The former Ohio State coach, known for his sharp eye for elite programs, has thrown his weight behind No. 3 Oregon as they gear up to face No. 7 Indiana in Eugene. Meyer, who labeled it “a pretty good street fight,” believes Dan Lanning’s Ducks now have the toughness and trench power to outlast anyone in the nation (except for OSU).

For Meyer, the Ducks are one of the best teams in college football, along with the Buckeyes. In his opinion, it is going to go “little closer than eight and a half. I bet it comes down to seven and a half in the next couple days.” In a recent appearance on the Triple Option podcast, Meyer recalled how the Ducks “never had the line in the trenches. They always had great skill,” despite past appearances in national championship games, including matchups against Auburn and Ohio State, often falling short up front.

However, he also admits that Indiana is not far behind. “Indiana has also matched them in the offensive line. We watched them, me, and Gerry DiNardo this weekend. Really close,” he continued. “They’re not as athletic as Oregon, but they’re big.” Oregon has a robust offense under Dante Moore, but both teams share a common weakness: getting off the field on third down. That’s something to keep an eye on this week.

But Oregon’s efficiency has been nearly flawless, with the Ducks keeping mistakes to a minimum. In five games, they’ve committed just one turnover and an interception versus Northwestern, and have been penalized only 18 times. Much of that credit goes to their dominant offensive line, which has consistently kept defenders out of the backfield.

Indiana boasts a top-tier front seven, ranking second nationally in tackles for loss and eighth in sacks, yet Oregon has allowed only one sack and 12 tackles for loss all season, anchoring a running game that continues to thrive under pressure. Naturally, the Ducks are heavy favorites going

Meyer is not the only one picking Dan Lanning’s boys to dominate the trenches.

Greg McElroy picks Oregon to win

After defeating Penn State, the Ducks were grinning from ear to ear. But soon enough, it felt like the punching bag came right swinging and landed right back on your face. Oregon did not play last weekend, but Drew Allar’s loss to the 0-4 UCLA Bruins flipped the script. Penn State’s rank took a hit, and so did the Ducks. But regardless of the rank, Eugene is going strong. Greg McElroy has picked Oregon to win this weekend.

“I’m going to take Oregon in this game, but I think it’s going to be close,” he said. “I’ll take the points. I think this has a chance to be a very high-scoring game. I like both offenses an awful lot.” In the recent Big Ten Power rankings, the Buckeyes top the charts, but Oregon and Indiana are hot on their heels at the No. 2 and No. 3rd positions respectively, with a 5-0 record.

ESPN’s Football Power Index tells a similar tale. Over the last five games, it has astutely predicted the wins of both the 5-0 squads. For the coming weekend, it pegs Oregon, pulling off a 69.5% chance to emerge victorious, with the Hooisers having a 30.5% chance.