January 12, 2015. The College Football Playoff National Championship had just replaced the BCS National Championship game. The big game was fought between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Oregon Ducks. The Buckeyes went on to defeat the Ducks 42-20 and be awarded the first national championship under the new CFP system.

Despite falling short to Ohio State — a team that up to that point they’d never beaten in any of their nine meetings — Oregon finished the 2014 season at No. 2 in the AP Poll. It was  the last time Oregon was ranked in the top four. Until now.

This past weekend, Oregon finally made its way back to playoff contention, defeating Ohio State on the road.

The No. 12 Ducks beat the No. 4 Buckeyes 35-28, marking their first win over Ohio State in program history. Head coach Mario Cristobal called the upset win “a testament to the process.”

The win was Oregon’s first over a top-five opponent since beating Stanford back in 2011. And, with it, Oregon launches to No. 4 in the AP Poll and joins the playoff race with powerhouses Alabama, Georgia and Oklahoma.

Oregon is off to a 2-0 start and will not face a ranked opponent until Oct. 23 when it takes on No. 13 UCLA on the road. The Bruins have been impressive in 2021, upsetting No. 16 LSU at home.

The win in Columbus was important for Oregon and the entire Pac-12 conference. No school from the conference has reached the playoff since the Washington Huskies did it in 2016, where they lost to No.1 Alabama in the Peach Bowl 24-7.

Now Oregon has a chance to not only prove itself to its toughest critics, but also prove that the Pac-12 is a force to be reckoned with. No team has gone undefeated in Pac-12 conference play since it expanded. Oregon looks to be the first.