It may have been a genuine surprise to many watching, but the Oregon Ducks have found their way into the first official College Football Playoff rankings, which were released on Tuesday night on ESPN.

Oregon comes in at No. 23 in the CFP rankings, despite not being ranked in the US LBM Coaches Poll or the Associated Press Top 25. With a 5-3 record and losses to the Oklahoma State Cowboys, UCLA Bruins, and Illinois Fighting Illini, the Ducks rank ahead of the Boise State Broncos and the Florida Gators.

Oregon notably beat Boise State in the first week of the season.

This is important to note, as Oregon still technically has a path to make it to the Big Ten Title Game, and potentially the College Football Playoff. In order for that to happen, they will need to win the final four games on their schedule, as well as get a little bit of help from other teams losing in the conference.

It all starts this weekend with a game against the No. 12 Ohio State Buckeyes. If the Ducks can find a way to win that game, expect them to rise much higher in the CFP rankings a week from now.

Here is a look at the full initial ranking:

  1. Miami Hurricanes
  2. Georgia Bulldogs
  3. Utah Utes
  4. Indiana Hoosiers
  5. Alabama Crimson Tide
  6. Kentucky Wildcats
  7. Texas Longhorns
  8. UCLA Bruins
  9. BYU Cougars
  10. Ole Miss Rebels
  11. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
  12. Ohio State Buckeyes
  13. Tennessee Volunteers
  14. LSU Tigers
  15. Texas Tech Red Raiders
  16. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
  17. Houston Cougars
  18. Missouri Tigers
  19. Iowa Hawkeyes
  20. USC Trojans
  21. South Carolina Gamecocks
  22. Arizona Wildcats
  23. Oregon Ducks
  24. Florida Gators
  25. Boise State Broncos

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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Where Oregon ranks in the first College Football Playoff rankings

Source: Yahoo Sports