The Oregon Ducks' College Football Playoff Chances Are Changing

After the No. 2 Oregon Ducks walked into Happy Valley on Sept. 27. and took down No. 7 Penn State in double overtime 30-24, not only did the team rise in rankings, but increased it's shot at solidifying a spot in the College Football Playoff.

On Sept. 28 ESPN published it's 'Allstate Playoff Predictor' that lists 24 teams with the best chance to make the 12-team playoff, and at the top is the Oregon Ducks and No. 1 Ohio State, who both have an 87 percent chance to have a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Oregon Ducks Penn State Nittany Lions Indiana Hoosiers Dan Lanning Dante Moore Dakorien Moore Dierre Hill Jr. Tosh Lupoi autz — Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning as the Oregon Ducks host the Oregon State Beavers Sept. 20, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oregon Took Over The White Out

The Ducks' had a dominant start to their season but had yet to prove it's worth against a credible opponent.

Oregon seized the moment in it's opportunity to upset Penn State in Beaver Stadium, and proved it's mental toughness in an extremely intense environment. The Ducks' embraced the White Out crowd with their own Mummy Duck White "Generation O" jerseys.

Not only did the Ducks' win the mental battle of the football game but also the execution that led to the 30-24 victory.

Quarterback Dante Moore threw for 248 yards, and three touchdowns escaping without a single interception agaisnt one of the top defenses in the country. On top of that true freshman wide receiver Dakorien Moore led the Oregon offense with 89 receiving yards on seven receptions.

The battle was won in the trenches with another true freshman running back in Dierre Hill Jr, who rushed for 82 yards and picked up his third total touchdown on the season, and sophomore running back Jordon Davison who put the Ducks' up 17-3 in the fourth quarter with his seventh rushing toucdown of the year.

The Ducks' defense has also shown utter domination week in and week out as the most it's allowed in a first half is a single touchdown. Needless to say defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi has done a great job with running his unit, and striking fear into offenses.

Ducks' Control Their Path To Playoff

With all pieces of Oregon's young and inexperienced offense firing on all cylinders there is no doubt that this team is in firm control of it's own destiny at this point.

The Ducks' passed their biggest test of the season, but could possibly be tested by No. 8 Indiana Hoosiers on Oct. 11 in Autzen Stadium. Although it will be the first home game of the season with all of the students back in Eugene, so a top-10 matchup with a fired up student section could be a recipe for success in silencing even the slightest chance of an upset.

Arguably the next challenge on the road would be Oregon's trip up north to face the Washington Huskies--as coach Dan Lanning has yet to take down the Huskies in Seattle during his time as head coach.

Oregon's path to the College Football Playoff seems solidified on paper when it comes to the rest of their regular season matchups, but from now on it's a matter of not beating themselves. The Ducks' must show their ability to stay composed and poised in matchups that could be viewed as "trap games".

The Ducks' will have an opportunity to prove just that in it's second top-10 matchup of the season on Oct. 11 against the No. 8 Indiana Hoosiers at 12:30 PM PST.