New playoff committee rules make it harder for Oregon, easier for ND

The good news is that the College Football Playoff field will remain at 12 next year, but the bad news is that new selection rules make it harder for the Ducks.

In 2026, the playoff field will consist of the four Power 4 Champions, the highest ranked Group of 6 champion, and seven at-large teams. Notre Dame gets in automatically if they finish in the selection committee's top 12.

The new rules create three opportunities for the Ducks to finish in the top 12 and miss the playoff. They can get bumped by the Irish, a mediocre conference champion (like Duke this year at 7-5) or the best Group of 6 champion (in 2025, Tulane.)

While it wasn't a problem for Oregon this year finishing 11-1 with a regular season loss to No. 1 Indiana, the change makes for a harder road next fall. The Ducks have road games to USC, Ohio State, at Illinois and September 12 at an improved Oklahoma State squad.

Committee installs special rule for Notre Dame, which plays one of cfb's easiest schedules

Meanwhile Notre Dame plays eight opponents that had eight of more losses this season, just four with winning records in 2025, and one of the four is 11-2 Navy from the Group of 6. It's a schedule tailor-made to coast into the playoffs with a high ranking.

The best, safest route to the playoffs is to win all your games, but having a team that hasn't won a national championship since 1988 enjoy this built-in advantage (plus the advantage of not facing a conference championship game) tilts the odds a little.

ND is well-coached and they have a lot of talent returning including quarterback C.J. Carr. It's a popular program with a great tradition, but the committee's gone too far in setting up a special rule for them.

To be sure of a return to the playoff, Oregon has to finish in the top NINE. Any lower and they're leaving it up to the committee.