On Monday, Heather Dinich, a senior writer at ESPN, published a list of the 12 college football games in 2024 that be the most impactful in selecting the first 12-team playoff field. The Oregon Ducks were featured on the list twice, first at No. 3 for their October 12th home game against Ohio State, and second at No. 11 for their September 7th home game against Boise State.
Both games will certainly be impactful but for different reasons. Some are already predicting Oregon vs. Ohio State to be the game of the year in 2024, and it makes sense why. Both programs have a decent contingent of returning starters, both have recruited well this offseason, and they are the odds-on favorites to play for the Big Ten championship in December. It will be the Ducks’ and the Buckeyes’ first matchup since their instant classic from 2021, when the No. 22 ranked Ducks went on the road to Ohio Stadium and upset the No. 6 Buckeyes 35-28.
Dinich had a lot to say about why this game will matter to the College Football Playoff selection committee, which you can read here, but one of the key takeaways is that Oregon has the potential to win the Big Ten during their first year in the conference.
“Ohio State and Michigan aren’t the only Big Ten teams capable of winning the league,” Dinich said. The Ducks are talented enough to earn a historic title this season, a path that could start with a home win against the Buckeyes. This game is critical to both teams’ playoff hopes — as an at-large contender or as a conference champion.”
I expected Oregon vs. Ohio State to be included on this list, but I didn’t see Boise State Broncos vs. Oregon Ducks coming. Dinich included the Ducks’ Week 2 matchup because, in the 12-team playoff format, the highest-ranked Group of 5 teams will automatically qualify.
Boise State won’t be the favorite to secure the G5 playoff berth (that’ll most likely go to Ty Thompson and Tulane), but they aren’t out of the running either. The Broncos won the Mountain West with an 8-6 (6-2) record in 2023, and they’ll add Malachi Nelson at QB — a transfer from USC and one of the top recruits in the class of 2023. And, as Dinich points out, if the Broncos can knock off Oregon in early September, securing the G5 berth will become much more likely.
“If Boise State somehow pulls off the upset at Oregon, the Broncos will grab the committee’s attention before they even meet for the first time,” Dinich said.
Oregon doesn’t have a great track record against Boise State. The Ducks are 0-3 all-time to the Broncos with their most recent loss coming in 2017. Still, Oregon is set up well to win this game. They have one of the top rosters and coaching staffs in the country, and Boise State’s program has seen better days in the last 15 years.
Both of these matchups will be great games. We may be primed for another instant classic when the Ducks face the Buckeyes, and Oregon will need to execute well in Week 2 to fend off Boise State’s challenge.
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