Our Oregon football program is now a few weeks removed from the Rose Bowl loss, and Ohio State is facing up against Notre Dame. In what was easily the most unbearable watch of the season, the Buckeyes have looked unstoppable from January 1st on, and I expect more of the same in the National Championship game today.
Here’s my score prediction, some takeaways from this game/season, and where the Ducks aim to land this upcoming season in 2025.

Oregon had no answer for Jeremiah Smith in the Rose Bowl – Photo Via Eric Becker
Score Prediction: 38-17 Buckeyes
I don’t see Notre Dame really hanging with this Buckeye squad. Jeremiah Smith was virtually canceled out against Texas, and Ohio State still found a way to win by two scores in a home game for the Longhorns. Jack Sawyer should have a show-out game like he did against Texas, Oregon, and Tennessee, as Notre Dame aims to stay competitive in the first half, even with one of the best defenses in football. I see Notre Dame as a favorable matchup for both the Buckeyes and Ducks, which makes it even tougher to swallow that Oregon won’t be playing today.
Overall, this just wasn’t the Ducks’ year. I won’t linger on Chip Kelly’s comments from the weekend, but I’ll be the first to admit it: the Buckeyes deserved to make it to this point in the season. They’ll likely win today after finishing the hardest path in the College Football Playoff, and Ryan Day deserves his flowers. Notre Dame’s played some hardnosed football all year long, and proven they should continue being in the conversation for the College Football Playoff for many seasons to come. However, they do stand as the only independent that didn’t have much meat on their schedule. Granted, they earned their spot and deserve to be in this game, but I see the Buckeyes borderline boat racing this team to a championship victory.
I think the Rose Bowl performance didn’t expose the lack of talent Oregon had, but instead a lack of experience for this staff in these kinds of situations. As a huge point of growth for Dan Lanning and the rest of the coaching staff, Dante Moore looks like the future, and for the team’s sake–I hope they stick with him for the next couple of seasons at least. As soon as next year, I could even see the Ducks in this game today with Moore at the helm.
What do you think of this matchup? How do you see the scoreboard lighting up? Who’s your x-factor of the game, and of Oregon in 2025? Let us know in the FishDuck Forum with decorum.
As always, GO DUCKS!
Alex Heining
Los Angeles, California
Top Photo by: Dave Peaks

Alex Heining is an Oregon alumni from the graduate class of 2021. After studying sports business and media studies, he has moved into the field of digital marketing as a copywriter and content manager in the Los Angeles area. Still, he loves his Ducks and goes to local high school games all over the Los Angeles and Orange County area to check out new recruits of the future (and a SoFi game or two with the pros). On any given Saturday, expect to find him doing martial arts, playing the guitar, or screaming at the tv over a missed holding penalty.