Despite coming into the game as the No. 1-ranked team in the country and the only undefeated team left in the College Football Playoff, Oregon's biggest nightmares came to fruition on Wednesday. Dan Lanning and the Ducks got crushed in the CFP quarterfinals at the Rose Bowl 41-21 against Ohio State.

This was a rematch of one of the best games of the regular season, when Oregon knocked off Ohio State 32-31 in Eugene. However, this game was never as competitive, as the Buckeyes threw the first punch and did not let up until they built a 34-0 lead in the second quarter.

Even though his team was not competitive for most of the night, Lanning is chalking this one up to one of those nights, via Nicole Auerbach of NBC Sports.

“Sometimes it's not your day,” Lanning said, per Auerbach. “I think that was us today. It wasn't our day today. It wasn't their day against Michigan.”

At one point in the first half, Ohio State was out-gaining Oregon by more than 300 yards. Jeremiah Smith was going off, Will Howard was throwing dimes, and the Ohio State defense was absolutely suffocating. Oregon couldn't get anything going in the run game and their wide receivers failed to find any separation. s a result, Dillon Gabriel was left as a sitting duck in the pocket waiting for guys to come open.

Dan Lanning not making any excuses for Oregon's loss

Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end Jack Sawyer (33) hits Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) during the second half of the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2025. Ohio State won 41-21.
© Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Oregon's no-show in the Rose Bowl against Ohio State was stunning to everyone watching and everyone who has seen Dan Lanning and company play all season long. This Oregon team has been explosive and balanced on offense, hurting opposing defenses in the run game and generating explosive play after explosive play in the passing game. Defensively, the Ducks have let their talented front eat and their speed on the back end cause havoc for other teams.

On Wednesday in Pasadena, Oregon had none of that as Ohio State ran circles around it. For the first time all season, including in the first meeting with the Buckeyes, the Ducks looked slow, unprepared and overmatched.

Some fans attributed that to a long layoff for this Oregon football team. Ohio State last played on Dec. 21, when it blasted Tennessee in the first round of the CFP. Oregon has been off since Dec. 7, when it won the Big Ten Championship against Penn State. However, Lanning wasn't ready to blame the long layoff for his team's lackluster performance in this game, according to Auerbach.

“That's an excuse,” Lanning said. “I thought our guys prepared well going in. An opportunity that we had to recharge. I thought our guys did practice well. I thought they had a great focus. I just don't think our plan was good enough.”

The Ducks will have to go back to the drawing board after being shocked by the onslaught that was a very focused Ohio State team. Lanning and company will have to have their guys better prepared for this moment if they're able to make it back in the coming years.