Oregon head football coach Dan Lanning continues to make things personal for Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes. The 37-year-old does not seem to care, at all, about the ongoing conversation surrounding Saturday’s top-20 matchup at Autzen Stadium.
Lanning is focused on getting his team ready for the game.
A win is his only concern. Outside noise is a distraction.
It is essentially the opposite in Boulder. Coach Prime and his Buffaloes are on a tear through the first three games of 2023. Colorado football was, and is, the biggest story in sports right now.
That could all come crashing down, to some extent, with a blowout loss this weekend. Oregon is favored by 21 points.
Sanders is leaning into the outside chatter to light a fire under his program, just as he did with TCU, Nebraska and Colorado State. He and his team take any little comment that can be screwed as disrespect, uses it as kindling, and let it burn.
Lanning has provided him with plenty of kindling. The Ducks’ head coach was asked about the Buffaloes leaving the Pac-12 for the Big 12 in 2024 and fired back with something of a history lesson.
Do you remember them winning anything? I don’t remember them winning anything.
— Dan Lanning
Of course, Sanders took Lanning’s comments and made them… personal. Saturday is personal.
However, when asked about his preseason statement, Lanning made it very clear that the comments were not about Coach Prime’s team. And then he doubled down to say that he does not regret anything that he has said about Colorado at any point in time.
Dan Lanning took a shot at Deion Sanders and Colorado.
Lanning said that his preseason comments were not about Coach Prime or his program. The same cannot be for his SiriusXM radio appearance on Friday.
He explained how Oregon is preparing for their first conference matchup of the year. He also turned aim toward Sanders and fired a shot across the bow. It was directed right at Colorado, which documents the majority of its activities on YouTube and social media.
The Oregon game was already personal for Deion Sanders. Coach Prime took Lanning’s comments from before the season and twisted them into motivation.
Now, less than 24 hours before kickoff, Sanders has yet another quote on which to motivate. YouTube videos are not going to win football games, but football games can be won on YouTube videos.
It’s personal!