As the seconds flew by in the final moments of the Oregon versus Ohio State game, the Ducks were called for an illegal substitution penalty because they had 12 players on the field. At that moment, Duck fans had a slight freakout because it pushed the Buckeyes five yards closer to the chance at a game-winning field goal.
However, after Oregon walked away victorious and fans had the chance to celebrate, a few realized that it may have the most ingenious penalty of all time.
With the new two-minute timeout in college football, the game clock starts running as soon as the ref spots the ball. So, with the placement of the ball and the illegal substitution penalty, Oregon ran a few seconds off the clock without a snap being played.
As the game and the specific play garnered more attention, reporters asked Oregon head coach Dan Lanning if it was a genuine mistake or a brilliant move to shrink the clock. His answer? Of course, it was on purpose.
Dan Lanning can’t help but smile and admit that the 12th man on the field was intentional and something they practiced
— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) October 15, 2024
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In fact, Lanning went on to say that he and the team had actually worked on the play in the past, preparing for a moment just like this one to pull it off.
Because of the illegal substitution penalty and the subsequent resetting of the snap, the Buckeyes did move five yards closer to the end zone. However, it also ran 4 seconds off the clock and the following play, Ohio State quarterback Will Howard went to the ground just one second too late to hand the Ducks the win.
So, is Lanning a devious, scheming man, or is the Ducks head coach one of the smartest people in the country? Duck fans are confidently saying they have a genius holding the reigns.