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We all knew that the Oregon Ducks were going to take a massive hit in the national rankings this week after their disastrous loss to the Utah Utes on Saturday night.
How far would they drop though? That’s a scary thing to ask…
When ESPN came out with their newest power rankings on Saturday night, though, the answer was ultimately given to us. They dropped Oregon 9 spots in the standings, placing then at No. 12, behind the Michigan State Spartans and ahead of the BYU Cougars.
The Ducks left no doubt they were unfit for the College Football Playoff by halftime of their game at Utah. The 28-0 deficit at the break eventually became a 38-7 loss for a team that has seen its fair share of unconvincing performances throughout conference play. Oregon didn’t do anything well in Salt Lake City: it was completely dominated in all three phases of the game. With the CFP out of play, Ducks will shift their focus to winning the Pac-12 in order to secure a Rose Bowl berth.
We will see where Oregon comes out in the College Football Playoff rankings later this week, but none of that really matters anymore at this point. What’s left to think about is the final game of the regular season against Oregon State, and finding a way back into the Pac-12 Championship Game, where they would get a very welcomed rematch against Utah.
If all goes right for the Ducks, they could salvage this season and earn a trip to the Rose Bowl. That’s a long way down the road, though.
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