Dan Lanning explains why he didn't leave Oregon for Alabama

Why didn't Dan Lanning leave Oregon for Alabama? Was he afraid of the competition he might face in the SEC? Did he not want to go through the pain of another expansive rib tat? He already has some Alabama ink, and torso skin is precious real estate, bruh. Was it that Alabama did not even want him? I'm sure Greg Byrne did in some way, but for whatever reason, he decided to go with Kalen DeBoer.

Midway through last year, Lanning emerged as the flavor of the week to best replace Nick Saban, should the long-time Alabama staple retire from coaching. He was a graduate assistant on the 2015 national championship team. He then worked for Mike Norvell at Memphis for two years before linking up with another Saban disciple in Kirby Smart at Georgia, a place where he worked up until Oregon.

Lanning answered the hard-hitting question of why he didn't leave Oregon for Alabama when speaking to Ryen Russillo of The Ringer. It became very apparent why Lanning didn't want to leave: Oregon is his dream job. No, this isn't the Todd Graham way of using that particular vernacular... Lanning really believes he can make Oregon the best job in the country without any in-state recruits.

Here is the video clip of Lanning explaining why he did not even consider going to Alabama ... ever!

Where it stands now, Lanning must put all three of his sons through high school first before anything.

Alabama rumors: Why Dan Lanning didn't leave Oregon for Crimson Tide

To be fair, Lanning would have been my first choice to replace Saban, followed by Lane Kiffin and then Norvell. I don't think it serves somebody like Steve Sarkisian to leave another A-plus job at Texas for Alabama, even if he had Tuscaloosa ties. Smart was never going to replace Saban, mostly because he has it made at his alma mater in national powerhouse Georgia. I thought Lanning would be interested.

In the new Big Ten, Oregon should be able to compete for conference championships and playoff berths right away in its new league. The Ducks are in the best position of the four Pac-12 newcomers. One of the other three will probably come out of this move well. One may be so-so and the third may struggle. Right now, it is too early to tell what the Big Ten future holds for UCLA, USC and Washington.

For as long as Phil Knight is still with us, or until another mega booster steps up to the plate, Oregon has the financial resources to compete with pretty much anyone in the sport. Going from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten may kill Oregon when it comes to travel, but it also expands their recruiting territory quite a bit. They crush it in Northern California, but the Midwest has so many untapped resources.

Overall, I can't blame Lanning for his decision. He and his family seem to be happy in Eugene, and that is all that really matters in the end. If not for College Football Playoff expansion, it would have been next to impossible to turn down the Alabama job, whether or not he was offered it in the first place. With the field tripling in size to 12, you better believe Oregon will RSVP yes to this annual invitational.

Besides, you can't top an Oregon throat-piece on your wife's name, image and likeness on your ribs.