Oregon head coach Dan Lanning looks down during the second half as the Oregon Ducks face the Ohio State Buckeyes Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, in the quarterfinal of the College Football Playoff at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oregon Ducks Receive Surprising College Football Playoff Prediction

Originally posted on Oregon Ducks on SI
By Kyle Clements | Last updated Aug 26, 2025 9:00 PM ET

The No. 7 Oregon Ducks are quickly closing in on their 2025 campaign. With the start of a new season comes new predictions. 12 ESPN college football pundits were called upon to each put together their College Football Playoff rankings from No. 1 through No. 12.

Only Two Big Ten Teams Unanimously Selected

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Out of the 12 ESPN college football pundits, all of them had the Ohio State Buckeyes and Penn State Nittany Lions ranked somewhere in the CFP at the end of the season. 11 out of 12 pundits had Oregon ranked in their top-12 teams, with the Ducks earning rankings as low as No. 10 and as high as No. 6. Most rankings for Oregon came at No. 7 or No. 8.

It should be noted that the pundit who omitted Oregon from her CFP prediction, Andrea Adelson, went against the grain on most of her other picks as well. Adelson did not have Texas or Penn State ranked at No. 1 like most other pundits, but she had Clemson instead.

Adelson was also the only one to pick Nebraska to make the college football playoff.

Texas, Ohio State Matchup's Serious CFP Implications

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Also important to note is the fact that no pundit had more than three Big Ten teams in their college football playoff prediction. The week 1 game between Ohio State and Texas could have some massive CFP implications down the line. Should the Buckeyes drop that game, that loss could very well be one that helps Oregon reach the playoff, should they finish around the same record as Ohio State.

The Ducks were the No. 1 ranked team in the CFP last season, but a handful of Ducks fans felt after the Rose Bowl Game that the No. 1 seed somewhat worked against Oregon. The Ducks did not receive a “tune-up” game in the College Football Playoff, as they were thrust into action after having three weeks off.

The Ducks lost to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, and the Buckeyes went on to be crowned national champions.

Oregon's average ranking fell around No. 7. That could mean history for Oregon, as it would see the Ducks host a CFP game at Autzen Stadium for the first time ever. A playoff game at Autzen Stadium would also be a strong contender to break the all-time attendance record set on October 12, 2024, when 60,129 fans watched the Oregon Ducks defeat the Ohio State Buckeyes.

The Ducks will hope to once again reach the College Football Playoff for the second year in a row. The Ducks' last CFP win came back in 2015, when they defeated Florida State in the Rose Bowl to advance to the National Championship.

Oregon's 2025 season starts on Saturday, Aug. 30, against the Montana State Bobcats.

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

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