Oregon Ducks' Potential Opponents in the College Football Playoff

Originally posted on Oregon Ducks on SI
By Charlie Viehl | Last updated Nov 29, 2025 9:32 PM ET

After the No. 6 Oregon Ducks beat the Washington Huskies on Saturday, Oregon's focused has shifted towards the College Football Playoff. The final 12-team bracket will not be revealed until Dec. 7, but many fans are wondering who there team will face in the postseason. Assuming Oregon does not have a first-round bye, who will the Ducks host in the first round of the CFP?

Oregon will most likely be seeded No. 5, No. 6, or No. 7 in the CFP bracket. In that case, the Ducks would face the No. 12, No. 11, or No. 10 seed in the first round at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon.

In the current CFP rankings, the No. 12 seed will likely go to the highest-ranked Group of Five team. The No. 11 seed is expected to be the ACC champion, which could be anyone from No. 18 Virginia, No. 21 SMU or even No. 12 Miami. The Duke Blue Devils still have a shot at the ACC Championship Game if SMU loses to Cal. SMU currently trails Cal 17-7 at halftime.

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As for the Group of Five representative, No. 24 Tulane, North Texas, and James Madison are considered the most likely candidates. North Texas (No. 21) and James Madison (No. 20) are both ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll, but they have yet to be ranked by the CFP Selection Committee.

How far does No. 3 Texas A&M fall after the Aggies were upset by No. 16 Texas? The Ducks could move up after the Longhorns' win, but Oregon could also be moved down if another team enters the top five after championship weekend.

If Oregon slides into the No. 7 seed, the Ducks' opponent becomes much harder to predict. The No. 10 seed could range anywhere from Alabama, Notre Dame, to Utah.

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Conference Championship Weekend

A number of shuffling is still yet to take place with conference championship games still to be played, but room for the CFP is already tight with a number of contenders fighting for the at-large spots that are available.

No. 11 BYU could secure a berth with a win over No. 5 Texas Tech in the Big 12 Conference Championship Game, but the Cougars could also be on the outside looking in with a second loss to the Red Raiders.

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No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Indiana will likely stay inside the top four no matter which team wins the Big Ten, but the SEC Championship Game could make things interesting. No. 10 Alabama could jump up to the No. 4 or No. 5 seed if the Crimson Tide win the SEC title over No. 4 Georgia.

Tulane is likely to face North Texas in the American Conference Championship Game, and James Madison has a matchup with Troy to win the conference title in the Sunbelt.

This article first appeared on Oregon Ducks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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