While it's been far from the season Oregon Ducks fans expected or hoped for, if you're an optimist, the season isn't quite over yet. At 5-3, a path to the Big Ten Championship Game isn't that crazy, and with the chaos around the country, the Ducks could even push for an at-large bid with a ton of help. The true benchmark for showing if it's possible is on Saturday Afternoon as the Ducks will have a chance to add another ranked win, this time over Ohio State.
On Tuesday Night, the College Football Playoff committee will unveil their first set of rankings for the year. While it's unlikely that the Ducks will be revealed as one of the teams in the mix, there are a few important events that need to happen if Dan Lanning's team is going to go on any run.
5 things Oregon fans should hope for in the initial College Football Playoff rankings reveal
Northwestern to remain in the Top 25
Ahead of the first College Football Playoff rankings reveal, Oregon was able to make a strong impression, picking up a win over Northwestern who was ranked inside the AP Top 25 Poll. When the Playoff rankings are revealed, the Ducks would love to see the Wildcats inside the Top 25, and for David Braun's team to continue building their resume.
A high ranking for Ohio State
This week, Oregon is going to get a chance to earn another Top 25 win as the Ducks face off against the Ohio State Buckeyes. USC knocking off Ryan Day's team last week will likely keep it from being a Top 10 win, but the closer to that group they are the bigger the opportunity for the Ducks. Oregon obviously can't afford to lose another game, and any shot at a Big Ten run or an at-large bid starts with beating the Buckeyes.
USC in the Top 15
The biggest point on Oregon's resume to this point is the win over the USC Trojans, especially coming off their win over Ohio State. Lincoln Riley's team still has some tough games ahead, but considering that they're on the bye, when the rankings roll around next week, it could be key in getting the Ducks into the Top 25.
UCLA in the Top 5
Oregon's losses to Oklahoma State and Illinois aren't going to look great with the Illini still sitting at 5-3 while the Cowboys just suffered their 3rd loss of the season. The lone loss that's easy to defend at this point is the one to UCLA who remains unbeaten, and ranks 5th in the AP Poll. The Ducks are going to need the Bruins to continue winning, and start to push past some of the SEC teams to help bolster the resume.
Boise State to be ranked
Ranked wins are important, and the Ducks got off to a perfect start to the season by beating Boise State as the win continues to age well. The Broncos have been a mainstay in the AP Top 25, and when the initial playoff rankings are revealed, the Ducks would love to see the Broncos pop up. If the Ducks are going to put together a resume down the line, it's going to need to involve the Broncos being a ranked team and the Group of 6 Playoff representative.
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