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Following a second loss of the season to UCLA, the Oregon Ducks' postseason aspirations have shifted focus. For a team that began the year ranked No. 2 in the preseason, the conversation has moved from national championship contention to simply securing a spot in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff.
After defeating Nebraska in Week 7 to improve to 4-2, the Ducks' CFP odds now stand at +500, which ranks 24th nationally. That's a modest climb from last week when they were 28th, though the improvement may be attributed more to losses by teams ahead of them than to their somewhat lackluster win over the Cornhuskers at Autzen Stadium.
Notably, Oregon remains behind UCLA, which boasts +150 odds despite losing starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava. The Bruins are 6-0 after defeating Wisconsin. Boise State, Oregon's season-opening opponent, holds +170 odds, benefiting from the automatic bid given to the top Group of Six team. Currently, the Broncos appear to have the edge in that race.
Key Analysis
Beyond UCLA, four other Big Ten teams have better CFP odds than Oregon: Ohio State (-900), Indiana (-500), Iowa (+300), and USC (+360). Surprisingly, New Mexico from the Group of Six has higher odds at +490. Another team ahead of the Ducks is Kentucky, led by Will Stein, which sits at 6-1 with +210 odds. While Oregon's national title odds are listed at +6000, those are irrelevant unless the team runs the table and positions itself for a playoff berth. Once the playoff begins, all bets are off. With six games remaining, the Ducks will look to defy expectations and achieve their preseason goals despite dropping two of their first six contests.
Originally reported by yahoo.