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The College Football Playoff Committee just gave Oregon a chance the Ducks never could've expected

ByNicholas Rome
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Oregon head coach Dan Lanning runs off at halftime as the Oregon Ducks host the UCLA Bruins on Oct. 10, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon.
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning runs off at halftime as the Oregon Ducks host the UCLA Bruins on Oct. 10, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

It's been far from the ideal season for the Oregon Ducks as the team enters the final stretch of the season holding a 5-3 record. The Ducks came into the season as one of the favorites to win the National Championship, and instead, Dante Moore will likely miss the rest of the season, and offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer has been fired. When the season began, everyone assumed that when the first College Football Playoff rankings were revealed, the Ducks would be ranked inside the Top 5.

Instead, when Tuesday Night's reveal came, most Oregon fans would've been surprised to see the team ranked inside the Top 25. While some Oregon fans may have been hopeful, few could've seen the Ducks getting the break they did in the initial set of rankings.

Oregon earns No. 23 ranking in the initial CFP Rankings

On Tuesday Night, the College Football Playoff committee unveiled its first Top 25 ranking of the year, and Dan Lanning's team has surprisingly earned the No. 23 ranking.

The news comes as a major surprise given the fact that both the AP Poll and Coaches Poll had the Ducks ranked outside of their Top 25. Oregon is the 2nd-ranked 3-loss team, trailing only South Carolina, which is great news for the Ducks.

Being ranked inside the Top 25 with the entire month left to be played means not only does Oregon still have a chance at making the Big Ten Championship Game, but the Ducks could even earn an at-large bid if the chaos continues to ensue.

This weekend marks Oregon's first major chance to make a move as the Ducks go on the road to face No. 12 Ohio State. A win over the Buckeyes would give the Ducks another resume building win, and it would mark Ohio State's 3rd loss, meaning that Oregon should jump them in the rankings.

Oregon's resume already includes Top 25 wins with USC ranked 20th and Boise State ranked 25th, and the Ducks would love to continue adding to that list. This may be the Ducks' last chance to earn a Top 25 win as Michigan, Michigan State, and Washington all have had up-and-down seasons, and would need a ton of help to enter the mix.

The goal for the rest of the way for Oregon is simple, handle business and hope for chaos, as there's a real shot at salvaging the season. Each conference has massive games left to be played, and as ranked teams continue to face each other, teams are going to fall with losses. Oregon needs to start winning and winning with style points, as it could lead to a constant climb over the final month of the season.

For everything that's gone wrong for this Oregon team, there's now a clear chance to save what started as a promising year. Dan Lanning has the perfect source of motivation to drive this team over the final month, and they can't let this extra chance slip away as everything is still in reach.

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