Autzen Zoo
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CBS College Football Playoff projection has Ducks facing SEC power, familiar foe

ByDale Bliss|
After two games Tosh Lupoi has his defense playing with impressive depth and intensity, giving up 3.82 yards per play and just one fourth quarter touchdown.
After two games Tosh Lupoi has his defense playing with impressive depth and intensity, giving up 3.82 yards per play and just one fourth quarter touchdown. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Brad Crawford of CBS posted his bowl projection after two weeks and the Ducks made a big upward move after two convincing performances.

"The Ducks flexed their firepower and made a major move in our updated College Football Playoff projection coming out of Week 2," Crawford wrote Sunday after Oregon dispatched Big 12 Oklahoma State 69-3.

A preseason skeptic about Oregon's chances, the CBS bracket expert now has them as the No. 6 seed, hosting a first-round playoff game against his No. 11 seed South Carolina and quarterback LaNorris Sellers on December 19 or 20 at Autzen Stadium.

Should they win that game, the Ducks would advance to a quarterfinal matchup in the Orange Bowl against projected No. 3 seed Miami and head coach Mario Cristobal.

About the Ducks, Crawford wrote, "It was pick-your-poison for the Cowboys' defense in the first half after Noah Whittington raced 59 yards for a touchdown on Oregon's first play and five-star freshman Dakorien Moore scored on a 65-yard reception on the next possession. The Ducks have had no issue squashing teams when there's a noticeable talent advantage under Lanning."

Buried somewhere in that evaluation is the oft-repeated claim that Dan Lanning can't win big games. He's 27-0 in his career against unranked FBS opponents, 10-6 against the Top 25, though five of those losses came in his first two years as a coach, and four (Georgia 2022, Washington 2023 twice, Ohio State 2024) came against teams who went on to play in the national championship.

Of course, injuries are always a wild card in playoff projections, particularly after two weeks. Teams can and do peak, fall off, or stumble on the road.

So far the Ducks have the look of a team with startling depth and focus. The box score for Saturday shows 30 different players made a tackle between defense and special teams. After Mike Gundy's ill-advised remarks during the week, the Coboys suffered their worst loss since 1907, with the Ducks exceeding the point spread by 38 points.

The Cowboys got the ball for 15 possessions and scored just one field goal. They suffered two Pick Sixes, eight three and outs and punted 10 times. Oregon's special teams held them to 13 yards per kick return and no return on two punts, one of which was downed at the five.

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