A year ago, Oregon played in the inaugural College Football Playoff Championship, losing 42-20 to Ohio State.
Nine months later, the Ducks are 3-3 and are in danger of missing the postseason.
Was Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Marcus Mariota that good?
The Ducks lost for the third time in five games on Saturday night, falling 45-38 to Washington State in double overtime. Oregon's two other losses came against ranked teams (Michigan State and Utah), but it has little meat on its résumé with victories over FCS member Eastern Washington, Georgia State and Colorado.
As a result Oregon is one of 12 teams that was eliminated from playoff consideration by The Eliminator, which is trimming the 128 FBS teams to four for the playoff.
Among the other teams joining Oregon: Georgia, Miami, Missouri and USC.
After six weeks, The Eliminator has eliminated 96 of the 128 teams (75 percent), leaving 32 teams in contention for the four spots.
Here's where FBS stands after Week 6:
Jump to sections: Better luck next season | Previously eliminated | Who's in | Still in contention | On the fence
Better luck next season
Trending: DOWN
Welcome to Knee-land Stadium: where Georgia players' knee ligaments go to die. Call it the "Curse of the G" after star tailback Nick Chubb suffered a serious knee injury on the first play from scrimmage in Saturday's 38-31 loss to Tennessee. Give me a call, Volunteers, and I'll tell you how to cut the grass.
Trending: DOWN
Look on the bright side: The Illini can get serious about finding a new football coach. Interim coach Bill Cubit has done an admirable job filling in for the fired Tim Beckman, but the program needs a fresh start.
Trending: DOWN
Well, it was fun while it lasted, Hoosiers. Indiana's 29-7 loss at Penn State on Saturday might have knocked it out of playoff contention, but it's still only two losses away from bowl eligibility. Getting quarterback Nate Sudfeld and tailback Jordan Howard back from injuries are the top priority.
Trending: EVEN
The Wildcats put up a heck of a fight in Saturday night's 52-45 loss to TCU, but there's no margin for error in the Big 12. Kansas State still plays No. 19 Oklahoma and No. 2 Baylor, so it's hard to imagine them making up much ground.
Trending: DOWN
When a rival flies a banner over its stadium mocking your own banners, like Florida State fans did after a 29-24 win on Saturday, things aren't going well. Miami athletics director Blake James said he would evaluate embattled coach Al Golden after the season.
Trending: DOWN
The Tigers dropped their second SEC game, 21-3 to Florida at home on Saturday, so it's unlikely they'll win a third straight SEC East title. They're already two games behind the Gators in the loss column of the SEC East standings and lost the tiebreaker to them.
Trending: EVEN
In the future, Navy might want to make sure it plays Notre Dame before the Fighting Irish face Georgia Tech. With quarterback Keenan Reynolds slowed by a sore shin, the Irish didn't have much trouble slowing down Navy's triple-option spread offense.
Trending: DOWN
It's amazing what happens when a team starts facing real Power 5 competition. After opening the season with four straight wins over non-Power 5 teams, the Wolfpack has dropped consecutive games against Louisville and Virginia Tech.
Trending: DOWN
Forget about the College Football Playoff; the Ducks might have trouble making a bowl game this season. Before Saturday night's 45-38 loss in double overtime to Washington State, Oregon was 100-0 in games in which it had a 10-point lead or more since 2005. It blew a pair of 10-point leads against the Cougars.
Trending: DOWN
After hanging tough against LSU for more than a half, the Orange flopped in their first road game, falling 45-24 at South Florida. So much for Syracuse being the surprise of the ACC.
Trending: DOWN
A lot of things are more important than wins and losses, even at The Eliminator. Here's hoping USC coach Steve Sarkisian, who was placed on indefinite leave, gets things turned around.
Trending: DOWN
Two weeks ago, the Mountaineers looked like the Big 12's most improved team. But now they're 0-2 after losing to Oklahoma State 33-26 in overtime, and they'll have to beat either No. 2 Baylor or No. 3 TCU to avoid an 0-4 start in league play.
Previously eliminated
Eliminated in Week 1 (30 teams): Akron Zips, Arkansas State Red Wolves, Army Black Knights, Bowling Green Falcons, Central Michigan Chippewas, Charlotte 49ers (not bowl-eligible), Colorado Buffaloes, Eastern Michigan Eagles, Florida Atlantic Owls, Georgia Southern Eagles, Georgia State Panthers, Idaho Vandals, Kansas Jayhawks, Kent State Golden Flashes, Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns, Louisiana Monroe Warhawks, New Mexico State Aggies, SMU Mustangs, Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles, Texas San Antonio Roadrunners, Texas State Bobcats, Troy Trojans, Tulane Green Wave, UCF Knights, UNLV Rebels, UTEP Miners, Vanderbilt Commodores, Washington State Cougars, Western Michigan Broncos, Wyoming Cowboys
Eliminated in Week 2 (27 teams): Appalachian State Mountaineers, Arkansas Razorbacks, Ball State Cardinals, Buffalo Bulls, Cincinnati Bearcats, Colorado State Rams, East Carolina Pirates, Florida International Golden Panthers, Fresno State Bulldogs, Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, Louisville Cardinals, Marshall Thundering Herd, Maryland Terrapins, Massachusetts Minutemen, Miami (OH) RedHawks, Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders, Nevada Wolf Pack, New Mexico Lobos, North Texas Mean Green, Rice Owls, San Diego State Aztecs, San Jose State Spartans, South Alabama Jaguars, South Florida Bulls, Utah State Aggies, Virginia Cavaliers.
Eliminated in Week 3 (14 teams): Air Force Falcons, Auburn Tigers, Boston College Eagles, Connecticut Huskies, Iowa State Cyclones, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Northern Illinois Huskies, Old Dominion Monarchs, Purdue Boilermakers, Rutgers Scarlet Knights, South Carolina Gamecocks, Texas Longhorns, Tulsa Golden Hurricane, Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.
Eliminated in Week 4 (nine teams): Arizona State Sun Devils, BYU Cougars, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Ohio Bobcats, Oregon State Beavers, Tennessee Volunteers, Virginia Tech Hokies, Wake Forest Demon Deacons, Washington Huskies.
Eliminated in Week 5 (four teams): Arizona Wildcats, Minnesota Golden Gophers, Mississippi State Bulldogs, Texas Tech Red Raiders.
Who's in
Utah grabs the top spot in the playoff after picking off Cal quarterback Jared Goff five times in a 30-24 victory in Salt Lake City on Saturday night. Coupled with victories over surging Michigan and Oregon (by 42 points on the road), the Utes have the best body of work to date. Two Big 12 teams -- Baylor and TCU -- are also in the playoff for now. However, the CFP selection committee showed us last year that they'll probably only take the Big 12 champion, depending on what happens in other Power 5 leagues. Clemson, which blasted Georgia Tech 43-24 at Death Valley, gets the fourth spot for now. The SEC champion and Big Ten champion will most certainly be in the mix at season's end as well.
Still in contention
Trending: EVEN
Don't worry, Coach Saban, we never buried the Tide at The Eliminator. We're waiting for Leonard Fournette to do it.
Trending: EVEN
After the Bears blasted Kansas 66-7 on Saturday, coach Art Briles called his team the "freshest" squad in America. No kidding. Play somebody.
Trending: UP
Clemsoning. Clemsoning. Clemsoning. Clemsoning. No, the Tigers actually looked really good in Saturday's 43-24 rout of Georgia Tech. We just love watching coach Dabo Swinney getting riled up.
Trending: UP
Welcome to the SEC East, Jim McElwain. It's the only division in America where your top challengers will gift-wrap you a title by mid-October.
Trending: EVEN
Dalvin Cook has been a one-man wrecking crew, running 22 times for 222 yards with two touchdowns in the win over Miami.
Trending: UP
Tigers tailback Leonard Fournette has 148 rushing yards more than any other player in FBS, and he has played one fewer game than anyone within 200 yards of him. Don't forget, LSU's season opener against FCS member McNeese State was canceled because of inclement weather.
Trending: UP
The Webster's Dictionary definition of Harbaughing: beating the crap out of three straight opponents. The Wolverines have posted three consecutive shutouts for the first time since 1980, defeating then-No. 22 BYU, Maryland and then-No. 13 Northwestern by a combined score of 97-0.
Trending: DOWN
One of two things will happen to the Spartans: They'll win an Academy Award for playing possum or they'll lose two or three games. They've looked grossly underwhelming so far, especially in Saturday's 31-24 win over imploding Rutgers.
Trending: EVEN
I wonder if anyone at Notre Dame envisioned its road games at Temple and Pitt being two of its most difficult contests this season?
Trending: EVEN
If Ohio State coach Urban Meyer is waiting to flip a switch with the defending national champions, it might be a good time to do it. The Buckeyes are looking more and more ordinary every week. They were tied with Maryland at 21 in the third quarter on Saturday before scoring 28 straight points in a 49-28 victory.
Trending: UP
Somebody tell Cowboys coach Mike Gundy that T. Boone Pickens isn't going to pay him any extra for good TV ratings. The Pokes' last three games have been must-see drama.
Trending: UP
TCU's 18-point comeback at Kansas State was its largest since 2005, when it rallied from a 34-16 deficit to beat BYU 51-50 in overtime. The Horned Frogs have now scored 50 points in five straight games. Who needs defense?
Trending: EVEN
I can think of, oh, 59 reasons the Aggies will be motivated to play Alabama at Kyle Field on Saturday.
Trending: UP
After the Utes knocked off No. 23 California 30-24 on Saturday night, cornerback Boobie Hobbs said they wanted to "show the world that we can play with the Alabamas, the LSUs." The Utes might want to start with next week's opponent, Arizona State, which is 4-0 against Utah since 2011.
On the fence
Trending: UP
The Broncos are definitely back in the mix for a New Year's Six bowl game, but their schedule will probably come up short in the eyes of the CFP selection committee. Boise State's remaining six regular-season opponents have a combined record of 14-20. Only two of them -- 3-2 Utah State and 3-2 Air Force -- currently have winning records.
Trending: UP
Look on the bright side, Bears: You turned the ball over six times and still had a chance to tie (or beat) Utah in the closing minutes on the road on Saturday night. Cal gets a week off before playing at No. 18 UCLA on Oct. 22 in a game it can't afford to lose.
Trending: EVEN
Here's how far the Blue Devils have come under coach David Cutcliffe: They're 11-1 in their last 12 road games and they're off to a 5-1 start in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1952-53. Go ahead and put his name somewhere on the stadium.
Trending: UP
After Thursday night's 49-28 win over SMU, the Cougars are off to a 5-0 start under first-year coach Tom Herman, the former Ohio State offensive coordinator. Will a one-year résumé as a head coach be enough for a Power Five head-coaching job?
Trending: EVEN
Boy, I wonder how tailback Jordan Canzeri felt Sunday morning. He carried the ball a school-record 43 times for 256 yards in the Hawkeyes' 29-20 win over Illinois. Canzeri carried the ball 11 straight times on a fourth-quarter possession.
Trending: EVEN
The Wildcats didn't play this week, but they woke up on Sunday as the only team within one game of Florida in the loss column of the SEC East standings. They play Auburn at home on Thursday night.
Trending: EVEN
The Tigers took an extra week to prepare for Saturday's home game against No. 13 Ole Miss, which should be one heck of a party in Memphis. The Tigers have been ranked in the AP poll in consecutive weeks for the first time in school history.
Trending: EVEN
The Tar Heels were off this past weekend. They'll go for five straight wins in Saturday's home game against Wake Forest.
Trending: DOWN
As deflating as Saturday's 38-0 loss at Michigan might be, the Wildcats can still take a huge step in winning the Big Ten West by beating Iowa at home this week. It's not like Nebraska is going to win the division.
Trending: DOWN
Seriously, Sooners? Texas was off to its worst five-game start since 1956, but whipped the Sooners on both sides of the ball in a 24-17 victory in the Red River Rivalry. At 1-4, UT had the worst record of any team to ever beat a top-10 OU squad.
Trending: EVEN
If it looks like a trap and smells like a trap, then it's probably a trap. The No. 13 Rebels had better be careful in Saturday's trip to Memphis, which has won 12 games in a row dating to last season.
Trending: EVEN
It's called an airplane, Nittany Lions, and those are buses and that's a hotel. For the first time this season, Penn State will play a game outside its home state when it plays at No. 1 Ohio State on Saturday. The Nittany Lions lost at Temple in Week 1 and then won five straight home games.
Trending: EVEN
First-year coaches like Harbaugh and Florida's Jim McElwain are getting a lot of attention, but don't forget about Pitt's Pat Narduzzi, who has guided the Panthers to a 4-1 start. Pitt's only defeat was a three-point loss at surging Iowa.
Trending: UP
What's the old adage about losing early? After falling at Northwestern, the Cardinal have reeled off four straight wins and look like the team to beat in the Pac-12 North, along with California. Stanford can make a big statement in Thursday night's home game against No. 18 UCLA.
Trending: EVEN
After Temple moved to 5-0 for the first time since 1974 with a 49-10 rout of Tulane on Saturday, ESPN's Football Power Index projects the Owls to be favorites in all but one of their remaining games -- vs. Notre Dame on Oct. 31.
Trending: EVEN
In the preseason, FPI projected that the Rockets had a 1 percent chance of being undefeated going into Week 6. Now, FPI predicts Toledo has a 21 percent chance of remaining unbeaten through the rest of the regular season, which is second to only Baylor (27 percent) among FBS teams.
Trending: EVEN
The Bruins didn't play this past weekend, which gave them an extra week to stew over their stunning 38-23 loss at Arizona State on Oct. 3 and figure out a way to end a seven-game losing streak to Stanford.
Trending: UP
Were you watching, Les Miles? The Badgers ran Clock Management 101 in the final 1:26 of their 23-21 victory at Nebraska on Saturday. After missing a field goal, the Badgers used three timeouts and forced a punt, running only 23 seconds off the clock. Then the Badgers drove 42 yards in six plays in 59 seconds, kicking a 46-yard field goal on the final play to inflict even more pain in coach Mike Riley's first season at Nebraska.