The Rose Bowl Game is just two days away and as the No. 1 Oregon Ducks prepare to face the No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes, once again, the Ducks attended the game's media day on Monday, Dec. 30. From hilarious videos to emotional tributes, Oregon's day was filled to the brim with excitement as the team looked towards their first College Football Playoff game of the season.
Reporters and the media heard from quarterback Dillon Gabriel, wide receiver Tez Johnson, linebacker Bryce Boettcher, head coach Dan Lanning, and more throughout the day.
While a lot of the players simply enjoyed the once-in-a-lifetime experience, quite a few had a lot to share – including some shocking news about one player's eligibility. Here are three of the biggest takeaways from Oregon's Rose Bowl media day.
The relationship between quarterback Dillon Gabriel and former Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota has been prominent all season long. However, when reporters asked Gabriel about the relationship, the current Duck grew emotional.
"I'm still shocked, but I think at a certain point, there's flashes of memories that, you know, watching him do what he did," Gabriel said. "And now being able to go do it for myself you appreciate that journey, and I think now that I'm on the journey myself, I tend to look to him at his experiences, and how he's been better from it or what he would change."
From both growing up in Hawai'i to both donning the jersey No. 8 for the Ducks, the similarities between the two quarterbacks have been readily apparent all year. However, the sentimentality shared through the bond isn't always at the forefront of everyone's mind.
Gabriel's willingness to show the emotional side of himself, beyond just getting excited when the Ducks win, was moving and only further proved how special the connection between the two Oregon legends is.
The NCAA recently decided to grant former Junior College athletes an additional year of eligibility since they played two years at the JUCO level and (most of the time) played just two years at the Division I level.
While people like Dan Lanning have yet to make any official comments on how the Ducks will handle this decision, there are quite a few Oregon athletes who now have the possibility of an extra year with the program.
One player in particular, star safety Kobe Savage, has been at the forefront of the conversations for the Ducks. On Monday, the safety divulged a little bit more information on how he would go about handling the possibility of more time with the Ducks. However, Savage didn't comment on whether he would take advantage of the additional year or not.
“Had that on my mind a little bit during the Christmas break for the three days we got,” Savage said. “But other than that really my main focus is to beat Ohio State.”
One of the biggest moments of the day revolved around former walk-on turned star linebacker Bryce Boettcher – who won the Burlsworth Trophy less than a month ago.
Defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi was speaking to members of the media when he shared that the Ducks might appeal for Boettcher to receive a fifth year of eligibility, possibly allowing him to play one more season for Oregon before he moved onto the next level – whether that be in baseball or football.
"I believe he has the ability to come back again. I don't know all the details yet, but I know there is a potential for that," Lupoi said. "You see these guys that have played nine years, and he's only played three years of college football and started his career as a walk-on baseball player."
If Boettcher could return for the Ducks in 2025, it would give Oregon one of the most experienced and most talented linebackers in the country – a great benefit for a team that would technically be in a rebuilding year due to so many seniors filling out the starting roles.
Oregon and Ohio State are scheduled to kick off from the Rose Bowl at 2 p.m. PT on Jan. 1, 2025. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.