The Games That Could Reshape Oregon Ducks’ Playoff Ranking

The Oregon Ducks moved up a spot to No. 8 in the second College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings. The Ducks can – for the most part – control their own destiny by winning out.

But several games left in the regular season could completely shift what the current playoff bracket looks like. Oregon will make the postseason by winning its last three games, but who and where it plays will depend on how the rest of the season and the conference championships shake out.

Oregon’s Remaining Matchups

oregon ducks college football playoff dan lanning big ten iowa hawkeyes usc trojans ohio state buckeyes georgia bulldogs — Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks the field during warmups as the Oregon Ducks face the Penn State Nittany Lions on Sept. 27, 2025, at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Ducks play one team that’s listed in the latest CFP rankings in their last three games: No. 17 USC.

A loss at home to a Minnesota team that hasn’t won a game on the road this season would be detrimental to Oregon’s CFP hopes. A loss to USC could still get the Ducks in, but that’s not guaranteed, and it would put the Trojans in a position to be a third Big Ten program in the postseason.

Taking down the Trojans, especially by a large margin, could help Oregon jump a spot or two in the rankings. The Ducks already boosted their ranking from No. 9 to a seed that would have them hosting the first round.

Oregon finishes the regular season on the road at Washington. The Huskies were in the first CFP rankings, but a 13-10 loss to Wisconsin tanked their CFP goals. The defeat arguably makes the Ducks’ struggles against the Badgers more justifiable, but taking down the Huskies in late November doesn’t help their CFP ranking as much as it did before.

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Notable Big Ten Games

No. 21 Iowa at No. 17 USC
No. 1 Ohio State at No. 18 Michigan

USC versus Iowa is certainly a matchup Ducks fans should pay attention to. Oregon received the great news in the second CFP rankings that the Hawkeyes were still ranked despite the loss. Iowa winning the rest of the season makes the Ducks’ latest win look a lot better. If the Trojans lose but keep it close, that may also bode well for Oregon to potentially keep USC in the rankings when they face off against the Ducks.

The Buckeyes missed out on a spot in the Big Ten Conference Championship game last season because they were upset by the Wolverines. If history repeats itself, the CFP bracket would totally shift. Ohio State may even find itself playing in the first round with a loss, or it could land on the opposite side of the bracket as Oregon.

Important Matchups Outside Big Ten

No. 10 Texas at No. 5 Georgia
No. 11 Oklahoma at No. 4 Alabama
No. 3 Texas A&M at No. 10 Texas
No. 5 Georgia at No. 16 Georgia Tech

The fifth-ranked Bulldogs have multiple matchups that could either result in them securing a first-round bye or playing on the road as a lower seed. The Longhorns also have some outings that will make or break their playoff desires.

Losses from teams like Georgia or Texas A&M, who currently rank ahead of the Ducks, would help Oregon jump in the rankings should it win out. A lot can happen before the time the bracket is finalized. In addition to the plethora of ranked matchups to round out the regular season, the conference championships always provide major implications for postseason rankings.