The good news is that the College Football Playoff field will remain at 12 next year, but the bad news is that new selection rules make it harder for the Ducks.
In 2026, the playoff field will consist of the four Power 4 Champions, the highest ranked Group of 6 champion, and seven at-large teams. Notre Dame gets in automatically if they finish in the selection committee's top 12.
The new rules create three opportunities for the Ducks to finish in the top 12 and miss the playoff. They can get bumped by the Irish, a mediocre conference champion (like Duke this year at 7-5) or the best Group of 6 champion (in 2025, Tulane.