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Rick Neuheisel predicts national championship winner without hesitation

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Cole Sullivan | Last updated Dec 11, 2024 6:29 PM ET

With the conclusion of the college football regular season and all the conference championships wrapped up, the first 12-team College Football Playoff bracket was revealed last Sunday. Predictions for the winner are already starting to roll in.

Former UCLA head coach and current CBS Sports analyst Rick Neuheisel made his prediction with confidence on Tuesday during "Inside College Football," breaking down his full bracket. Neuheisel picked Oregon, Texas, Georgia and a surprising entry, SMU, to make it to the final four.

As for the national champion, Neuheisel didn’t hesitate: the No. 1 overall seeded Oregon Ducks. "We're going to have a whale of a ball game ... and it's going to be the Oregon Ducks. Phil Knight and company, rejoice," he said.

Check out his full bracket prediction:

Time for Inside College Football's FULL CFP predictions @JonesN4mo, @CoachNeuheisel, @randycrossFB & @AaronTaylorCFB are all rolling with the @oregonfootball Ducks to win the national title pic.twitter.com/WnjYK458kH
— CBS Sports College Football (@CBSSportsCFB) December 11, 2024

The entire crew for "Inside College Football" is unanimous in their belief that Oregon is poised to take home the national title. The Ducks, who have remained unbeaten this season, capped off an incredible year by winning the Big Ten championship in their first season in the conference — a remarkable feat for head coach Dan Lanning and his team, who have risen to the occasion week after week.

However, Oregon’s path to the national title game will not be an easy one. Despite being the No. 1 overall seed and receiving a first-round bye, they will still have to face a challenging road ahead.

The Ducks will meet the winner of the Tennessee vs. Ohio State matchup in the second round. Should they advance, they could be in line for a showdown with Texas in the semifinals — assuming the Longhorns avoid an upset in the opening rounds.

The journey to the championship may be tough, but Oregon has shown it is more than capable of handling the pressure, and Neuheisel has been avid supporter of the Ducks all season long.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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