‘I wouldn’t want to play Oregon;’ Ducks building national buzz going into November

The Oregon Ducks made a resounding statement with their dominant victory over the Utah Utes last weekend, capturing the attention of ESPN analysts Rece Davis and Kirk Herbstreit, who were present at the ‘College GameDay’ event in Salt Lake City.

Having witnessed the Ducks’ impressive 35-6 triumph, Davis and Herbstreit still hold the view that Oregon is a formidable team. This sentiment is reflected in the College Football Playoff rankings released on Tuesday, with the committee placing Oregon at No. 6 and considering them the best one-loss team in the nation. ESPN’s experts are optimistic about Oregon’s trajectory and suggest that the rest of the country should take note of head coach Dan Lanning’s accomplishments in Eugene.

During the CFP rankings show, Herbstreit remarked, “I wouldn’t want to play Oregon right now.” He further clarified that although he didn’t believe Oregon should be ranked No. 1, they are a team he would not want to face. ‘College GameDay’ host Rece Davis went a step further, stating, “I think Oregon can win the national championship.”

When evaluating teams’ performances at this stage of the season, the committee prioritizes win-loss records, followed by the quality of opponents defeated and lost to. For the Ducks, their Week 7 loss to the No. 5 Washington Huskies carries significant weight. However, analysts emphasize that the manner in which Oregon lost that game, coupled with their subsequent performances compared to Washington’s recent struggles, positions the Ducks as the team to beat in the West.

“If you look at the last couple of weeks since the Oregon vs. Washington game, if you said who looks like the better team, it’s not close,” commented Joey Gallaway, a former Ohio State Buckeye and Seattle Seahawk. “Oregon looks like the better team.”

While Huskies fans may disagree, the Ducks’ convincing victories against Washington State and Utah since that matchup contrasted with Washington’s difficulties against weaker Pac-12 opponents like Arizona State and Stanford. These points were raised by Boo Corrigan, the chair of the CFP selection committee, as they discussed the rankings on Tuesday night.

Corrigan highlighted the concerns about Washington’s performance in games against Arizona State and Stanford, who collectively have only four victories. Looking ahead, the Huskies face USC, Utah, Oregon State, and Washington State—a crucial stretch of games that will shape their standing.

Ultimately, it may not matter much in the grand scheme of things as long as both teams continue to handle their business. The Oregon Ducks and Washington Huskies are set to face each other in the Pac-12 title game in Las Vegas in 2023, providing the ultimate showdown to determine the superior team and the representative in the national semifinals.

Story originally appeared on Ducks Wire