Mapping out Oregon Football’s Return to the College Football Playoff

The Oregon Geese may truly make the School Soccer Playoff. There, I mentioned it. 

When you had requested me earlier this 12 months, after the beatdown from Georgia and the success of different groups, I’d have mentioned completely no approach. However with the latest playoff rankings placing the Geese at No. 6 and with loads of attention-grabbing matchups coming, the Geese have a professional probability to make it.

So what must occur for the Geese to make {that a} actuality?

First: Geese should win out

This one appears easy sufficient. They have to win the remainder of the common season and the Pac-12 title. There isn’t any approach the committee would put Oregon in if they do not. Not with different one-loss groups or non-conference champs that look higher than the Geese. 

It will not be straightforward although. Oregon has a brutal again half of the schedule. Washington and Utah each come to Autzen, and the Geese will journey to Corvallis to shut out the common season in one other rivalry recreation in opposition to Oregon State. 

Proper now it appears like in the event that they make it to Vegas for the convention title they will probably face USC or UCLA. If all of that works out and so they can efficiently return to the highest of the convention, they’ve achieved their job.

From there, it is as much as the choice committee. What’s their view of Oregon, who would at that time be a one-loss Pac-12 champion.

Can they give the impression of being previous the season-opening loss to Georgia, one which got here in blowout trend? And the way a lot credit score do they offer the Geese, who’ve made a whole 180 within the time since? 

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Second: Chaos

A bit chaos all the time makes school soccer fun– granted it will not be almost as insane because the ’07 season, however somewhat chaos makes issues attention-grabbing.

Because the rankings stand now (Week 10), Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan, TCU, and Tennessee stand in entrance of Oregon. If the Geese needs a certain spot to get in, there’s acquired to be madness.

Beginning with Tennessee, in the event that they lose once more they’re out. Two losses and no SEC title bid all however absolutely eliminates them. 

Then there’s TCU. In the event that they lose to Texas, that may virtually absolutely knock them out of the playoff hunt. Moreover, playoff committee has a popularity of not favoring many Huge 12 groups apart Texas and Oklahoma.

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Then we come to Ohio State and Michigan. This one is I feel is essentially the most attention-grabbing. Ought to one in all them lose as soon as earlier than The Recreation, after which lose The Recreation, they’d be out. But when each go in undefeated then I feel Ohio State may get in even when they lose, so Oregon followers in all probability need Ohio State to take a few losses to get them in.

Georgia dropping would create essentially the most chaos, however would additionally current a difficulty doubtlessly for the Geese. Since Georgia destroyed Oregon firstly of the season, Duck followers need to see Georgia preserve successful in order that loss appears nearly as good as doable. If Georgia have been to slide up and lose a few games–which is extraordinarily unlikely– then that Oregon loss appears would not look nearly as good and the Geese would doubtlessly lose floor within the playoff hunt.

So whereas Oregon has an opportunity to get in, and a sensible probability at that, they will nonetheless need assistance. These subsequent few weeks might be important, as Oregon and the groups forward of them undergo some fairly robust video games. 

For the Geese, it begins Saturday at Autzen, when the Geese play the Huskies. Kickoff is ready for 4:10 pm PT on Fox.

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Observe Mark on Twitter: @markw2016

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