On a cold, rainy Saturday at Kinnick Stadium, it looked like No. 9 Oregon was about to take a major hit to its College Football Playoff chances, trailing Iowa 16-15 with less than two minutes to go.
But behind a Dante Moore game-winning drive that set up an Atticus Sappington field goal, the Ducks picked up their biggest win of the season, defeating the Hawkeyes 18-16. Oregon moved to 8-1 on the season and 5-1 in the Big Ten.
Oregon was No. 9 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings, but after the win and No. 7 BYU's loss to No. 8 Texas Tech, the Ducks are expected to move up in the poll.
Here’s what the ranked comeback win does for the Ducks.
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Will Oregon make the College Football Playoff?
Currently, Oregon is ranked No. 9 in the College Football Playoff rankings, lower than its AP Poll ranking of No. 6. That’s because the Ducks had not yet beaten any currently ranked opponents, while teams like BYU and Texas Tech had wins of higher quality.
Today, Oregon picked up its second win against a ranked opponent, and this one will carry more weight. The other came against No. 3 Penn State in Happy Valley, but the Nittany Lions have since lost six straight. This victory over No. 20 Iowa, a team that also gave No. 2 Indiana some trouble, will go a long way toward Oregon’s postseason aspirations.
Looking ahead, Oregon has more opportunities for quality wins. First, it hosts 6-3 Minnesota at Autzen Stadium, then welcomes No. 19 USC, and finishes the season at No. 23 Washington. All three would be considered quality wins if the Ducks can pull them off.
Of course, none of these games will be easy. P.J. Fleck has Minnesota playing well, and USC and Washington are both strong offensively, ranking near the top in scoring in their respective conferences.
While Oregon sits outside the Pac-12 Championship picture right now — with No. 1 Utah and No. 2 USC leading the way — today’s win should give momentum to an inspired Ducks team as it enters the stretch, keeping its postseason aspirations very much alive.
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How did BYU's loss help Oregon?
The loss suffered by then-undefeated No. 7 BYU to No. 8 Texas Tech directly benefited No. 9 Oregon in the College Football Playoff race, since a team ranked immediately ahead of them now has the same record. This effectively clears a path for the Ducks to move up in the next set of rankings, assuming that the committee values Oregon's win today.
This afternoon, the Cougars lost, 29-7 in Lubbock, ending an eight-game winning streak. BYU does have a ranked win over No. 23 Utah, but it's hard to imagine it will be ranked above Oregon.
Oregon remaining schedule
The Ducks have three games remaining on the schedule, all against quality opponents.
| Date | Game | Time (EST) |
| 11/14 | vs. Minnesota | 9:00 PM |
| 11/22 | vs. #19 USC | TBD |
| 11/29 | at #23 Washington | TBD |
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