Urban Meyer Gives Oregon Ducks Blue Blood Status In Modern Era

The Oregon Ducks are one of the most talked-about brands in college football. Between the flashy uniforms, consistent bowl appearances, famous mascot and recent No. 1 national ranking, the Ducks almost have it all – except for a national championship.

Former college football coach Urban Meyer, Fox Sports broadcaster Rob Stone and former NFL running back Mark Ingram II debated whether or not Oregon is a blue blood in a recent episode of their podcast, The Triple Option.

Urban Meyer looks on during the second half the 2025 CFP National Championship college football game. — Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Urban Meyer looks on during the second half the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

“They’re a relative blue blood,” Meyer said. “But they’re not a historical blue blood.”

“So as of right now anybody in their common sense says, ‘OK, give me the blue bloods of college football,' you say, ‘Absolutely Oregon,'” Meyer continued.

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Meyer knows a thing or two about what it takes to be a blue blood. He won three national titles during his coaching career, including one with the Ducks’ Big Ten rival, the Ohio State Buckeyes. He also won 85 percent of his games throughout his stints with four different programs.

The soon-to-be College Football Hall of Fame coach called Oregon’s Dan Lanning one of the “top two to three coaches in the country.” But only three current college football head coaches have national championships to their name, and Lanning isn’t yet one of them.

“They have not won the game that matters,” Ingram said. “But they have everything that it takes to be a blue blood. The support, the fandom, the players, the coaches, the money behind them.”

Ingram named the Buckeyes, the Texas Longhorns, the Georgia Bulldogs and the Alabama Crimson Tide as programs that have earned blue blood status. He compared Oregon to the Penn State Nittany Lions, who are contenders and have been in the title game but haven’t won it.

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Emeka Egbuka catches a pass over Oregon Ducks defensive back Nikko Reed during Rose Bowl. — Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (2) catches a pass over Oregon Ducks defensive back Nikko Reed (9) during the first half of the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Ducks found themselves in a pair of title games over the years. They lost to the Auburn Tigers as time expired in the 2011 BCS National Championship and were defeated by Ohio State in the 2015 College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship.

The Buckeyes got the best of Oregon once again in last season’s Rose Bowl and CFP quarterfinal. As Meyer, Stone and Ingram noted, the Ducks’ record has improved every year under Lanning’s reign. They just haven’t won the game that will etch the program’s name in the history books.

“They’re a green blood,” Stone said. “They’re a green blood, now they’ve got to be a blue blood. They’ve got to turn to a blue blood.”

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning looks to the clock towards the end of the first half as the Oregon Ducks face the Ohio State. — Oregon head coach Dan Lanning looks to the clock towards the end of the first half as the Oregon Ducks face the Ohio State Buckeyes Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, in the quarterfinal of the College Football Playoff at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The recent podcast discussion wasn’t the first time Meyer brought up Oregon and blue blood in the same breath. At the beginning of July, the former coach sang his praises for the West Coast program on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd.”

“I think nationally, Oregon is a different Duck,” Meyer said. “Everybody looks at Oregon now. The uniforms, the stadium, the success they've had, and I think I actually consider them a blue blood right now, even though they have not won a national championship.”

The Ducks’ quest for title No. 1 continues with the start of the 2025 season, which kicks off on Aug. 30 against Montana State. Meyer and his co-hosts of The Triple Podcast predicted Oregon to win 11 regular-season games and for its season to get off to a hot start.