What Expanded Playoff Could Mean for Oregon Ducks, Big Ten

The No. 6 Oregon Ducks are in the midst of their regular season as they fight for a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff. With the playoff potentially expanding again, what would it look like for Oregon coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks?

Oregon coach Dan Lanning leads his team onto the field before the game against Indiana at Autzen Stadium October 11, 2025. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The upcoming College Football Playoff has a small change from the 2024 postseason format, with conference champions no longer being guaranteed a first-round bye. The top four seeded teams, according to the CFP Committee, will now be handed the byes, with at-large bids being handed out after them. 

While the number of teams in the CFP has tripled since 2014, there is reason to believe that that number will continue to rise which begs the question: What would a 24-team playoff look like? RJ Young, a Fox Sports college football analyst, projected what a 24-team playoff would look like this season.

Under Young's vision for a 24-team playoff, eight teams would receive first-round byes, and follow it up by hosting a playoff game at home. Young has projected Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M, and the Alabama Crimson Tide as the top four seeds. 

Kenny Dillingham Back at Oregon

Sep 13, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Kenny Dillingham looks around after a game against Texas State Bobcats at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images | Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images

Young has the Oregon Ducks at No. 5 in the hypothetical 24-team playoff, receiving a first-round bye and hosting the winner of Missouri and Arizona State. A hypothetical Arizona State win would bring Sun Devils coach Kenny Dillingham back to Autzen Stadium since the former Oregon offensive coordinator returned to his alma mater.

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The 24-team playoff is certainly not the most popular idea, especially for fans of tradition, but the expansion could be a welcome change for Ducks fans. Oregon would almost certainly be a shoo-in each year under their current spending with Name, Image, and Likeness, and with coach Dan Lanning at the helm.

More Playoff Games in Autzen Stadium

Oct 11, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning instructs his team from the sideline against the Indiana Hoosiers during the third quarter at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

The Ducks football program would most likely host more playoff games with an expanded field, leading to a clear financial gain for the athletic department. Considering Young's format and the 2025 season, the Ducks would hypothetically go on the road to play Alabama should the Ducks and Crimson Tide both win.

In the hypothetical 24-team playoff that Young has projected, four Big Ten teams receive automatic qualifiers in Ohio State, Oregon, Indiana, and Illinois. Teams that are still technically in the hunt in Young’s projection include Michigan, USC, UCLA, Washington, Minnesota, Iowa, and more. 

Meanwhile, teams like Michigan, USC, Iowa, and more from the Big Ten are still contending for a spot in the 12-team field.

Perhaps another reason Ducks fans may welcome a 24-team college football playoff would be the opportunity to have a path to the national championship even on a down year. With 24 teams, the Ducks could hypothetically lose three regular-season games and still get into the College Football Playoff.

The downside to a 24-team playoff that fans of college football may point out is the continued devaluation of regular-season games. Should Oregon lose to Washington on the final day of the regular season, the Ducks would still be very much alive for the postseason, making more regular-season games somewhat meaningless.