The Oregon Ducks are a revenge win over the Arizona Wildcats away from a spot in the inaugural College Football Playoff. A victory in the Pac-12 title game, and it's smooth sailing for Marcus Mariota and the rest of the Quack Attack to the national championship semifinals.
If (and perhaps when) the Ducks get there, who should they be expecting? Here's our best educated guess for Oregon's 3 Most Likely Bowl/Playoff Semifinal Opponents.
3) Ohio State
If Oregon ascends to the #1 slot with an Alabama loss (or narrow victory) in the SEC Championship game and a victory over the Arizona, Ohio State is a possibility for an intriguing traditional Rose Bowl clash. For this to occur, the Buckeyes will have to survive QB JT Barrett's season-ending injury and run through the Wisconsin Badgers in the Big Ten title game. Even then, there's no guarantee that the committee would pick a wounded Ohio State squad even with the win, especially with the potential problems third-string QB Cardale Jones could run into on the big stage.
Take this as a questionable proposition hinging mainly on just how Ohio State performs against Wisconsin.
2) TCU
If Oregon jumps Arizona as plotted out before, the TCU Horned Frogs' dynamic offensive attack could be waiting for the Ducks in the Rose Bowl. Some think Baylor could jump TCU with a win over Kansas State next week (based on Baylor's previous win over TCU), but the committee has already shown a clear commitment to TCU's entire body of work over that of the Bears. If Oregon does indeed get the Frogs in the semifinals, the scoreboard might not be able to handle all the pinball-like offensive numbers the two teams could put up.
1) Florida State
Here's the most likely matchup, and perhaps the most intriguing. Two quarterbacks with two very different public images squaring off in a Rose Bowl game to end all Rose Bowls. FSU QB Jameis Winston has been extremely turnover-prone as of late. If he were to continue that trend (in the same vein as the four picks he threw vs. Florida) against a Ducks team that feeds off of extra possessions, the Seminoles' 28-win streak will evaporate into thin air. Any which way you slice it, the committee might not be able to get away from providing us this beyond-marketable semifinal.
Never miss another story on one of your favorite teams – sign up for a free Chat Sports account today!
RELATED
Oregon vs. Arizona Preview and Prediction
10 Reasons Why No School Will Ever Top A Gameday In Eugene
Back to the Oregon Ducks Newsfeed