Urban Meyer Predicts Oregon Ducks' Postseason Future

A top-three road win at Penn State helped the No. 2 Oregon Ducks jump four spots in the AP Poll entering their bye week.

The Ducks now have the opportunity to recover and prepare for the rest of the season, where they can pave their way to the Big Ten Conference Championship and the College Football Playoff (CFP) if they win out.

Following Oregon’s win over Penn State, current FOX analyst and former coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes, Urban Meyer provided his thoughts on which teams may have the best chance of winning the Big Ten and the National Championship.

Meyer’s National Champion Prediction

oregon ducks big ten college football playoff urban meyer dan lanning ohio state buckeyes transfer portal recruiting nil — Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer yells to his team during the first quarter of the NCAA football game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Ohio Stadium on Nov. 3, 2018. | Adam Cairns/The Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It seems that the former coach has used just about every opportunity he’s received to praise what the Ducks have done to start the 2025 season.

On a recent episode of The Triple Option podcast, Meyer discussed his former team, the Buckeyes, and their championship odds. As he rated where he thought Ohio State’s ability to repeat as National Champions landed, Meyer brought Oregon into the discussion.

“I think it’s gonna be Oregon, Ohio State,” Meyer said. “They’re gonna play twice. They’re gonna play in Indianapolis and they’re gonna play in the College Football Playoff.”

The Ducks and Buckeyes played twice last season, and the two split those games. Oregon won the first meeting in Eugene 32-31, while Ohio State won the CFP quarterfinal meeting 41-21.

The two conference foes don’t play in the 2025 regular season, but the chances of them playing two times for the second year in a row seems to be increasing.

Meyer continued to say that he believes the National Championship race is really between the Ducks and the Buckeyes.

“To me, Oregon, Ohio State look a little bit different than everyone else,” Meyer said. “Obviously, like you said, it’s so early. But those are the two teams that are gonna swing.”

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Meyer's Top College Football Coaches

Later in the episode, Meyer revealed who he thinks are the top three coaches in college football at the moment. To no surprise, the coaches for college football’s top two teams both made his list.

“Who’s doing the best job? I put Dan Lanning, Ryan Day and Lane Kiffin,” Meyer said.

Mark Ingram II chimed in by saying that he doesn’t think the Buckeyes’ coach, Day, is in the conversation because what Ohio State is achieving at this point in the season is “the standard” for the program. He agreed, however, that Lanning and the Ducks are up there.

“You go for best performances of the year, I mean, Dan Lanning at Oregon, you definitely gotta go him,” Ingram said.

Lanning and the Ducks remain undefeated through five games with the victory over the Nittany Lions being the most competitive game so far. The Buckeyes, meanwhile, faced a top-ranked Texas Longhorns team in the season opener. Like Oregon, Ohio State hasn’t been tested outside of one game.

Three of Ohio State’s remaining opponents are currently ranked inside the top 25. Oregon has one remaining top 25 opponent, which is No. 8 Indiana in week 7.