Greg McElroy defines Oregon's national championship chances in 2025 as 'love it'

Greg McElroy has his eyes on the Oregon Ducks in 2025. He’s a big time believer in Dan Lanning’s squad, proclaiming he loves the idea that Eugene’s college football team could stand tall above the field this coming season.

“Love it,” McElroy responded, asked if he loved, liked or was opposed to the idea that Oregon could win it all this season, via Always College Football with Greg McElroy.” I think that last year’s team learned a lot. It was somewhat circumstantial. They beat the inevitable national champions in the regular season, they run into a bit of a buzz-saw off the bye week, and it just didn’t work out there in the Rose Bowl. They get off to a slow start. They never climbed their way out of that hill. But if you look at what’s needed now to win a national championship — you have to have, I think, an elite coaching staff. I believe they have that.

“I think Dan Lanning is elite. I think Will Stein is elite. I think Tosh Lupoi on defense is elite. I think, if you look at just their coaches across the board, they are really good, and they’ve had great success at the college level, not just at Oregon, but at several other places as well. They can all recruit and they’ve done a great job of evaluating developing talent.”

One area where fans and media members alike gravitate towards is quarterback. After Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel’s performance, Dante Moore seems like the next man up. He’ll have big shoes to fill, but McElroy isn’t worried at all.

“I think Dante Moore is ultimately going to be the guy,” McElroy added. “He’s been remarkably highly touted. They’ve had a couple of years now where he’s been learning in the system, been trying to figure it out last year. Learned right there with Dillon Gabriel. They arrived at a similar time, so he went through that process of installing the offense and learning the offense and seeing it run at a ridiculously high level. I think Will Stein is going to give the quarterback a lot of freedom. Their quarterback is usually going to be put into situations that are really comfortable.

“That’s what Will Stein excels at. He makes it seem super complicated for the opposing defense, but for the quarterback, it’s pretty simple. Pitch and catch, simple reads, great screen game, creativity. With the addition to Makhi Hughes, I think they’re going to be able to adequately run the football, take some of the pressure off their young starting quarterback.”

In the end, Oregon simply checks all the boxes you look for in a contender. Their schedule also works out favorably, so it’s tough for McElroy to see them falling short of at least getting back to the College Football Playoff.

“They check every possible box that you could possibly ask for when potentially considering possibilities for national championship run,” he explained. “I think playing to the Big Ten is going to prepare them. I think their schedule is, for the most part, relatively favorable. It’s not easy, but it’s favorable.

“They avoid Ohio State, they avoid Michigan. They do have to go to Penn State, which will be a great test for them. But I love the Ducks heading into this year. But then again, every year with what Dan Lanning’s created, I think I’m always going to love the Ducks.”

After last season’s Rose Bowl disappointment, Dan Lanning and Oregon will be on a mission. We’ll see if the Ducks can reach all of their goals, but Greg McElroy isn’t willing to bet against them in 2025.