Dan Lanning's Postgame Message After Ohio State-Oregon Says It All

It's not often that matchups like the one between No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Oregon live up to the hype, but on Saturday night, it did exactly that—and then some. The thrilling contest culminated in a stunning 32-31 victory for the Ducks, capped by a wild final sequence.

With under eight minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Ohio State had just taken a 31-29 lead, and it looked like the Buckeyes were in control. However, the Ducks managed to respond, driving down the field and setting up Atticus Sappington for a 19-yard field goal, which put Oregon back on top by one with 1:47 to go.

Ohio State still had time to answer, and they appeared poised to, driving deep into Oregon territory. But a critical offensive pass interference call on freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith pushed the Buckeyes back from the Oregon 28 to the 43-yard line, putting them in a desperate third-and-25 situation.

Out of field goal range and with just six seconds left, Ohio State quarterback Will Howard scrambled for 12 yards, but in his attempt to make something happen, he failed to go down in time, allowing the clock to expire and sealing the game for Oregon.

The dramatic ending was the perfect cap to a back-and-forth game that delivered on all its pregame expectations. Oregon's defense and clutch playmaking allowed them to pull off the win, which ended up being the highest-ranked victory in Ducks' history.

After the game, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning expressed the intensity of the moment, joking in the postgame press conference, "Anybody got a heart rate monitor?"

The sentiment captured what many Ducks fans were likely feeling after the nerve-wracking final moments at Autzen Stadium.

With the win, Oregon solidified their status as a national title contender. Already ranked No. 3 in the AP Poll, the Ducks will undoubtedly see a shake-up in their ranking when the next polls are released on Sunday, thanks to their impressive victory over the Buckeyes.