Oregon Football News: Ducks Face The "Stanford Hurdle" Once Again

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The Oregon Ducks have been here before. Saturday's home game against the Stanford Cardinal marks another game in this budding rivalry that his huge national championship implications for the boys from Eugene.

With the #3 team (Auburn) and #4 team (Ole Miss) in the inaugural College Football Playoff rankings facing off on Saturday in what could amount to an elimination game, the Ducks are in prime position (Oregon currently sits at #5) to vault into playoff positioning.

That is if, as Tom Fitzgerald of SFGate.com terms it, Oregon can jump the "Stanford hurdle."

"Ducks fans have a right to be wary of unranked Stanford (5-3, 3-2 Pac-12) in the 4:30 p.m. game at Autzen Stadium in Eugene," Fitgerald writes. "The Cardinal have beaten Oregon the last two years, and they still have their own designs on the conference title."

Stanford would have to beat the Ducks along with Utah, Cal, and UCLA in succession to claim the North Division crown.

However, with Stanford still clinging on to championship dreams, it's going to take a big-time effort from the Ducks in order to exorcise demons past and finally put Stanford in their rear-view mirror.

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