Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning confirmed on Monday that he intentionally took advantage of a loophole in college football rules to aid in the victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday. The situation arose late in Oregon’s 32-31 win over Ohio State. With the Buckeyes facing a 3rd-and-25 at the Ducks’ 43-yard line and time running out, Oregon was penalized for having too many players on the field.
Although this resulted in a five-yard loss for the Ducks, it also used up valuable time on the clock and prevented Ohio State from completing their third-down pass. After the play, fans and media speculated whether Oregon had deliberately taken the penalty. Lanning’s comments now appear to validate those suspicions.
Dan Lanning confirms the 12 men penalty was intentional: pic.twitter.com/VPpi8eMAWj
— Tsunami (@Tsunami_TS) October 15, 2024
“We dedicate an excessive amount of time to various situations, including some that aren’t very common in college football, but this was clearly one that we had prepared for,” said Oregon coach Dan Lanning with a wry smile when asked about the incident. “The outcome speaks for itself.” Lanning isn’t the first to take advantage of this rule, but he may be the first to do it in college football. Legendary NFL coach Buddy Ryan employed a strategy he called the “Polish Goal Line” defense. He would deliberately send more than 11 players—sometimes up to 16—onto the field to thwart opponents. He would run down the clock and then field 11 players for the final play, hoping his defense could secure a stop. However, the NFL caught on to this tactic and made having too many players a presnap penalty, which allowed the clock to reset.
In college football, the situation is different. Lanning recognized that preserving time and making a stop were prioritized over losing five yards. As a result, he set his team up for the best chance of success. This strategic decision reflects excellent coaching and was a significant factor in the Ducks’ historic victory.
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