What Nick Saban, Desmond Howard Said About Oregon on ESPN's College GameDay

On ESPN's College GameDay, both Nick Saban and Desmond Howard were quite complimentary of the Oregon Ducks. Howard highlighted Oregon quarterback Dante Moore while Saban was impressed with Ducks coach Dan Lanning's retooling of the roster.

Nick Saban sits on the ESPN College Gameday set prior to the NCAA football game between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Ohio State Buckeyes at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pa. on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The No. 6 Oregon Ducks are 3-0 to start the season and look the part of top-10 team in college football, but some could argue that the Ducks have not been tested by any opponent in 2025. On ESPN's College GameDay, former NFL star and Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard highlighted Oregon as one of the most intriguing teams in the country.

Legendary college football coach Nick Saban joined the conversation, noting Oregon coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks' ability to field a talented roster after setting the program record with 10 picks in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore walks across the field to shake hands with Oklahoma State players after the win at Autzen. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Desmond Howard Praises Dante Moore, Ducks Defense

"I will have to go with the Oregon Ducks. I think their quarterback, Dante Moore's playing a very high level right now completing 78 percent of his passes, seven touchdown passes, and only one interception," said Howard. "He's spreading the ball around. He's playing very efficiently. Now I think their defense is one of the best defenses, too, in the conference."

Through three games, Moore's quarterback rating is 197.3. As Howard notes, Moore seems to be in control of Oregon's offense, throwing his first interception in week 3 against Northwestern. Heading into week 4, the Ducks are favored by 34.5 points over Oregon State, per FanDuel Sportsbook.

ESPN personality Desmond Howard speaks on camera on the GameDay set prior to the matchup between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Texas Longhorns on Aug. 29, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In week 5 will be Oregon's biggest test yet, a road game against No. 2 Penn State, and Howard couldn't help but look ahead on the Ducks schedule.

"Now, obviously they're gonna have to play Penn State next week. Penn State is gonna be coming off a bye, that's gonna be a big matchup. But shout out to Oregon, shout out the Phil Knight, they're gonna honor him today, too," Howard continued.

GameDay had one of Oregon's Shoe Duck uniforms and showed the country how the Ducks are honoring Nike co-founder Phil Knight. Might the popular show be at Oregon's next game against Penn State?

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What Nick Saban Said About Oregon, Texas A&M

Saban followed Howard's praise of Oregon with a quick comment on the Ducks' ability to acquire talent:

"Well, you know, Oregon's done a great job of retooling. They lost a lot of players from last year, but, you know, the team that I'm really impressed with is Texas A&M," Saban said.

Saban was more intrigued by No. 10 Texas A&M and quarterback Marcel Reed after the Aggies defeated Notre Dame on the road. Unlike Oregon, Texas A&M has been tested early in the season, and the Aggies overcame adversity to remain undefeated.

"You know, Marcel Reed has done a fantastic job. I mean, to go to Notre Dame, having played them for years and years and years being at Michigan State, big rivalry game, that's a hard place to win. And to go in there and have the mental toughness to be able to sustain, come back in the game, and win the game. It speaks a lot about the the character, competitive character of this team. and if Marcel Reed stays healthy, they're gonna be hard to beat," Saban continued.

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