ESPN breaks down what's on the line in Oregon's matchup with USC

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Entering the Oregon Ducks‘ four-game stretch to end the regular season with games against Iowa, Minnesota, USC and Washington, it was widely viewed that a loss to one of those teams would still keep the Ducks in the College Football Playoff picture. They’d already suffered one loss, coming in Week 7 to now No. 2 Indiana. Another was seen as still viable as far as making the playoff.

Two weeks later, that doesn’t appear to be the case. Results around the country have not gone in Oregon’s favor of late, as Oklahoma defeated Alabama — giving both two losses and placing both in the playoff picture behind the Ducks — and Notre Dame has defeated Navy and Pitt in dominant fashion in back-to-back weeks, firmly placing themselves in the final 12 as it stands.

Of course, none of that matters — and Alabama losing actually helps — if the Ducks are to win all four of those final regular season games. They’ve won the first two, against Iowa and Minnesota, with USC coming to Eugene this week.

It’s a critical matchup that reeks of importance, not only for the two programs but on a national level.

ESPN college football analyst Paolo Uggetti wasted no time in breaking down exactly what’s at stake on Saturday, when the Ducks and Trojans will do battle in Autzen Stadium at 12:30 p.m. PST.

“To put it bluntly: a spot in the CFP,” he wrote in ESPN’s breakdown of key matchups in Week 13. “That’s what’s at stake in Eugene this week as the college football world sets its eyes on the one marquee matchup this week.”

USC enters with an 8-2 record and, with a win against Oregon, would match the Ducks with a 9-2 record and have the head-to-head victory, likely edging them ahead in the Playoff Committee’s eyes. Add them to the list of two-loss teams that would have an argument to be included over the Ducks, which includes Notre Dame, Alabama, Oklahoma and even BYU if they finish the regular season with one loss and suffer a second in the Big 12 championship to Texas Tech.

That’s also leaving out either programs like Georgia or Ole Miss, who have one loss and could suffer a second in the SEC title game.

If the Ducks take their second loss against the Trojans, the scenarios of them making it into the CFP are difficult and confounding to figure out. That leaves the simple fact that Oregon simply needs to take care of business against USC. Then, a season finale trip to Seattle awaits.

“Not to mention the fact that Oregon finishes with a tricky game at Washington — a team that has been up-and-down this season but has plenty of talent and motivation to play spoiler against its rival,” Uggletti wrote.

In reality, the playoff has already started for the Ducks. It started in Iowa City, when quarterback Dante Moore orchestrated a late drive that culminated in a game-winning field goal. It continued last Friday against Minnesota, in which Moore and the offense were firing on all cylinders while the defense suffocated the Golden Gophers.

And it will continue once against USC on Saturday with the entire nation — and more importantly, the Playoff Committee — watching.

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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: ESPN analyst lists what’s at stake in Oregon vs. USC in Week 13

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