INDIANAPOLIS — The last time that Michigan football saw Dan Lanning roaming a sideline, he was working as an analyst for ESPN for the national championship game. The time before that, however, wasn’t too good of a time if you’re a Wolverine.
Before he took over the Oregon program, Lanning was the defensive coordinator for Georgia under Kirby Smart. But after the Bulldogs won the national championship that year, he was wooed to lead the charge for the Ducks on the West Coast.
This year, Lanning will be coming to Ann Arbor as a visiting head coach, set to face off against the maize and blue in November.
We briefly caught up with Lanning at Big Ten media days to ask him about his expectations for his first road game at The Big House.
“They’re a phenomenal program,” Lanning told WolverinesWire. “I know Sherrone has done an unbelievable job. Obviously, they’ve built something over time there that has sustaining power.
“Got an opportunity to compete against them in the Orange Bowl when I was at Georgia. And I haven’t actually been to Ann Arbor to see that. So that will be a fun experience, a fun venue for us. Certainly a team worthy of competing against.”
Oregon is widely thought of, not only as a Big Ten contender in its first year in the conference, but potentially as a national championship-caliber team. However, aside from Michigan, Ohio State (who also plays the Ducks this season) will have a say.