The Oregon Ducks saw their path to the Big Ten Conference Championship game briefly disrupted. Three regular-season losses altered the journey, which in turn impacted their College Football Playoff chances.

Yet Oregon's 34-26 Halloween upset over previously ranked Northwestern did more than hand the Ducks and coach Dan Lanning a needed victory. One national analyst believes Oregon is still very much alive in both races involving the conference and CFP.

Rece Davis Says Oregon Isn't Out Yet

ESPN College GameDay host Rece Davis doesn't think the Ducks are out of it yet, which he shared on Nov. 3, before the playoff rankings unveiling.

"One we thought was officially cooked, but stay with me on this one... Oregon is not dead yet," Davis told The Pat McAfee Show. "Great win against Northwestern. But there's a wide path. Not a wide or an easy one. But if they win out, it's not crazy to think that they can get into the Big Ten Championship game and win the conference."

Davis continued by stating that the Ducks will need UCLA to keep winning while Oregon attempts to win out.

"Oregon has a lot of advantages and potential tiebreakers should the Ducks be able to win out," Davis added. "I don't favor them to do it because they've been the epitome of inconsistency. But in this season, anything is possible."

At this stage, Oregon would need an Indiana and Illinois loss as part of the external factors to get into the conference championship game. Plus, it will need USC to lose one more time against either Indiana, Maryland or rival UCLA since Oregon owns the tiebreaker there by virtue of its 41-27 road win on Sept. 26.

It all starts with Oregon's road trip to Columbus for the even higher-stakes showdown against the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Closer Look at Oregon Football Power Index Ratings

Oregon now owns the third-best Football Power Index (FPI) ranking per ESPN as of Nov. 3. Only defending national champion Indiana and OSU have a higher FPI. Oregon sits at 12th nationally, too, per the same FPI system.

The eight-point win over Northwestern now hands Oregon a 6.8 percent chance to win the rest of its games in 2026. Yet the Ducks own a high 99.3 percent chance to reach bowl eligibility with six victories

Outside of their winning-out and six-victory potential, Oregon owns a 2.7 percent probability of winning the conference. It also received a 4.2 percent chance of becoming one of the 12 teams to make the December postseason.

So obviously, Oregon has some low-percentage marks still attached to them. Yet Oregon can take advantage of a Buckeyes team that suddenly has its own back against the wall.

Oregon vs. Ohio State Comes With New Angle

This Nov. 7 showdown in Columbus takes on a new meaning. The stakes are immensely high, even with both teams owning a combined five losses.

That's because the losing team may need to face the difficult reality of missing both the conference title game and a playoff appearance. And suddenly, Ohio State becomes one that feels like its back is against the wall.

A USC team that previously fell to the Ducks dismantled the Buckeyes 30-18 on Halloween night, with that victory proving the now 7-2 Trojans aren't out of both races either. But USC's win handed OSU its second loss of the season. Hence why Oregon at Ohio State comes with a make-or-break angle for both teams.

This time the Ducks are riding the momentum into the famed "Horseshoe" venue. Knocking off previous No. 24 Northwestern reignited the Ducks' confidence. Plus proved that this team isn't mathematically out of the two biggest races in college football involving a possible trip to Indianapolis on Dec. 5, then the postseason.