Playoff Hopes are Alive, But Are They Realistic?
Despite the loss to Stanford on Saturday, Oregon still has a chance to run the table and make it to the College Football Playoff at the end of the season. It’s possible, but is it realistic?
Let’s look at what would need to happen in order for the Ducks to get a nod as a top-4 team.
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First off, Oregon would need to finish the season with an 11-1 record and a win in the Pac-12 Championship Game. Even then, that may not be enough. Should the Ducks get to that point, it’s likely they will have a ranking somewhere in the 5-7 range in the nation, which brings resume into account. How did Ohio State finish the season? Who did Oregon beat in the Pac-12 title game? Was it UCLA? Were they ranked? Did Fresno State finish as a Top-25 team? Were any of Oregon’s victories in the conference ranked in the Top-25? Was Oregon convincing enough in the second half of the season to prove that they are one of the four best teams in the nation, and deserving of a game vs. Alabama or Georgia in the playoff?
These are the questions that Oregon fans need to start asking themselves if they want to think about a trip to the CFP. You stack them all up, and it’s not crazy to get the feeling that it may be a bit far-fetched at this point. What feels more likely, rather, is that Oregon goes on to win the Pac-12 North, takes a third-straight Pac-12 Championship, and makes a trip down south to the Rose Bowl to play an opponent from the Big-12, be that Iowa, Penn State, or Ohio State.
It’s not as enticing as we thought it would be when dreaming before the season started, but it may be where things end up for the Ducks.
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