Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning has responded to criticism from Fox Sports 1 commentator Skip Bayless, who insinuated that his pregame speech prior to Saturday's matchup against Colorado had racial undertones.
"I've tried to tell you guys for two weeks there is a deep-rooted, venomous vengeance that is starting to manifest itself against [Colorado head coach] Deion [Sanders] among white coaches," Bayless said Monday, per Sports Illustrated's Mike McDaniel.
"I don't know Skip at all. I've never had a conversation with him," Lanning told reporters. "I've watched him enough to know how often he gets it wrong, so that sounds about right. But, ultimately, here's what I say. We're playing to win the game. You saw a 15-second clip from a window outside the house of what happens in a locker room.
"I know our locker room. I'm in the house 100 percent of the time. I know how our players felt going into that game—and I know what it takes to motivate our players."
A video of Lanning's pregame speech to the Ducks went viral because of his not-so-subtle shots at Sanders and the Buffaloes, who quickly became one of the most popular teams in the nation for their exciting 3-0 start.
"Rooted in substance. Not flash. Rooted in substance," Lanning said during his speech. "Today, we talk with our pads. You talk with your helmet! Right? Every moment! The Cinderella story is over, men! Right? They're fighting for clicks. We're fighting for wins. There's a difference, right? There's a difference. This game ain't gonna be played in Hollywood. It's gonna be played on the grass."
Oregon went on to earn a dominant 42-6 victory, totaling 522 yards of offense and holding Colorado scoreless for the first three quarters. Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders, Deion's son, was sacked seven times by the Ducks.
In his response to Bayless, Lanning went on to add that Colorado's trash talk served as motivation for his team.
"That's my job, to motivate our players. He has a job. I have a job, too. But inside that house, they felt a certain way," Lanning said. "They felt a certain way about a group stomping on the O. They felt a certain way about guys talking to 'em in the pregame. I'm proud of those guys because what they decided to do is talk with their pads."
Despite taking shots at Sanders and Colorado during his pregame speech, Lanning also said he has respect for Coach Prime and how he's helped grow the sport this season.
"I'm also grateful and can clearly acknowledge that the attention that we got this Saturday, in large part, was due to Deion and what he's doing to college football," Lanning said. "If anybody can't see what he's done for college football and how he's bringing excitement to college football, you're crazy. I said that last week as well. He's done a lot for the game. He's building something over there. I think that's really, really clear."
Lanning and the Ducks will be seeking the program's first 5-0 start since 2013 when they face Stanford on Saturday.
