Here we go again.

Three games to go, everything on the line.

As the Oregon Ducks prepare for the season’s final quarter, they face a daunting task ahead, arguably the hardest path forward in the conference, if not one of the toughest in the country.

First, Washington, and its high-flying passing game.

Then, Utah, the Pac-12 defending champions and, despite two losses, still one of the top teams in the country.

Finally, Oregon State, and the randomness that comes with the emotions of an always-bitter Civil War.

Can Bo Nix and the Ducks navigate choppy waters over the final 3 games of the season to give the Pac-12 a puncher’s chance at a College Football Playoff berth? It won’t be easy, that’s for sure.

And even worse, if they do, will it even matter?

*****

Compared to their competition for the 4 spots in the Playoff, the No. 6 Ducks have a daunting road.

Team Week 11 Week 12 Week 13
No. 1 Georgia @ Mississippi State @ No. 24 Kentucky vs. Georgia Tech
No. 2 Ohio State vs. Indiana @ Maryland vs. No. 3 Michigan
No. 3 Michigan vs. Nebraska vs. No. 21 Illinois @ No. 2 Ohio State
No. 4 TCU @ No. 18 Texas @ Baylor vs. Iowa State
No. 5 Tennessee vs. Missouri @ South Carolina @ Vanderbilt
No. 7 LSU @ Arkansas vs. UAB @ Texas A&M
No. 8 USC vs. Colorado at No. 12 UCLA vs. No. 20 Notre Dame

Two SEC squads — No. 5 Tennessee and No. 7 LSU — have the easiest paths ahead, without a ranked team left on the schedule. To be fair, the Volunteers have already played 6 ranked teams (and beat 5 of them). LSU has played 3, including wins over then-No. 7 Ole Miss and then-No. 6 Alabama the past 2 weeks.

No. 1 Georgia and No. 4 TCU have manageable journeys, with both facing beatable Top-25 teams in the next 2 weeks. No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Michigan are on a crash course, though, headed to college football’s top regular-season finale, and No. 8 USC has to manage a top-12 rivalry game matchup with UCLA and a top-20 tango with Notre Dame.

All Oregon has to do is battle the No. 4, 5 and 6 teams in the Pac-12.

In some years, that wouldn’t seem so scary.

This year, with the ranked Huskies and Utes both at 7-2, and Oregon State at 6-3, there’s no such thing as a cakewalk.

*****

Even in the midst of a great season for the Ducks and a 4-8 campaign for Washington last year, the matchup was close. Oregon won 26-16 in Seattle, holding Huskies quarterback Dylan Morris to just 15-of-27 passing for 111 yards and an interception. But the game was in doubt until the 4th quarter, much like the Ducks’ previous two wins in the series: 35-31 in 2019 and 30-27 in 2018.

The last real blowout in the series came back in 2017, the second straight for Washington.

The Huskies won 38-3 in 2017 after winning 70-21 in 2016, en route to the last Playoff appearance for a Pac-12 squad.

This year, the resurgent Huskies bring a thriving quarterback into Autzen Stadium, with Michael Penix Jr. leading the nation in passing yards (3,232). He’ll square off against Nix, who ranks 6th nationally in passing efficiency and leads FBS in rushing touchdowns for a quarterback (13).

Their fates will help determine a game that should have both sides fired up, something that in turn gets Dan Lanning revved up.

“No love lost. That’s really clear,” Lanning said. “And that’s something that’s exciting. It makes games like this fun. I’m getting to talk to some former alumni that have played here — Coach Bellotti, Dan Fouts, guys that I’ve been able to kind of link up with and just communicate with on what this game has been like over time. It’s been exciting for me because this game means something to people, not just our players. Our players are gonna go out there and execute every single game, but it means something to people outside of that arena.”

The Ducks could have more trouble this year with Utah, which has won 3 of its past 4 matchups with the Ducks, including 2 victories last year: A 38-7 win in the regular season, a 38-10 win in the Pac-12 title game.

And then there’s the Beavers of nearby Corvallis, already salivating for one of college football’s best rivalries. Two years ago, the Beavers won 41-38, and they also won in 2016, 34-24. Those are Oregon State’s only 2 wins in the series since winning 2 straight in 2006-07.

*****

Can you really blame Playoff prognosticators for the predicament in which the Ducks finds themselves?

Oregon is ranked 6th, directly behind 2 teams with better cases for the coveted top 4 spots. Forget No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Michigan: The Ducks’ real battle is with No. 4 TCU and No. 5 Tennessee.

The Horned Frogs join the Bulldogs, Buckeyes and Wolverines as 1 of 4 undefeated Power 5 squads, with 4 consecutive wins over then-ranked teams from Weeks 4-7.

The Volunteers are the top-ranked 1-loss team in the country, having just been bounced from the mountaintop by Georgia in the SEC game of the year in Week 10.

Only unlike Oregon, which fell to the Dawgs 49-3 in Week 1, the Volunteers hung around with Georgia in a 27-13 loss.

That disparity could cost the Ducks if both teams finish the season with 1 loss.

With either the Buckeyes or Wolverines guaranteed a loss but likely not going to be dinged to hard for it, Oregon’s best chances rely on an upset loss for Tennessee or TCU.

Good luck with that.

*****

The one thing that separates the Ducks this year is an offense that ranks among national leaders in several categories.

  • First downs: 1st (248)
  • Sacks allowed: 1st (1)
  • Total offense: 2nd (520.6 yards per game)
  • Scoring offense: 3rd (43.1 points per game)
  • Rushing offense: 11th (231.2 yards per game)
  • Passing offense: 21st (289.3 yards per game)

With Nix playing the best ball of his career, the Ducks need to keep the pedal to the medal and continue to outgun teams.

The question is, will a dominant offense be enough to help Oregon get through this tough stretch?

And, again, the bigger question is, will it even matter?