The Oregon Ducks are heading back to the College Football Playoff - and they did it with a statement win over their biggest rival.
In a gritty 26-14 road victory over the Washington Huskies, the No. 6 Ducks punched their ticket to the CFP for the second straight season.
The win caps off an impressive 11-1 regular season and secures Oregon as one of three Big Ten teams in the playoff field. And while they won’t be heading to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship - thanks to No.
1 Ohio State’s dominant 27-9 win over No. 15 Michigan - the Ducks are still firmly in the mix for a top-four seed and a coveted first-round bye.
As things stand, Oregon is projected to land the No. 6 seed, which would mean hosting a first-round playoff game at Autzen Stadium. That’s no small advantage.
Autzen is already one of the most electric environments in college football, and a playoff game in Eugene would crank that atmosphere up to another level. But the door isn’t closed on a bye just yet.
Losses by either No. 4 Georgia or No.
5 Texas Tech in their conference title games could push the Ducks into the top four. And with No.
3 Texas A&M falling 27-17 to No. 16 Texas on Friday night, the Ducks suddenly have a real shot to slide up the bracket.
What’s clear is this: Oregon is peaking at the right time - even as they battle through injuries on offense.
The Ducks were without their top two wide receivers, Dakorien Moore and Gary Bryant Jr., once again on Saturday. Both are expected to return for the playoff, and if Oregon manages to land a first-round bye, that extra week of rest could be a game-changer. With a healthy receiving corps, this offense becomes even more dangerous - and they’ve already shown they can win tough games without their full arsenal.
Saturday’s rivalry game was a defensive slugfest for much of the night. But it was Malik Benson who delivered the knockout blow.
The junior wideout turned a short pass into a 64-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, breaking the game open and silencing the Husky crowd. Benson finished with a career-high five catches for 102 yards and that crucial score - a breakout performance in the biggest moment of the season so far.
Quarterback Dante Moore was steady and sharp once again, showing the poise that’s defined his season. The sophomore threw for 286 yards and a touchdown on 20-of-29 passing and added his first career rushing touchdown in the second quarter.
Moore didn’t force anything, took what the defense gave him, and made big throws when it mattered most. That’s exactly what you want from your quarterback heading into the postseason.
Defensively, Oregon was relentless. The Ducks dialed up pressure on Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. all night, forcing him into two interceptions and holding him to just 129 passing yards on 15-of-30 attempts. The Huskies never found a rhythm, and Oregon’s defense deserves a ton of credit for dictating the tempo and keeping the game from turning into a shootout.
This win also extends Oregon’s FBS-best road winning streak to 12 games - a remarkable stretch of consistency away from home - and hands Washington just its second loss at home since 2022.
A year ago, Oregon rode a 13-0 regular season and a Big Ten title to a first-round bye in the CFP before falling to eventual champion Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. That loss still lingers - and this team looks like it’s on a mission to finish the job this time around.
They’ve got the defense. They’ve got the quarterback. And if they can get healthy at the right time, they’ve got the firepower to make a serious run.
Now, it’s just a matter of where they’ll be seeded. Whether they’re hosting a playoff game at Autzen or getting a week off to rest and reload, one thing’s for sure - no one’s going to want to see Oregon in their bracket.