INDIANAPOLIS — Oregon head coach Dan Lanning couldn’t hide his pride after the Ducks secured a thrilling 45-37 victory over Penn State to claim the Big Ten Championship on Saturday night.

“I don't know what to say except for how proud I am of these guys,” Lanning said in his opening remarks. “We've talked about moments this year where guys had to put each other on their backs. I thought the offense tonight did an unbelievable job. I thought the defense made a critical stop when it mattered most.”

Lanning emphasized the unshakable belief within the team. “The belief in our team throughout the game, it never wavered. We have a bunch of guys in there that love each other and worked their tails off tonight to come out on the other side of victory. Kudos to them,” he said. “That offense is really hard to stop. They do an unbelievable job over there. It was a battle, a battle to the very end. I'm really proud of our players and proud of their resiliency.”

When asked about his first-year success in the Big Ten, Lanning deflected credit to his players and staff. “I'm really proud of our players. They accomplished this. I didn't have anything to do with it. I just get to keep the train on the tracks,” he said. “We have unbelievable leadership. We have an unbelievable coaching staff. And the Big Ten's tough. I think tonight's game is a great example of that. This is a tough league. It's hard to go out there and win. And to be able to do what our guys did tonight, I'm really proud of their effort, to give just a little bit extra.”

Reflecting on the postgame celebration, Lanning shared a poignant perspective. “When you get to be a part of games like this, I think you start to think intrinsically about the journey you've been on and being there,” he said. “But what brings me joy is the people that you love that get to enjoy the journey with you -- these guys up here, Phil, my parents. For them to be part of a night like tonight, I know what that means to them. That means a lot more to me than any success that I ever have.”

As Oregon looks ahead, Lanning kept his focus narrow. “I'll be honest, this is the furthest thing from my mind right now. I'm worried about tomorrow, I'm worried the next day, the next play,” he said. “If you start putting the end goal in sight -- I don't think it's any secret what this team wants to accomplish -- but you don't get there by just looking at it. It takes work. I'm thinking right now, how can we improve and get better?”

Lanning also spoke about the importance of Phil Knight, Nike co-founder and a prominent supporter of Oregon athletics. “He loves this university. He means the world to this university,” Lanning said. “I think so often Phil gets acknowledged for what he does for the football program, but when you talk about a philanthropist and what he does, him and his wife Penny, what they do for the greater good of the world, what's college sports look like without Phil Knight? And what's cancer research look like without Phil Knight?”

Dillon Gabriel’s performance earned particular praise from Lanning. “This guy deserves every single thing that comes his way. I told him that earlier this week when he got player of the year in the Big Ten,” Lanning said. “The poise he shows in big games is unmeasured. I haven't been around players like Dillon. I'm really grateful that I get to share the field with him.”

On the team’s ability to stay composed, Lanning credited their mental preparation. “I think our guys do an unbelievable job of understanding the reset button. Like, the next play is the most important play,” he said. “As emotional as the game of football is, they do an unbelievable job of knowing that the job's not done until the job's done.”

Asked about the team’s defensive scheming against Penn State’s stars, Lanning was candid. “I think they had moments that maybe they missed. We have to acknowledge that. They have an unbelievable scheme,” he said. “Credit to our offensive line. Credit to Coach Stein and the job he did there, and credit to our guys on defense, knowing where [key players] were at. But there's a lot of room for improvement for us. That's what I'm really excited about, is the opportunity to attack that growth.”

Finally, Lanning reflected on the “keystone species” mantra embraced by his team. “That's something coming from us, something we started at the beginning of the season, talking about how you get an opportunity to invade a new environment and somewhere maybe you didn't belong and get the opportunity to take over that environment,” he said. “We said this is the last step for us to become that. I'm really proud of our guys buying into that thought and building off of it.”

For Oregon, the journey continues, but on this night, they celebrated a hard-fought victory and a season defined by resilience and belief.