Narratives change. Some teams grow and others collapse. It's all about coaching, development, execution, health and luck. It's about finding identity and playing with one purpose.
In Josh Pate's latest College Football Playoff prediction, he has the Oregon Ducks earning a 7-seed, hosting and beating Notre Dame in the first round. topping Mario Cristobal and Miami in the quarterfinals and advancing to the National Championship Game against Kalen DeBoer and Alabama, with Dan Lanning falling to the former Washington coach for the fourth straight time.
The team can't think past continuing their growth and taking care of business against Rutgers, but it's nice to hear a respected national voice envisioning a deep run for the Ducks, something that would have them finishing the season strong and peaking in the playoffs.