Ducks Digest

Oregon Ducks' Potential Path Through Newly Announced Playoff Dates

Next season's College Football Playoff National Championship will be on Monday, Jan. 25, 2027, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Oregon Ducks haven't been on that final stage since the inaugural 2015 College Football Playoff title game.
Arden Cravalho|
Jan 9, 2026; Atlanta, GA, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning leads his team onto the field prior to the 2025 Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff against the Indiana Hoosiers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Jan 9, 2026; Atlanta, GA, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning leads his team onto the field prior to the 2025 Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff against the Indiana Hoosiers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

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Oregon DucksOhio State BuckeyesIndiana Hoosiers

The NCAA and the College Football Playoff have announced the future dates and bowl sites for their quarterfinal and semifinal games next season.

Many Oregon Ducks and college football fans in general are disappointed to learn that there are 38 days separating the early first-round matchups for the No. 5 through No. 12 seeds in the field. until the National Championship on Monday, Jan. 25, 2027, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti shakes hands with Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning
Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti shakes hands with Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, after the Indiana Hoosiers defeated the Oregon Ducks in the Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The first round matchups will take place from Dec. 18-19 at the higher seed's home field. After that, here are the College Football Playoff dates for the quarterfinals and semifinal matchups. This includes a two-week break between the quarterfinals and semifinals.

College Football Playoff Quarterfinals Dates/Locations

  • Dec. 30, 2026: Fiesta Bowl (State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona)
  • Jan 1, 2027: Rose Bowl (Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California)
  • Jan 1, 2027: Peach Bowl (Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia)
  • Jan 1, 2027: Cotton Bowl (AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas)

College Football Playoff Semifinals Dates/Locations

Jan 14, 2027: Orange Bowl (Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida)
Jan 15, 2027: Sugar Bowl (Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana)

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Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) walks off the field after losing to the Ohio State Buckeyes
Jan 12, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) walks off the field after losing to the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2015 CFP National Championship Game at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images | Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Oregon's College Football Playoff History

In the first year of the College Football Playoff model in 2015, replacing the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) model, Oregon lost to the Ohio State Buckeyes 42-20 in the national title game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Under Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Marcus Mariota, the Ducks beat the Florida State Seminoles 59-20 in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, to get to that highest stage.

Oregon's next appearance in the College Football Playoff would come ten years later in 2015, with the current 12-team playoff format in place. The Ducks were given the No. 1 seed, but were upset by Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, 41-21.

This past season, Oregon beat the James Madison Dukes at home in front of a raucous Autzen Stadium crowd, 51-34. After that, they shut out the Big 12 Conference champion Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Orange Bowl, 23-0.

The 2025 season came to a close in a blowout fashion against the eventual national champion Indiana Hoosiers behind their own Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza at the Peach Bowl, 56-22.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning speaks during the head coaches’ press conference ahead of the Peach Bowl
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning speaks during the head coaches’ press conference ahead of the Peach Bowl at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia, on Jan. 8, 2026. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Dan Lanning in the College Football Playoff Spotlight

Through the big pressure College Football Playoff matchups on a neutral field under coach Dan Lanning, his teams have struggled to make a winning impact. In the last two season-ending losses against Big Ten foes for the Ducks, they have been outscored 97-43.

On the brighter side, Oregon has continuously gotten better and better under Lanning since taking the job back in 2022. He's gone from not making the College Football Playoff field in his first two seasons to the quarterfinals in 2024 and then the semifinals in 2025. Lanning's growth as a premier recruiter, leader, and competitor has been evident in his early beginnings with the Ducks' program.

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Arden Cravalho
ARDEN CRAVALHO

Arden Cravalho is a reporter for Oregon Ducks on SI. He has been writing extensively about college athletics beginning in 2018, specifically as the lead writer and editor for SB Nation's 'The Slipper Still Fits.' Arden is a graduate of Gonzaga University and brings a deep understanding of college sports to his writing. Residing in San Francisco, California, Arden is also a part of the California Golden Bears' athletic department as a Ticket Sales and Service Account Executive. His overall experience and dedication to college athletics are evident in his insightfulness and analysis throughout all of his work.

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