Urban Meyer Includes Oregon Ducks in Bold College Football Playoff Prediction

The No. 3 Oregon Ducks are 5-0 coming off their bye week and are one of three undefeated teams in the Big Ten. With the college football season hitting the halfway mark, former Ohio State Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer made a bold prediction regarding the Oregon Ducks.
Jan 1, 2025; Pasadena, CA, USA;  Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning speaks in a press conference after the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2025 Rose Bowl college football quarterfinal game at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Jan 1, 2025; Pasadena, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning speaks in a press conference after the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2025 Rose Bowl college football quarterfinal game at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The No. 3 Oregon Ducks are 5-0 after a hot start to the season. Oregon coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks are one of the most dominant teams in college football, looking to make it back to the College Football Playoff.

College football analyst Urban Meyer appeared on an episode of "The Triple Option" and discussed the top teams in college football heading into week 7 of the college football season.

Meyer Makes Bold Prediction On Oregon and Ohio State

Oregon Ducks Dan Lanning Ohio State Buckeyes Urban Meyer Indiana Hoosiers Penn State Nittany Lions College Football Playoff
Urban Meyer was the keynote speaker of the 2025 All Sports Association Awards Banquet. Meyer coached 17 seasons as a head coach, and is most well-known for his tenures at both the University of Florida and Ohio State University, where he earned 3 national championship titles (UF: 2008, 2009, OSU: 2014). | Michael Snyder / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While discussing the best programs this season, Meyer believes the No. 3 Oregon Ducks and the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes are the top teams in the nation. He went on to make a major prediction on both programs.

“I think it’s going to be Oregon and Ohio State, they’re going to play twice,” Meyer said. “They’re going to play in Indianapolis, and they’re going to play in the College Football Playoff. I don’t see that team in the SEC yet. To me, Oregon and Ohio State look a little bit different than everyone else.”

Last year was Oregon’s inaugural season in the Big Ten conference. The Ducks went undefeated in the regular season and went on to win the conference championship in Indianapolis against the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Oregon Ducks Dan Lanning Ohio State Buckeyes Urban Meyer Indiana Hoosiers Penn State Nittany Lions College Football Playoff
Oregon coach Dan Lanning speaks during Oregon football’s Media Day on July 28, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Just three undefeated teams are remaining in the Big Ten: the Oregon Ducks, the Ohio State Buckeyes, and the Indiana Hoosiers. The Ducks will face the No. 7 Indiana Hoosiers in week 7, and a win would greatly increase Oregon’s chances of making it back to the conference championship game.

Oregon’s biggest win of the season was in week 5 against the Penn State Nittany Lions. Although Penn State has now gone two weeks in a row with a loss, Oregon had to put up a fight to win in a hostile environment.

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Similarly, Ohio State’s biggest win came in week 1 against the Texas Longhorns. Texas is another team that has since faced a couple of losses, but the Buckeyes came out strong against the Longhorns. With the two teams on a similar trajectory, it would not be a surprise to see them face off in Indianapolis this year.

Oregon Ducks Dan Lanning Ohio State Buckeyes Urban Meyer Indiana Hoosiers Penn State Nittany Lions College Football Playoff
Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day watches warm ups prior to the NCAA football game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Oct. 4, 2025. Ohio State won 42-3. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Oregon Ducks were the No. 1 seed in the CFP last season. The Ducks faced off against the Buckeyes in the quarterfinals, resulting in an Oregon loss. Ohio State went on to win the national championship.

With both Oregon and Ohio State showing they are dominant programs, a CFP rematch would not be a surprise, with the winner having a strong shot at winning the national championship.

Oregon Improved Upon Last Year?

While Oregon was a successful team last year, the Ducks still found a way to improve in several areas. The Ducks have one of the most well-balanced teams in college football, which could help them make a further CFP push.

Oregon Ducks Dan Lanning Ohio State Buckeyes Urban Meyer Indiana Hoosiers Penn State Nittany Lions College Football Playoff
Oregon quarterback Dante Moore warms up as the Oregon Ducks host the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Sept. 6, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Offensively, Oregon is a threat in both the passing and the ground game. They are one of just four programs to surpass 250 yards both passing and rushing in at least three games this year and are averaging 46.6 points per game.

Defensively, Oregon is allowing just 123.4 passing yards per game and is ranked No. 3 in the nation for its passing defense. The Ducks have allowed just one touchdown outside of the fourth quarter and overtime, allowing just 19 points in the first three quarters of games.

With how strong the Ducks are on both sides of the field, Oregon has a real shot at making it further in the CFP.

The first step to making another run in the postseason will be in week 7 as the No. 3 Oregon Ducks will face the No. 7 Indiana Hoosiers on Oct. 11 at 12:30 p.m. PT.

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Angela Miele
ANGELA MIELE

Angela Miele is a beat reporter covering the USC Trojans, Colorado Buffaloes, and Oregon Ducks for On SI. She earned her master’s degree in Communication and Media at Rutgers University and holds a B.A. in English with minors in Writing Arts and Sports Communication and Media from Rowan University. With experience covering several sports, she is focused on building a career in sports journalism, combining her passion for sports and writing.

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