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Kirk Herbstreit Lays Out Oregon Ducks' Playoff Path

The Oregon Ducks should not be written out of the College Football Playoff quite yet.
Charlie Viehl|
Jan 18, 2026; Miami, FL, USA; ESPN College GameDay analyst Kirk Herbstreit speaks to fans at fan fest in the Miami Beach Convention Center before the College Football National Championship between the Indiana Hoosiers and the Miami Hurricanes in Miami Florida.
Jan 18, 2026; Miami, FL, USA; ESPN College GameDay analyst Kirk Herbstreit speaks to fans at fan fest in the Miami Beach Convention Center before the College Football National Championship between the Indiana Hoosiers and the Miami Hurricanes in Miami Florida. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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The No. 23 Oregon Ducks appeared dead to rights for making the College Football Playoff after suffering a third loss on the season, falling to the Illinois Fighting Illini on the road. However, after Oregon's win over then-ranked No. 20 Northwestern, the Ducks seem to be back in the postseason conversation. With a matchup against No. 12 Ohio State on Saturday, though, Oregon likely cannot afford another loss in order to reach the CFP.

Placed at No. 23 in the initial rankings released by the CFP Selection Committee, the path forward for the Ducks to have a chance is clear: win out. While it's a tall task that will not even guarantee that Oregon makes the 12-team playoff, ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit seems to like the Ducks chances if they can beat the Buckeyes on Saturday.

kirk herbstreit oregon ducks college football playoff path ohio state buckeyes betting odds dan lanning dylan raiola
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks the sideline as the Oregon Ducks host the Northwestern Wildcats on Oct. 31, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Kirk Herbstreit on Oregon Ducks' CFP Path

While appearing on The Pat McAfee Show on ESPN, Herbstreit laid out Oregon as a potential dark-horse team to crash the CFP.

"Because there’s gonna be three-loss teams that are probably gonna be stacked up there in early December, right? Who knows if there’s gonna be one, two, three. Who knows how many might get in. But if you look down there in the 20s. I was looking at Oregon. Everybody gave up on Oregon, said their season’s over. They’re terrible. Fire everybody. They just got a big win last week, and I’m not saying they’re going to go to Columbus and win."

"But if they did, even with three losses, they would set themselves up to have a shot, if they win in Columbus,  they’d have a real shot to win out. And they’d be sitting there at 9-3. I think you have to look at teams like that, like who could come on late if they have a big win this weekend? I think Oregon falls into that category."

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kirk herbstreit oregon ducks college football playoff path ohio state buckeyes betting odds dan lanning dylan raiola
Oct 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day reacts against the Southern California Trojans | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Herbstreit's opinion on Oregon did not come out of nowhere. Once the initial rankings were released, Herbstreit saw a path for Ducks coach Dan Lanning and his team relatively quickly. However, Oregon has a relatively large roadblock ahead of them in the shape of Ohio State. Herbstreit, a Buckeyes legend, made it clear that he is not presuming the Ducks will beat Ohio State.

"They find a way to beat a top 20 team in Northwestern. Now they got Ohio State on the road. I'm not saying they're going to win. I'm just saying if somehow, some way, they figure out a way to knock off Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, and Washington. I feel like there's a path," Herbstreit said on Tuesday after the first rankings release.

As mentioned by Herbstreit, Oregon closes out the season with Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, and Washington in November. Can the Ducks go on a run and reach the program's third consecutive postseason?

kirk herbstreit oregon ducks college football playoff path ohio state buckeyes betting odds dan lanning dylan raiola
Oregon quarterback Dylan Raiola, celebrates as the Oregon Ducks host the Northwestern Wildcats on Oct. 31, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Oregon Ducks vs. Ohio State Buckeyes Betting Odds

While Herbstreit may see a path for Oregon, the betting odds paint a different picture.

According to DraftKings, Ohio State is favored by 7.5 points over the Ducks on Saturday. When it comes to reaching the CFP, FanDuel gives Oregon +1200 odds, putting the Ducks behind teams like Arizona and South Carolina.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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Charlie Viehl
CHARLIE VIEHL

Charlie Viehl is the deputy editor for the Oregon Ducks, Colorado Buffaloes, and USC Trojans on SI. He has written hundreds of articles for SI and has covered events like the Big Ten Championship and College Football Playoff Quarterfinals at the Rose Bowl. While pursuing a career in sports journalism, he is also a lifelong musician, holding a degree in Music and Philosophy from Boston College. A native of Pasadena, California, he covered sports across Los Angeles while at Loyola High School and edited the Gabelli Presidential Scholars Program’s magazine at BC. He is excited to bring his passion for storytelling and sports to fans of college athletics.

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