At Big Ten Media Days the Ohio State semi-pro media went hard at the Oregon Ducks with a singular line of questioning. From the "11 Warriors" and "The Scarlet and Game" fan sites every question was not about the upcoming season or goals or Big Ten football, they wanted to relive the Rose Bowl.
When Dan Lanning, Bryce Boettcher and Matayo Uiagalelei took the podium, the Ohio guys were right there to ask, what did you learn from the Rose Bowl, how did you react to the loss to Ohio State, was it shocking to have your undefeated season end so abruptly?
Risky to ask such pointed questions to a guy who's 6-6, 278. It demonstrates enormous faith in his poise and courtesy. Asking the same question to all three demonstrates an agenda, a desire to coopt the proceeding out of a misplaced need for validation.
Matayo Uiagalelei answered, “It definitely motivated us. Obviously, it’s not healthy to just dwell on it and just go back to it every moment. But I’d be lying to say our team isn’t fueled by that, us as players, maybe the coaches. But at the same time, you don’t want to just dwell on that, you want to be in the present and move forward from it. Just see what you did wrong and then change it."
While the exchange lies in the normal range of reporter-athlete interactions, the headline at ScarletAndGame.com read, "Oregon Ducks' Matayo Uiagalelei makes stunning admission on Ohio State Buckeyes' College Football Playoff blowout."
Really? You asked, he answered. Site contributor Andrew Hughes wrote, "It sounds like they're having a tough time getting over their undefeated record getting snapped so brutally during postseason play."
Losing stinks. Every athlete who experiences a loss tries to take away some lessons and move on to a new season, take motivation from the loss, break down what it taught them.
Not really a stunning admission. Doesn't rise to the level of obsession. But it's clear what does.
Hughes wrote, "Uiagalelei admitted that much of Dan Lanning's roster has obsessed over their 41-21 loss to the Buckeyes." Obsess is a mischaracterization. Focus? Possibly. Being used as fuel heading into the next season? Any team would.
Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq was asked if he considered last season a success:
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) July 23, 2025
“Of course, it was our first year in the conference and we won it. We didn’t go as far as we would’ve liked [in the Playoff] but it was a success.” pic.twitter.com/qO3jAHEqNK