Why Dan Lanning has to make an example out of Traeshon Holden

Saturday's game between No. 3 Oregon and No. 2 Ohio State was an instant classic. There were multiple lead changes throughout the course of the game, but ultimately Ohio State ran out of time on the final drive after quarterback Will Howard lost track of the clock, handing the Ducks a thrilling 32-31 win.

It wasn't all rosy for Oregon though, most notably an incident involving veteran pass catcher Traeshon Holden in the second quarter. Holden, shockingly, spit in a Buckeye defender's face and was caught by the official nearby. This resulted in an ejection and an earful from head coach Dan Lanning on the sideline before Holden went to the locker room, showing a ton of emotion on his way up the tunnel.

It was an uncharacteristic and costly mistake by Holden, who had surprisingly established himself as the No. 2 target for QB Dillon Gabriel heading into Saturday's game. Holden had 19 catches for 274 yards and three touchdowns before his lone catch on Saturday for 32 yards. He simply cannot make such a mistake in a game like that with how crucial he has become to the rhythm of Oregon's offense.

It didn't cost Oregon on Saturday, but now the question becomes: What will Lanning do as far as a punishment is concerned going forward?

Dan Lanning needs to suspened WR Traeshon Holden for spitting incident

Luckily, Oregon is facing Purdue (1-5) next. However, the game is on Friday, so the Ducks will need to flush this win quickly and stay focused on the task ahead. Some sort of suspension is necessary given the audacity of the act. And Purdue, ideally, would be the appropriate team to make an example of Holden against, because the Ducks can certainly survive without him against the Boilermakers. (Oregon should not fall asleep at the wheel though, because Purdue has pulled off some incredible upsets at Ross-Ade Stadium in years past — including their infamous upset over Ohio State back in 2018.)

In conclusion, Lanning should sit Holden the entire game. While the mistake was uncharacteristic, you must not tolerate that behavior. Lanning is known to be a locker room-friendly coach who gets along with his players because of his youth and charisma. However, this is the appropriate time to show incoming Duck recruits and current players why you shouldn't take his enthusiastic, friendly and energetic character for granted. Lanning comes from grit, especially his days as the Georgia defensive coordinator, where he helped Kirby Smart win a national championship. The Ducks survived without Holden against the supremely talented Buckeyes, and they sure can suffice without him against Purdue. This team is way too talented and has too much of a high ceiling to risk this behavior becoming a trend.