Ducks Digest

National Analyst Predicts Oregon Ducks to Win National Championship In ‘Near Future’

The Oregon Ducks have been one of the most successful programs in college football over the last 10 to 20 years, but have come up short in their quest to win a national title. Does coach Dan Lanning have Oregon on track to one day reverse that trend?

Cory Pappas

David Pollack, ESPN college football analyst and former NFL linebacker, speaks to the media ahead of GameDay at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson, Miss., Friday, October 28, 2022. Jackson State will host ESPN's GameDay at the stadium on Saturday, October 29. TCL PreGameDay 210
David Pollack, ESPN college football analyst and former NFL linebacker, speaks to the media ahead of GameDay at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson, Miss., Friday, October 28, 2022. Jackson State will host ESPN's GameDay at the stadium on Saturday, October 29. TCL PreGameDay 210 / Hannah Mattix/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK
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The Oregon Ducks have one of the winningest programs in all of college football over the past two decades. Despite this, they have not yet won the ultimate prize in the sport, a national championship.

In this time span, Oregon has been right on the door step multiple times. This includes two appearances in the National Championship in 2010 and 2014. The Ducks fell short both times, to Auburn and Ohio State. 

In 2024, it looked like it was going to be Oregon’s time. The Ducks went a perfect 13-0 through the regular season and won the Big Ten championship. Oregon entered the College Football Playoff as the No. 1 overall seed, but fell to the Ohio State Buckeyes in the quarterfinals at the Rose Bowl. 

David Pollack High On Oregon's Future

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks off the field as the Oregon Ducks face the Ohio State Buckeyes Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, i
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks off the field 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

College football analyst David Pollack believes that a national championship will be coming to Eugene sooner rather than later.

“Oregon’s going to win a national championship in the very near future,” Pollack said. “Oregon was the best team all year until Ohio State got hot.”

The Ducks beat the Buckeyes in the regular season, but Ohio State got their revenge when it mattered most and rode that momentum all the way towards a national title. Pollack still likes where the Ducks are headed. 

“I’m buying all the stock I can. With NIL, Phil Knight, the boosters, the money, the facilities,” Pollack said. “Dan Lanning, the coach, the mind, the person. All in.”

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Winningest College Football Programs In Last 20 Years

Coach Nick Saban leads the Crimson Tide onto the field before Alabama's homecoming game against Arkansas in Bryant-Denny Stad
Coach Nick Saban leads the Crimson Tide onto the field before Alabama's homecoming game against Arkansas in Bryant-Denny Stadium Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019. The University of Alabama has renamed the playing surface in honor of legendary coach Nick Saban. / Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK

A few of the winningest programs in college football the past 20 years in college football in addition to Oregon are the Alabama Crimson Tide, Clemson Tigers, Georgia Bulldogs, and Ohio State Buckeyes. All four of these teams have won multiple national championships in this time span.

Even with multiple programs winning titles over that tie period, there was one program that separated themselves from the pack and were the gold standard in college football. That would be Alabama, led. by coach Nick Saban.

Saban's Alabama teams from 2007 through 2023 won six national titles and won the SEC nine times. His overall record with the Tide was a jaw dropping 201-29.

Lanning's Ducks Improving Each Year

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning, center, during the Oregon Ducks team photo ahead of the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. Tuesday,
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning, center, during the Oregon Ducks team photo ahead of the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oregon coach Dan Lanning has given Ducks fans reason to be very optimistic about the future in Eugene. Lanning took over as Oregon coach after Mario Cristobal's departure for the Miami Hurricanes following the 2021 season.

In his first season, Lanning had Oregon in the thick of the College Football Playoff race and finsihed the 2022 season with a 10-3 record. Oregon improved in Lanning's second year, where they went 11-2 with a Fiesta Bowl victory.

Year three was another step forward for Oregon under Lanning as they won the Big Ten championship and made the College Football Playoff as the No. 1 team in the land.

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Cory Pappas
CORY PAPPAS

Cory Pappas is sports writer for USC Trojans On SI and Oregon Ducks On SI. Since starting in March of 2024, he has been writing breaking news stories, game previews, game recaps, and more across College Sports, the NFL, MLB, NBA, and Olympics for Total Apex Sports. In addition to writing, Cory is also a sports data scout for Sportradar. He covers live sporting events ranging from college athletics to semi-pro and professional. Before joining the industry, Cory graduated from the University of Oregon in 2022. He ran track for Oregon's club Track and Field team. Before Oregon, he played varsity basketball and track and field in high school in Walnut Creek, CA. Cory is using his lifelong passion for sports and writing together.

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