Rose Bowl: Oregon’s Dan Lanning, Ohio State’s Ryan Day feel heat

The Rose Bowl has a rich history as the pinnacle of college football, hosting legendary championship performances in an iconic venue. From the moment this year’s Rose Bowl matchup was set, the head coaches became the most intriguing storyline of this College Football Playoff quarterfinal.

Although Oregon’s Dan Lanning and Ohio State’s Ryan Day have achieved great success by leading their teams to Pasadena, their paths to this stage have subjected them to intense scrutiny.

Both coaches have worked to downplay the magnitude of the moment — not just the stakes of this game but also the implications for the winner and, even more so, the fallout for the loser.

The weight of the Rose Bowl is obvious for Lanning’s Oregon Ducks.

A loss ends their chance at a 16-0 season. And down the drain would go their pursuit of a national championship, the first in the program’s history.

Coming into the game as the team to beat — despite being 2½-point betting underdogs — Lanning knew that the answer to retaining the top spot and staying on course was simple.

“The way you maintain it is you win,” Lanning said. “You do that by focusing on each play and each moment and not making it bigger than it is.”

Lanning’s staff and players have echoed his focus on the game rather than what’s at stake, but the reality is this game is a big deal. This season is a big deal. This season has been career-defining for Lanning, who is just 38 and in his third year as a head coach.

Oregon coach Dan Lanning points during the Ducks’ Rose Bowl practice in Carson on Monday.

(Kyusung Gong / Associated Press)

He acknowledged he is facing significant pressure.

“If you’re in moments like this, you’re certainly going to feel pressure, and anybody that says they’re not, they’re lying,” Lanning said with a chuckle. “Pressure’s a privilege. If you put yourself in a position where you’re going to have pressure, that’s something you have to be able to handle.”

Lanning has handled this ride at an “elite level,” linebacker Jeffrey Bassa said, praising his coach for stepping up in tough situations.

He proved his mettle in the last Ohio State matchup in October. The Ducks intentionally ran 12 defenders on the field, taking a penalty and running off time late in the game to thwart Ohio State’s rally.

The ending immediately triggered some criticism of Lanning’s sportsmanship and prompted the NCAA to clarify its guidance on penalties, emphasizing that opposing teams should be allowed to decide whether to accept a penalty late in games and allow time to run off the clock.

Day is no stranger to heavy criticism, which often falls on him tenfold.

Throughout the lead-up, neither coach was willing to admit to looking beyond the Rose Bowl, even with a potential national championship looming for the winner.

Yet, it is only natural to think about what’s next this close to the end of the season — especially for Day.

Day is a proven winner — typically when the stakes are lower — with the best winning percentage in college football (.870), ahead of Georgia’s Kirby Smart (.854). However, while Smart is regarded as a winner, Day is often labeled as a coach who doesn’t rise to the occasion.

Ohio State coach Ryan Day spreads his arms and reacts to a video replay during a College Football Playoff win over Tennessee on Dec. 21 in Columbus, Ohio.

(Jay LaPrete / Associated Press)

The difference? Day’s losing record against top-5 opponents (4-6), his playoff success (2-3) and Smart having two national championships.

Just this year, Day struggled against Ohio State’s rival, suffering a stunning loss to a mediocre Michigan team in the regular season finale. The defeat dropped Day’s record to 1-4 and cost the Buckeyes a spot in the Big Ten Championship.

The loss sent shockwaves through the fan base, triggering doomsday reactions. However, those fears were eased — for the moment — with a decisive first-round playoff win over Tennessee.

The expectation is that every great competitor is to remember the games that didn’t go well and move on from the ones that did, Day said of his quarterback, Will Howard, but seemingly about himself also.

“You use your setbacks as an opportunity to fuel your emotion and your drive,” Day said — a belief he extends beyond just his team.

If significant losses are fuel, then a loss to Oregon and another year without hoisting the national championship would leave Day’s tank overflowing.

With the nation’s best scoring defense and offense, multiple likely first-round picks on the roster and one of the highest payrolls in college football, he can’t afford to lose — for his sake.

But Ohio State’s players have faith in their coach, even when the fans and media may not.

“He’s a proven winner,” linebacker Cody Simon said. “Coach Day has done so much for our team and so much for the Ohio State organization that I don’t think he necessarily gets enough credit.”

“We’re not perfect people; players, coaches, we all make mistakes,” added running back TreVeyon Henderson. “The biggest thing I see in coach Day, he takes ownership, and he always gets it fixed…We trust coach Day.”

Day has heard the criticism. Heading into the matchup against Oregon, he has felt the same intensity and focus he experienced before the Tennessee game.

“[I’m] hungry, focused. Every opportunity to get on the field is an opportunity to prove people right and prove people wrong,” Day said. “And you have to learn from what’s gone on in the past. And if you don’t, you’re going to repeat yourself.”