College football news: How Dan Lanning beat Nick Saban, Peyton Manning’s Joe Milton infatuation

College football news: How former UGA DC Dan Lanning beat Nick Saban in Indy

While he now leads the Oregon Ducks over in the Pac-12, Dan Lanning’s last game calling plays for the Georgia Bulldogs was the stuff of legend. After falling to the Alabama Crimson Tide in Atlanta a few weeks prior, Lanning hit the film room hard. He mentioned that film study was key in being able to stifle Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young by picking up on one of Bill O’Brien’s tendencies.

In layman’s terms, Lanning found a tell in what O’Brien liked to do offensively calling plays on third down and obvious passing situations. It had everything to do with how the Crimson Tide used the running back as somewhat of a safety valve for Young to dump the ball off to. It allowed for the Georgia defense to overload in the direction of the running back to shut off half of the field of play.

Given that Saban is a defensive-minded coach as well, he gave fellow Bill Belichick disciple O’Brien too much leeway in calling plays for the Crimson Tide offense. You have to give credit to Lanning and the rest of the 2021 Georgia defensive staff for seeing and exploiting this one tell. Admittedly, these are all great coaches. No wonder Lanning’s first time in the big chair is at a place like Oregon.

Lanning may have worked for Saban too, but we are looking at the next great Power Five coach.