The Mighty Oregon Ducks have fallen, and with them go the Pac-12’s hopes of reaching the College Football Playoff, realistically speaking, at least.
Of course, there is still a chance that Oregon can make it to the CFP this year, but now with one loss on their record, they are no longer on an inside track to a spot in the top four, and rather would need some help getting there.
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Luckily for the Ducks, their No. 8 ranking in the nation seems to point towards a path back into the good graces of the voters, should some things shake-up ahead of them. Sitting between Oregon and a spot in the top 4 are three unbeaten teams that are in the same conference — Iowa, Penn State, and Cincinnatti — as well as one team that the Ducks have already beaten — Ohio State. That means that losses are expected to come, and if the Ducks can be perfect from here until December, they still have a chance.
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If not, then Oregon may need to settle for a trip to the Rose Bowl, which doesn’t seem like a bad consolation prize in the grand scheme of things. That’s how CBS Sports currently predicts things will shake out this season, with the Ducks projected to face Penn State in the Grandaddy of them all.
The loss by Oregon drops the Ducks to the Pac-12 spot in the Rose Bowl as the expected league champion. They are projected to face Big Ten runner-up Penn State, which is finally able to find a spot in the New Year’s Six projections as Oregon’s loss meant there is now no need for a second Pac-12 team.
We will first need to see how the Ducks respond to their first loss of the season before penciling them in as a three-peat Pac-12 Champion, and wait with bated breath as they answer a number of tough questions about the makeup of their team.
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