Don't look now, but the Oregon Ducks season might be back on track, with expectations returning.
After a huge blowout win over the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus over the weekend, Dan Lanning's team kept its season alive, with real hopes of making the Big Ten Championship and potentially the College Football Playoff.
With three games left, Oregon has a decent chance to reach the Big Ten title game if it wins out, and even a chance to earn an at-large CFP bid when all is said and done. That much is reflected in the latest look at ESPN's Football Power Index.
Going into the weekend, Oregon had just a 4.2% chance to make the playoff, but that number skyrocketed to 24.9% after the win in Columbus. Nothing is possible unless the Ducks win their final
three games, but at this point, it's reasonable to say there is a chance.
Here's a look at the new ESPN FPI numbers and what they mean for the Ducks.
Week 11 vs. Michigan Wolverines
Oregon Percent Chance to Win, Per ESPN FPI: 85.9%
Previous FPI Win Percentage: 78.8%
Analysis: What looked like a very tough game at the start of the year has really lost some of its luster. Oregon is starting to click at the right time, while Michigan is watching the wheels fall off. After a loss to the Michigan State Spartans over the weekend, the Kyle Whittingham era may be headed for a quick end, as the Ducks are now double-digit favorites in this game at home.
Week 12 at Michigan State Spartans
Oregon Percent Chance to Win, Per ESPN FPI: 84.4%
Previous FPI Win Percentage: 82.8%
Analysis: Despite the Spartans' big win over Michigan over the weekend, it doesn't all of a sudden make them a major threat in this game. While it is a road game on a short week for Oregon, I still think they will be favored by double digits and should be able to come out on top should they play with the level of success that we've seen over the past couple of weeks.
Week 13 vs. Washington Huskies
Oregon Percent Chance to Win, Per ESPN FPI: 86.7%
Previous FPI Win Percentage: 82.0%
Analysis: Washington may not be playing for much in this game, but Oregon could potentially be trying to keep its season alive, whether that be in the race for a spot in the Big Ten Championship game or an at-large bid into the College Football Playoff. The Huskies have been struggling mightily this season, so the Ducks should be favored by quite a bit going into this game.
Oregon Ducks Season Outlook
Percent Chance to Win Out: 50.5%
Previous FPI %: 6.9%
Percent Chance to Win Conference: 16.0%
Previous FPI %: 2.6%
Percent Chance to Make College Football Playoff: 24.9%
Previous FPI %: 4.2%
Percent Chance to Make National Championship: 2.0%
Previous FPI %: 0.3%
Percent Chance to Win National Championship: 0.8%
Previous FPI %: 0.1%
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon Ducks' chances to make CFP skyrocket after win, per ESPN FPI
