Oregon football: Ducks path to the College Football Playoff

The Oregon football team is in the right spot to get back into the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2014.

At 9-1 on the season, the Oregon football program is on the verge of getting back into the College Football Playoff for the first time in seven years.

Heading into Week 12, the Ducks are the No. 3 team CFP rankings. They have a huge, head-to-head, non-conference victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes. While the Pac-12 does not have a ton of great teams this year, Oregon is in a prime position to make the four-team field. Though one can debate to what degree they control their destiny, here is what the Ducks have to do to get in.

The recipe for playoff inclusion is very simple for the Ducks: Just win out.

Oregon football: How the Ducks can make the College Football Playoff

For the Ducks to make the playoff, they must win their next three games. They have a tough road game at Utah on Saturday. After that, they host rival Oregon State on Thanksgiving Weekend. At 11-1 (8-1) on the year, Oregon will play almost certainly Utah once again for the Pac-12 Championship. This game will be in Las Vegas. So if Oregon is 12-1 (8-1), the Ducks are getting in.

While the Stanford loss is not great, the Ducks’ head-to-head victory over potential Big Ten Champion Ohio State will get them in. The College Football Playoff Selection Committee may have Oregon a tad overvalued, but they are in a position to be a No. 3 or No. 4 seed if they win out. Even if the SEC does get two teams in, the Ducks will be getting in, along with the Big Ten Champion.

Simply, a one-loss Pac-12 champion Oregon team will get in over a one-loss Big 12 champion, a one-loss ACC champion and probably an undefeated Cincinnati Bearcats team out of the Group of Five. Once again, the Selection Committee will value the impressive road victory over Ohio State, no matter how the Buckeyes’ regular season ends. Oregon will be getting in if the Ducks win out.

If the Ducks win their next three games, they will be the third Pac-12 team to make the College Football Playoff, joining the 2016 Washington Huskies and the 2014 Ducks.

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