Brandon Marcello of CBS/247 Sports points out that in addition to taking on 11-2 Ohio State in the Rose Bowl on January 1st, the Ducks are chasing a 130-year-old record, something that hasn’t been done since Yale in 1894.
The Ducks are trying to win a National Championship with a perfect 16-0 record, last achieved at the major college level more than a century ago. North Dakota won an FCS title at 16-0 in 2019 but that’s it– that’s how elusive 16-0 is.
A record of 15-0 has been achieved in the FBS four times, by national champions 2023 Michigan, 2022 Georgia, 2019 LSU and 2018 Clemson. While it’s just one more game the 12-team playoff format requires a team to win three in a row against the elite of college football, and this particular year the final and semi-final games are both in the SEC footprint, adding to the challenge.
In his column today Marcello notes that with the longer season and tougher competition a championship requires now, load management is crucial. A coach has to be mindful to keep bodies fresh, manage contact and scale back practice, using tools like Catapult and GPS trackers to monitor the workload. Coaches often cut back on hitting and padded practices. Knowing when and how to taper off is as important as the playbook.
Dan Lanning told the media this week that the Ducks have been going to a three days on, one day off schedule for practice, using the off day for weight training and recovery.
Lanning said this week, “I’m proud to say that several of our players are hitting some of their highest testing numbers,” Lanning said this week. “We have guys hitting [personal records] in the weight room. I think it’s unique at this point in the season, but it speaks to how we’ve been able to adapt and adjust some of our performance throughout the year to make sure that we continue to stay fresh.”
In addition to staying physically ready, a coach has to find the right mental approach for the pressure of a three-game playoff grind. When it comes to teaching and preparing a team for the mental game, Oregon’s third-year coach is one of the best in football. It’s the way he’s grown the most over his three seasons.
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