The Oregon Ducks just picked up one of the biggest wins possible, going on the road and beating Ohio State in Columbus. The season is getting late, and as everyone is gearing up for one last push toward the College Football Playoff, Dan Lanning's team is getting hot at the right time, which could help salvage some of the goals this team had coming into the year.
The initial College Football Playoff rankings landed the Ducks at No. 23 after the big win over Northwestern. On Tuesday Night, Oregon is set to gain a far more favorable ranking with the Ohio State win, but that's not all they're going to be looking for.
5 rankings Oregon needs in Tuesday's CFP reveal
A ranking in the Top 15
The most ideal ranking for the Oregon Ducks on Tuesday Night would be to jump into the Top 15 from No. 23. While winning the Big Ten Championship is the clearest path into the field, making the jump into the Top 15 would give the Ducks a great path to earn an at-large bid over these final 3 weeks. While the Ducks' resume won't get much stronger, simply winning games could see Dan Lanning's team secure their place if others around the country continue to take losses.
Gaining the edge on BYU?
The biggest question for the committee is going to be where they rank the BYU Cougars, who debuted at No. 9 last week. The Big 12 being a one-bid league is the best possible outcome for a team like Oregon, and the Ducks need the committee to ding the Cougars signficantly for their loss. The safest hope is that BYU loses one more game down the stretch, but if Oregon can jump BYU, the lack of big games remaining for both would favor the Ducks.
Ohio State to remain in the Top 25
The good news is that Oregon sent a statement in their win over Ohio State; the bad news is that the committee could take them out of the Top 25 with the way they looked. Beating the Buckeyes is going to be one of the biggest resume points for the Ducks, and Oregon needs to see Ohio State revealed inside the Top 25 on Tuesday Night. If Oregon doesn't have the Top 25 wins at the end of the season, it may not matter that the team ran the table, as there will be arguments against the Ducks.
To be ranked ahead of LSU, South Carolina, Missouri, and Ole Miss
Oregon won't share any common opponents with teams in the SEC, so it's important for the Ducks to hold the advantage over any team with the same record. This weekend, LSU, Missouri, and Ole Miss each took losses, while South Carolina was ranked ahead of the Ducks with the same record, but the poll could shift a ton. Oregon needs to jump LSU, South Carolina, Missouri, and Ole Miss this weekend, and then hope a few take losses to keep them out of the debate moving forward.
Boise State to gain some breathing room
The Week 1 win over Boise State has continued to age well, and on Tuesday Night, hopefully the number next to the Broncos gets smaller. Last week, the Broncos just hardly cracked the CFP rankings at No. 25, but hopefully they start to get some breathing room, and grow as a key point for the Ducks. No. 24 Florida and No. 18 Missouri losing could allow the Broncos to jump two places, and it would set them up to continue climbing the rest of the way.
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