This has been an interesting season for Oregon, as the Ducks honestly haven't been talked about too much. After a double overtime win over Penn State, many had this team as the one to potentially beat Ohio State. The Nittany Lions really fell off the face of the Earth, and Oregon got beat by Indiana at home in Eugene.
Since then, the Ducks have just put their head down and played their game. Granted, the game against Wisconsin wasn't pretty, but a bye week is exactly what the doctor ordered for this team, and Dan Lanning always knows how to get his team right.
Even with some of the small struggles Oregon has faced, with only one loss so far this season, this team is looking to be a College Football Playoff team yet again. Granted, they may not get the top seed and a bye again this season, but it didn't go too well for them last season, so let's try something different.
The College Football Playoff selection committee is jumping into the fun of all the predictions and releasing its first rankings of the season on Tuesday, November 4, live on ESPN.
So, with the rankings coming out soon, here is a prediction on how the College Football Playoff will shake out at the end of the season.
Team | Ranking | Why are they here? |
|---|---|---|
Ohio State Buckeyes | 1 | Big Ten Champion |
Texas A&M Aggies | 2 | SEC Champion |
Texas Tech Red Raiders | 3 | Big 12 Champion |
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | 4 | ACC Champion |
Indiana Hoosiers | 5 | At-large |
Alabama Crimon Tide | 6 | At-large |
Ole Miss Rebels | 7 | At-large |
Oregon Ducks | 8 | At-large |
BYU Cougars | 9 | At-large |
Georgia Bulldogs | 10 | At-large |
Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 11 | At-large |
Memphis Tigers | 12 | Group of Five Champion |
Oregon fans may feel like the Ducks are ranked way too low in the prediction, especially since they have only lost one this season. However, with the competition this season, Oregon has lost its only true big game this season. That Penn State game can not count now since the Nittany Lions have yet to beat a power conference team this season.
For the Ducks, they have the ability to move up if the SEC continues to beat up on each other, but with the way it is, the Ducks probably won't be back in the Big Ten Championship with the loss to Indiana and Ohio State still undefeated.
This may not hurt Oregon that much, though, because it would be one less game they have to play and another week of rest they could get, especially not getting the early bye week in the first round. So, don't freak out, Oregon fans, the Ducks are under the radar right now, but that is okay.