Oregon head football coach Dan Lanning reveals how Penn State showdown extends beyond the Big Ten Championship Game | Sporting News

For the Ducks and the Lions, the Big Ten Championship is just the start of all the face-offs about to follow them into the off-season.

Keeping all the upcoming Big Ten Championship Game odds, and then the College Football Playoff competitiveness aside, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning revealed how the Ducks will be “getting in battles at times,” with Penn State in the offseason for one crucial reason: recruiting.

“They have a storied history,” Lanning said in his press conference on Monday previewing Big Ten Championship week (h/t On SI) “I think their coaching staff is similar to ours, where they’re relentless in their pursuit of great players. And I think every good coach would tell you that it takes great players to be a good coach. So they do a good job.

“They do a good job of identifying talent. They have strong roots, certainly in the Northeast and the East Coast. But they’re a team like us that can recruit nationally. So you know, when they put a good product on the field, they’re going to go work to recruit some of the best players. And that means we’re going to get in battles at times because we’re going to do the same.”

Can Oregon get the top recruiting class in 2025?

Lanning giving the Nittany Lions a lowdown like that was a clear indication of how serious Oregon is about their recruiting after ending their regular season with a loss-less, perfect 12-0 streak. 

The Ducks flipped Navy All-American Zac Stascausky, a 6-6, 275 offensive tackle from Central Catholic on Sunday, adding another recruit to make it 19 commits overall.

However, the Ducks are also walking on ice with some of their top commits like five-star offensive lineman Michael Fasusui since he announced his visit to Texas and Texas A&M, and is also losing on recruits as four-star quarterback Kevin Sperry flipped his commitment to Florida State; all possibly because of their void at the offensive coordinator position. 

Oregon is currently ranked No. 13 nationally by ESPN, 247Sports, and On3 for their class of 2025, per The Oklahoman.

Given their current situation, they’ll likely end up in the top 10, but getting to the top 5 looks like a real challenge for Lanning.