard run, and suddenly, the momentum swung violently in Ohio State’s favor.
Dan Lanning’s defense, young and brash, refused to fold. True freshman phenom Elijah Rushing recorded two sacks, and senior linebacker Jeffrey Bassa delivered bone-rattling hits that echoed in the Hollywood Hills. Still, the Ducks couldn’t claw all the way back. An interception in the final two minutes sealed their fate, and with it, another “almost” season ended for Oregon.
Yet in the postgame handshake—a firm, lingering clasp—Ryan Day pulled Lanning close. “Hell of a team. You’re building something special,” he said, caught by hot mics but later confirmed by both camps. Lanning, stone-faced through the media scrum, later admitted: “We respect them. They earned it. But this isn’t the end for us. It’s the beginning.”
Behind closed doors in Eugene, the loss is already being used as fuel. Strength coaches are replaying missed tackles in winter workouts. Recruits are reminded: That’s how close we are. And Dan Lanning, already regarded as one of the fiercest recruiters in the nation, has doubled down on keeping elite talent in the Pacific Northwest.
What separates this loss from past Oregon heartaches is the maturity with which it’s being absorbed. The Ducks didn’t collapse. They competed. They matched one of the sport’s bluebloods blow-for-blow. And though the scoreboard didn’t tilt in their favor, the nation noticed. NFL scouts lauded Oregon’s athleticism. Recruits across the country saw a program on the rise. Even Buckeye fans admitted: the Ducks are coming.
As the 2025 offseason unfolds, one thing is clear—Dan Lanning and the Ducks aren’t licking wounds. They’re sharpening claws. And should fate deliver another Oregon–Ohio State showdown down the line, don’t expect reverence to dull the edge. Respect may have grown between Lanning and Day—but so has the fire.
