Dan Lanning wants to put a large inflatable Oregon duck in Wisconsin’s Lake Mendota

The main storyline at the Big Ten Media Days of 2024 was the conference’s West Coast newcomers, highlighted by Oregon ducks.

The Ducks are expected to strive to win the conference in 2024. They enter the season ranked third in the country on ESPN’s SP+ and they are popular #2 pick in the Big Ten just ago Ohio State. The consensus is that the Ducks are well-equipped to avoid any growing pains as they join the conference, now with 18 programs.

Related: The 6 Most Likely Scenarios for Wisconsin’s 2024 Football Season

Coach Dan Lanning and his program don’t shy away from the spotlight at Big Ten media days. He made his presence known early on – first sending a large inflatable duck from Oregon down the White River through downtown Indianapolis, Indiana.

Lanning addressed this change, saying, “I hope we can take that big floating duck to all our away games.”

Connecting the dots, Lanning and the top-ranked Ducks are scheduled to visit the Wisconsin Badgers on Nov. 16. That’s a few months before Lake Mendota and Lake Monona freeze over in the winter, allowing Oregon the opportunity to execute Lanning’s goal.

Wisconsin will need to play a near-perfect defensive game to face quarterback Dillon Gabriel and the Oregon offense. That defense could start by ensuring that no inflatable ducks reach any of the city’s lakes before the game.

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The story originally appeared on Badgers Wire