The Big Lead

Which 2025 College Football Playoff fan bases would a national title be most meaningful for?

By Sam Westmoreland

Nov 30, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman celebrates with players at the end of the game against the Southern California Trojans at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Nov 30, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman celebrates with players at the end of the game against the Southern California Trojans at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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3. OREGON

The Oregon Ducks are looking to finally get the title that has eluded them for the better part of 30 years.
Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning celebrates Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, during the Big Ten Championship game between the Oregon Ducks and the Penn State Nittany Lions at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The Ducks defeated the Nittany Lions, 45-37. / Grace Smith/Indianapolis Star / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

If Penn State is college football's historical bridesmaid, Oregon is the modern equivalent. This team has had more near misses with national titles over the last 30 years than any other program I can recall. From Mike Belotti's 2001 team being denied a BCS berth despite being 11-1 and ranked 2nd in the AP Poll, to Chip Kelly's team losing in the BCS Championship in 2010, to Dan Lanning losing twice to Washington last season to keep the Ducks out of the playoff field, this team has done nothing but come up just short of the promised land time after time after time.

They've never won a title, never even claimed one in the wild west days before 1996 and the BCS. They are arguably the biggest program in the country to have never won a title, and getting to that goal after so many near misses would be an incredible achievement for Lanning and the Ducks' program. The only thing keeping them out of the top spot is the presence of a pair of desperate juggernauts of the sport.

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