Zachary Neel
June 21, 2024 5:27 am PT
The 2024-25 college football season is going to be an entertaining one for many reasons as we get set to watch conference realignment unfold in the new era of the expanded College Football Playoff.
There is no telling quite how it is all going to play out, but for the most part by looking at the preseason power rankings and projecting which teams will win which conferences, we can get an idea of what the first playoff will look like.
Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks certainly have a good chance to make it into that playoff, being led by elite veterans like Dillon Gabriel, Tez Johnson, Jeffrey Bassa, and Jordan Burch, among others. But what will their playoff path look like?
This past week, The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman put out his CFP projection, giving the Ducks a No. 6 seed, meaning that they would lose the Big Ten Championship to Ohio State. The path that they have through the playoff would be an entertaining one, chock-full of matchups against past coaches and rival schools.
Take a look at how it would all shake out.
Note: In these matchups, we advanced Oregon through each game to show what their path would look like, while teams in other matchups were advanced based on who had the higher seed.
Playoff Seeds and First-Round Byes
Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch
Playoff Seeds
1. Ohio State Buckeyes
2. Georgia Bulldogs
3. Florida State Seminoles
4. Utah Utes
5. Texas Longhorns
6. Oregon Ducks
7. Ole Miss Rebels
8. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
9. Alabama Crimson Tide
10. Penn State Nittany Lions
11. Miami Hurricanes
12. Memphis Tigers
The top four seeds — Ohio State, Georgia, Florida State, and Utah — would all receive first-round byes in this scenario after winning their respective conference championships. Memphis, while potentially not ranked to end the year, would get the final playoff spot after winning the AAC Championship.
First Round: No. 8 Notre Dame vs. No. 9 Alabama
Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Analysis: A rematch of the 2013 BCS National Championship Game? Notre Dame better hope this one goes more according to play. Based on the seeding, we will be advancing the Irish to the next round.
Winner by Seed: Notre Dame
First Round: No. 5 Texas vs. No. 12 Memphis
Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports
Analysis: It will be interesting to see how the Group of 5 champion fares in this new playoff format where they get an automatic bid into the playoff. I don’t foresee Memphis being any threat to Texas this year, though. Longhorns advance.
Winner by Seed: Texas
First Round: No. 6 Oregon vs. No. 11 Miami
(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Analysis: Oregon against Mario Cristobal? That would be some incredibly high drama and an entertaining matchup for fans of both sides. I think I like Dan Lanning’s chances in that coaching matchup. Move on, Oregon.
Winner by Seed: Oregon
First Round: No. 7 Ole Miss vs. No. 10 Penn State
Syndication: The Knoxville News-Sentinel
Analysis: This would be a really good game on paper, I believe, as both teams have similar styles of play. In the end, Ole Miss moves on with the higher seed in this exercise.
Winner by Seed: Ole Miss
Quarterfinals: No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 8 Notre Dame
Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch
Analysis: After a first-round bye, Ohio State should be primed and ready for this big-time matchup between two of the most historic teams in the entire sport. The Buckeyes should be able to take this one, but it would be entertaining.
Winner by Seed: Ohio State
Quarterfinals: No. 4 Utah vs. No. 5 Texas
Jeffrey Swinger-USA TODAY Sports
Analysis: I’m not sure how I feel about Utah this year, and they could be getting the first-round bye as the result of winning a Big-12 Conference where there is no real dominant team. In real life, I would pick Texas, but due to the rules of the exercise, Cam Rising and the Utes move on.
Winner by Seed: Utah
Quarterfinals: No. 3 Florida State vs. No. 6 Oregon
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Analysis: They got Mario Cristobal last round, and now the Seminoles — former home of Willie Taggart — are on tap? This would be another fun rivalry against a team that Duck fans have had plenty of words with before. Thanks to the exercise rules, Oregon moves on.
Winner by Exercise Default: Oregon
Quarterfinals: No. 2 Georgia vs. No. 7 Ole Miss
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Analysis: I love getting an inter-conference matchup in the playoff, especially when it’s a rematch that we saw earlier in the year. The Bulldogs will likely win both, in my opinion.
Winner by Seed: Georgia
Semifinals: No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 4 Utah
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Analysis: If Utah does make it this far, then I think their road ends here with a matchup against the mighty Buckeyes. In reality, this would probably be a game between Ohio State and Texas, which I would pay a lot of money to see.
Winner by Seed: Ohio State
Semifinals: No. 2 Georgia vs. No. 6 Oregon
Syndication: Online Athens
Analysis: Mario Cristobal, Florida State, and now Kirby Smart. This would be quite a run of taking down former foes for Dan Lanning and the Ducks, with the Oregon coach now going up against his former team with a spot in the championship on the line. Man, would this be a fun game to watch. The storylines are endless.
Winner by Exercise Default: Oregon
Championship: No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 6 Oregon
Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch
Analysis: For potentially the third time of the year — regular season, conference championship, playoff — we could get Oregon vs. Ohio State. Who wins the first two? Does it matter at all for the third matchup with a championship on the line? Who knows, but sign me up either way.
