I easily could because he has Great Cleave and I don't think he's going to be using that against 70-hit point large ogres. (If Cleave preserved the damage bonus from Smite Evil, though, he probably could!)
Grease is a good grapple tactic for PCs, but it wouldn't help here because using Escape Artist is a standard action. As a "solo monster," the paladin can't afford to give up a standard action the way he would as a PC. He'd lose all his attacks.