Oregon Ducks clench consensus No. 1 spot just days before first CFP rankings

The Oregon Ducks are the consensus No. 1 team in the nation. After a couple of weeks with the top spot in the AP Poll, the Ducks finally secured every first-place vote – stealing some final votes from the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs.

In Week 10, Oregon dominated the Michigan Wolverines in the Big House and the big-time Big Ten victory earned the Ducks even more respect from the national audience.

Quarterback Dillon Gabriel had a nearly perfect game, the Ducks' wide receivers were in their best form, and the Oregon running back game was as strong as ever. Oregon's defense held Michigan to less than 300 total yards and just two touchdowns throughout the conference matchup.

Oregon has not blinked as the team has taken on some of the toughest opponents in the country. The Ducks already downed the Ohio State Buckeyes and surpassed the Boise State Broncos. Visiting Ann Arbor and flying home with a win is no easy feat but the Ducks have now checked that off the list as well.

In fact, Oregon is the first collegiate football team since 2015 to defeat the Buckeyes and the Wolverines during the same season.

While the AP Top 25 Poll is not supposed to have any sway over the College Football Playoff rankings, how can the unanimous No. 1 team in the country not sound alluring to the CFP Committee?

Also read: When is the first 2024 College Football Playoff rankings released?

Alongside the Ducks in the top ten are Big Ten members Ohio State, Penn State, and Indiana. Oregon will not face the Penn State Nittany Lions nor the Indiana Hoosiers in the regular season. More likely than not, the Ducks will face the Hoosiers in the Big Ten Championship, or it will be a rematch against the Buckeyes.

The first College Football Playoff rankings are scheduled to release on Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT on ESPN.

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