Oregon's twisting path to playoff success includes LONG road trip and a rematch

Brad Crawford of CBS has been projecting bowl games and the College Football Playoff bracket for as long as it's been a thing, well-acquainted with the twists and turns of committee evaluations, strength of record and the proverbial eye test, which may or may not be utilized at the Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine, Texas, where the committee meets each Tuesday.

Complicating their deliberations is a crowded bracket complete with tricky decisions, including what to do about Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Notre Dame and Miami, whose fans all have their own way of fansplaining their resumes.

For the Ducks, it's pretty clear-cut. Their work is done, they've finished a third-straight season with 11 or more wins, and they don't have to go to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship. That means three precious weeks to heal a beat-up roster.

Where Oregon falls in the bracket, and who'll they'll likely face

Like most analysts and experts, the illustrious and well-seasoned Crawford has Oregon at No. 6 when the Championship Week dust settles. They're currently a surprising No. 4 in the AP and Coaches Polls, but conference championship winners typically get a bump in the committee's evaluations, which will shift things a bit. It's straight seeding this year, however.

The actual bracket comes out Sunday afternoon December 7th. The projections before then are all speculation. Like Crawford most have Oregon in the sixth spot, which means hosting 11, probably a Group of Five champ like Tulane. In the quarterfinal, winner of 6/11 plays the No. 3-seed.

Brad Crawford of CBS projects that to be Indiana in the Orange Bowl, meaning the Hoosiers lose the Big Ten Championship Game to Ohio State.

The Rose Bowl will be CFP No. 1 (the Buckeyes) versus the winner of 8 vs. 9. So the Ducks won't play in Pasadena unless they fall to 8/9 and win in the first round.