PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon came in at No. 9 in the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season, a surprise perhaps to the program and its fans, considering the Ducks (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten) are ranked three spots higher in The Associated Press poll.

Committee chair Mack Rhoades, discussing Oregon's CFP ranking, said the Ducks are appropriately ranked, considering their best win this year was a 20-point victory over Northwestern, while its double-overtime win at Penn State early in the season has become less impressive as last year's semifinalists have imploded.

"When we looked at and evaluated Oregon, we really looked at the quality of the team and how they looked on film," Rhoades said.

All of the top six teams came from either the Big Ten or Southeastern Conference — a dose of bu

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