Why winning out is in Oregon, Dan Lanning’s ‘best interest’ for chances at College Football Playoff

Oregon (7-1) came in at No. 9 in the initial rankings for the College Football Playoff released by the selection committee on Tuesday night. That opening slot has Josh Pate wondering what the Ducks’ chances are — especially if they were to end up with a second loss — of still making the CFP.

Making his weekly appearance on ‘Get Up’ on Thursday morning, Pate was asked for three teams in the Top 12 who he thought could miss the playoff come December 7th. He went with Texas, BYU, and, because of where they came in at the other night, as well as their remaining schedule, Oregon as the most interesting debate of that trio.

“Hey, I got a question, though. Oregon, all of a sudden down there at number nine? They got a game at Iowa this weekend. I think they play Minnesota, they play USC, they play Washington coming up. I’m all of a sudden curious what the committee does to a two-loss Oregon?” Pate asked. “This is not me talking. I’m not on the committee this year. What does the committee do with a two-loss Oregon, whose best win is losing its value by the day, because their best win was on the road against Penn State and no one really cares about that anymore – I’ve got my own thoughts on whether they should, but they don’t. So, that two-loss Oregon?”

Oregon has been a top team in the country for the duration of this season. That’s with a record of 7-1 (4-1) and the Ducks’ lone loss coming by 10 at home to the team that the committee had ranked at No. 2 in the nation in Indiana. It will likely be enough to keep them out of the Big Ten Championship.

With that, the Ducks would be in at-large consideration, but with the playoff committee, maybe not quite as high on them as the second-from-last at-large ahead of only No. 10 Notre Dame. The strength of their path so far is likely a large part of that, with six of their seven wins coming against teams in the FBS. Of those wins, two of them have already fired their coaches, with a third possibly on the way, with a combined record of 17-34 (.333).

Oregon was thought to be a near certainty at this point as a one-loss team, and as likely to still be in by season’s end even if it was to be a two-loss team. But, based on this rating by the committee, Pate thinks the Ducks may just want to win out to be absolutely sure that they’re not on the wrong side of the seeding.

“That’s why I’m telling Dan Lanning – it’s in your best interest to just win,” Pate said. “Don’t leave your fate in the hands of the committee.”