The then-No. 23 Oregon Ducks came into their pivotal Big Ten Conference road matchup against the then-No. 12 Ohio State Buckeyes on Nov. 7 with their College Football Playoff lives on the line.

Down 14-0 at the end of the first quarter at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, it was a much different play-calling approach after that under analyst Jay Johnson's new offensive direction. An unexpected fake 30-yard punt-turned-pass on fourth down in the second quarter seemed to be the turning point, leading to 38 unanswered points in the Ducks' 41-28 comeback effort.

In the second release of the College Football Playoff rankings, Oregon (6-3, 4-2 Big Ten) has now moved up seven spots to No. 16. That was the biggest jump of any team in the country this week, and the Ducks are the top-ranked program with three losses this year.

Their resume includes victories at the No. 18 USC Trojans, at No. 20 Ohio State, and at home against the No. 24 Boise State Broncos. Two of their three losses came at the hands of the No. 4 UCLA Bruins at home and the No. 25 Oklahoma State Cowboys on the road.

Oregon's Trail to Big Ten Championship, College Football Playoff Berth

The Ducks are still alive for a College Football Playoff berth for the third straight season. Multiple scenarios need to occur in order for coach Dan Lanning's group to make the trip to the Big Ten Championship at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Dec. 5.

• Oregon wins out
• UCLA wins out
• USC beats the No. 9 Indiana Hoosiers on Nov. 14
• No. 15 Iowa Hawkeyes, Northwestern Wildcats, and Wisconsin Badgers each lose one more game

Oregon would face UCLA for the Big Ten title if this were to come to fruition, as they win the three-way tie with Indiana and Ohio State based on the combination of head-to-head and common opponents.

Since firing former offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer on Oct. 25, the Ducks have averaged 418 total yards of offense and 37.5 points against two ranked opponents. This high-octane offensive group can potentially sneak into the College Football Playoff field as an at-large team, but they simply can't lose any of their three remaining regular-season contests.

ESPN's College Football Playoff Predictor gives the Pacific Northwest program a 32 percent chance if they finish 3-0 in the regular season, but don't receive an invite to the Big Ten title game. An 18 percent chance if they fall in the Big Ten Championship and don't end up with the conference's automatic bid.

Health Status of Teitum Tuioti, Jordon Davison

Oregon's star senior outside linebacker Teitum Tuioti will miss the remainder of the 2026 season due to a severe left knee injury suffered during the fourth quarter at Ohio State, Lanning announced to the media on Nov. 9.

The Ducks are also dealing with standout sophomore running back Jordon Davison being on a week-to-week basis with a lower-extremity injury he experienced against Northwestern on Oct. 31.

Thankfully, junior wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan made his return to action against the Buckeyes after being out since Sept. 18, when he broke his foot in the pregame warmups before the Portland State Vikings bout.

Michigan Switches Starting Quarterback Before Oregon Matchup

According to On3's Pete Nakos, the Michigan Wolverines will start true freshman quarterback Tommy Carr over sophomore quarterback Bryce Underwood against Oregon this upcoming Saturday, Nov. 14.

The Ducks host coach Kyle Whittingham's unit at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon, which can be viewed on FS1 at 12:30 p.m. PT.