Duck fans jubilant as Oregon's playoff path is set

The College Football Playoff field is set, and Oregon has a home game against a beatable opponent, the same formula Ohio State used to win it all last year.

**Previous editions of this story listed incorrect time and network information for Oregon's playoff schedule. The No. 5 Oregon Ducks will host James Madison at Autzen Stadium on Saturday December 20 on TNT and HBO Max, 4:30 p.m. PT

The Ducks are a 20.5-point favorite. Should they win, they will travel to the Orange Bowl to take on No. 4 Texas Tech on January 1, 9 a.m. PT from Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, televised on ESPN. Autzen Zoo regrets the error.**

The Ducks will host James Madison at Autzen Stadium December 20. If they win, they'll advance to the Orange Bowl vs the Red Raiders.

Provided they get healthier, the Ducks have decent odds to win it all. They have the nation's No. 6 defense at 4.16 yards per play. Offensively, they are No. 9 in the FBS in scoring at 38.2 points per game.

The Ducks will be a three-touchdown favorite against JMU, champions of the Sun Belt Conference.

Ducks need health at wide receiver and offensive line, plus a better plan for pressure

Quarterfinal opponent Texas Tech poses a challenge as a swarming, physical defense with great linebacker play. Potentially they can follow the game plan Indiana used to thwart the Oregon offense back in October, relying on simulated pressure and timely blitzes.

Overall, Oregon's draw gives them a fair chance at a deep run with progressive challenges and the best set of matchups in the bracket: a home playoff game against a Group of Five opponent, a beatable Big 12 Champion with whom they match up well on offense, defense and special teams, then a rematch with the Hoosiers.

Elsewhere in the bracket, Alabama made the field despite falling to 10-3 after a 28-7 loss to Georgia in the SEC title game. 9-3 Texas, Notre Dame, 10-2 Vanderbilt and 11-2 BYU were passed over. Duke won the ACC Championship, finishing 8-5, but the Hurricanes got the nod for the playoff.

Miami moved up to 10 even though they didn't play this weekend. They'll play Texas A&M in College Station.

The 2025-26 bracket will only increase pressure to expand the playoffs. ESPN analyst Greg McElroy observed that it was the first year a team was left out that could have had a legitimate shot at winning it all. With SEC teams winning up on the bubble, expansion to 16 or 24 seems inevitable, particularly because the networks and conferences will make more money.

In other bowl news, Iowa State became the second Big 12 school to decline a bowl bid. Imagine choosing not to compete and get extra practices and snaps for your freshmen and sophomores, an awful trend for the future of college football.