'We know it's going to be loud,' 'don't feed into the environment,' and more of what Oregon players are saying before the Penn State White Out

As they sat around breakout tables inside of a sprawling conference room at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas back at Big Ten Media Days, players from both Penn State and Oregon tried their best to heed coaches’ long-established plea to be “1-0 each week” if they were a Nittany Lion and to take things “one week at a time” if they were a Duck. But, it was a nearly impossible task with media members from around the country all squarely focused on the Sept. 27, 2024, Big Ten title game rematch between the two schools that is also a White Out game for the home team and now just days away.

“I don’t have much familiarity,” Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq said in July. “I remember they played Michigan. They sang Mo Bamba. That video was playing in my head a little bit. So I hope they do that again. It’ll be pretty cool environment. But I’m just excited for the opportunity. You get to do something like that, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I already got family and friends hitting me up for tickets, wanting to go to that game.”

Added linebacker Bryce Boettcher, who now leads Oregon in tackles, back in the summer:

“It’s going to be fun,  know that. I already know it’s going to be loud. Might be the loudest stadium I’ve been in. But I mean, to be honest, for defensive player, they’re not going to be roaring when we’re out there on the defense and their offense is out there.

“I’m pretty sure that just the stadium, and the crowd, like, no matter what part of the game it’s probably so loud and probably will affect us somehow. I feel confident in our team. I know we’re a team that’s ready for challenges, and we want the challenges.”

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As Ducks coach Dan Lanning noted during his first news conference of Penn State week on Monday night: [The media has] been thinking about this one for a long time, and now we finally can focus on it, as well.” And they, we, and of course the Lions, are.

Tuesday is a day for player interviews in Eugene. And unsurprisingly, Lanning’s players were of course willing to discuss the White Out and are respectful of its place within the sport. However, they also know that making too much of it could be detrimental come Saturday night.

“I think Coach Lanning said it great today: It’s a White Out because it’s Oregon,” Sadiq said. “They know what’s coming and we know what’s coming. So it’s about going out there and who executes the best, and going in there, eliminating the crowd aspect, and going in there and playing our game.

“The biggest thing, I think, is the mental aspect. We know it’s going to be loud. But we just have to go in there and play our game. We’re not going to be able to do anything about the crowd unless we go out there and play.”

Ducks cornerback Jadon Canaday agreed in response to a question about what the redshirt senior is telling his younger teammates about environments like this one.

“I talked to the guys [Monday] about it and was like, don’t make it bigger than what it is. Obviously it’s a big game. Big atmosphere. But I said, ‘Don’t feed into the environment.’ See the call. Get the call. And be where you’re feet are at. Don’t be in a daze like, ‘man, there’s 100,000 people.’ Just play ball.”

Penn State-Oregon starts at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. NBC is televising the game. Blue-White Illustrated subscribers can read more quotes and notes in the leadup to kickoff by visiting The Lions Den forum.