Jon Gruden Picks Oregon Ducks to Win National Championship, College Football Playoff

Former NFL legend and Super Bowl winning coach Jon Gruden revealed his prediction of the Oregon Ducks winning the national championship in the College Football Playoff. Gruden has the Ducks beating the Tennessee Volunteers and Georgia Bulldogs.

Aug 29, 2021; Santa Clara, California, USA; Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden walks onto the field before the start of the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Former NFL head coach Jon Gruden revealed his picks for the entire College Football Playoff bracket, and Gruden believes that the Oregon Ducks are going to win their first national championship in program history.

"I just think it's the Ducks' year, man. They have too much going for them in all three phases, and I like their uniforms," said Gruden.

Aug 29, 2021; Santa Clara, California, USA; Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden walks onto the field before the start of the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

In the first round, Gruden picked Tennessee to upset the Ohio State Buckeyes on the road, setting up a Rose Bowl matchup between the Ducks and the Volunteers on New Year's Day. While the Super Bowl winner likes Tennessee over Ohio State, Gruden picked the Ducks to win in Pasadena and advance to the semifinals of the CFP.

"I think this is where the rubber meets the road for Tennessee. I just think Oregon has an experienced quarterback, a very good head coach, defensive minded. I like the Ducks," said Gruden.

Oregon coach Dan Lanning has the Ducks undefeated through 13 games, winning the Big Ten Championship over the Penn State Nittany Lions in the program's first year as a member of the conference. Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel has excelled, especially against tough opponents like Ohio State and Penn State, earning himself an invitation to the Heisman Trophy ceremony as a finalist.

While revealing his picks, Gruden called the Arizona State Sun Devils his dark horse team of the tournament. The former NFL coach has the Clemson Tigers upsetting the Texas Longhorns in the first round, and he picked Arizona State to move past Clemson in the semifinals.

Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning hugs quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) after defeating the Penn State Nittany Lions to win the Big Ten Championship in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. / Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

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As a result, Gruden's bracket sets up a matchup between Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham, former Oregon offensive coordinator, and Lanning.

"Arizona State vs. Oregon. I'm going to stay with the Ducks," said Gruden. "I just think they're a class ahead of everybody in this field."

On the other side of the bracket, Gruden has the Georgia Bulldogs emerging with wins over Notre Dame and Penn State.

"Georgia vs. Penn State. I know a lot of people don't think coach [James] Franklin can win a big game. I just think Georgia has too much. Too much experience, too much history. Georgia's going to win this game," said Gruden.

His picks culminate in a national championship game between Georgia and Oregon in Atlanta, Georgia, a rematch of Lanning's first game as the coach of the Ducks in 2022. Oregon lost 49-3 to the Bulldogs, but Gruden believes that the rematch will be a different story.

Can Lanning and the Ducks fulfill Gruden's picks and lift the national championship trophy at the end of the College Football Playoff?

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