Ducks are Down but Not Completely Dead as CFP Hopes are Still Alive

The Oregon Ducks have struggled their way through the season to this point. When they had Dante Moore, their offense was in a bit of a hole, and then once he went down, it certainly did not help things.

This season has been marred by disappointment week after week, but after a major win last weekend at home against the No. 20-ranked Northwestern Wildcats, their season is back to life.

I picture it like a flatlined EKG in a hospital room that gets a random spike. When all hope seemed lost, a burst of life came into the program and into the team. Now, they have to take advantage of it.

According to ESPN's College Football Playoff predictor, the Ducks currently have a 4.2 percent chance of making the postseason. It's not much, but the path is certainly there. 

The first step on that path will absolutely be the hardest one. The only way that this dream becomes a reality is if they go to Columbus, Ohio, this weekend and take care of business against the Buckeyes. 

It is certainly a tall task, but after what happened last week against USC, there is nothing to indicate that Oregon can't get the job done against the Buckeyes. It would certainly be an upset, but it wouldn't be a complete and total shock to the landscape of college football.

After going to Ohio State this weekend, they get to come back home to host the Michigan Wolverines, which will be a beast of a matchup after the Ohio State game. If they can get through those two games with a win, they head back east to take on Michigan State before one final rivalry matchup against the Washington Huskies.

It's a beast of a schedule, and the likelihood of them going undefeated in it is slim. However, if they do, the result just very well might be the College Football Playoff. 

Nothing about this is a guarantee. There is a ton of work to be done for the Ducks, and it could all be for nothing in just one week's time. With that said, if they are able to go to Ohio State and eliminate the Buckeyes with a win in their house, the momentum and belief will be at an all-time high for the program.

Their work is cut out for them. What a story that would be if they were able to turn all of this completely around and sneak their way into a Playoff berth.