The Oregon Ducks moved up one spot to No. 3 in the latest college football playoff rankings, released Tuesday. It comes after a messy, but decisive win over the Washington Huskies, and a Michigan State loss. It marks an important milestone for a team that hasn’t been ranked this high since Marcus Mariota’s 2014 national title contending campaign. There are still some hurdles to jump on the schedule which include Washington State, Arizona State and the always difficult rivalry vs. the Beavers.
Will the Ducks be able to hold on punch their ticket to a college football playoff for the first time in half a decade? It might not be entirely in their hands.
ESPN's Adam Rittenberg joined Dirt & Sprague to talk Ducks CFP ranking and state of the Pac-12
Teams like Oklahoma and Cincinnati will present interesting counters to Oregon’s top ranking. The Sooners haven’t faced any competition during their undefeated season, but matchups against No. 18 Baylor and No. 10 Oklahoma State, a rivalry game, could tip the scales in their favor. The Bearcats also present an interesting situation.
If Cincinnati can win out in convincing fashion, and benefit from an Ohio State loss, there are going to be serious questions about the Bearcats deserving a shot at the title. Of course there would be no need for this discussion if the committee expanded the playoff to eight teams, but alas, we remain with four.
It’s easy to get caught up in the Ducks’ recent success and forget the large number of Freshman that contribute significant time on the field. Most fans would agree, this type of success is ahead of schedule for Mario Crisobal’s squad.
Enjoy these weeks while they last. There are sure to be more in the future.
