Just three weeks ago, the Oregon Ducks' College Football Playoff hopes appeared to be toast. They had just scored 10 points in a loss to the Illinois Fighting Illini, dropping to 4-3 on the season. But after two ranked victories over the Northwestern Wildcats and Ohio State Buckeyes, there's a viable path for Oregon to make the Big Ten championship game, giving them a chance at making the CFP as the guaranteed conference champion.

That path requires some help, however, something that head coach Dan Lanning and his squad don't want to rely on. If it were up to Lanning, his team would get a bid as an at-large team considering how strong they've played in recent weeks in arguably the best conference in college football.

"Yeah, I don't think it's any secret that our conference probably doesn't get the respect it deserves especially when you see week-in-and-week-out what's accomplished in this conference," Lanning said during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. "So, the results kind of speak for themselves. I don't get to sit in those meetings (with the Playoff Committee). Ultimately what I would say is based on what we showed we're capable of and how we're playing right now, I'm sure a lot of teams don't want us in those 12 teams. Especially coming down the stretch. And if it's about having the best teams in the end, we gotta see who's playing the best football in the end. And we get an opportunity to go out here Saturday and show that."

While the Playoff Committee has sided with teams playing their best football at the end of the season, it's hard to ignore the Ducks having three losses — particularly the losses to Oklahoma State and Illinois, two teams not slated to be in the CFP. UCLA, which beat Oregon at Autzen Stadium, remains undefeated. That's not a bad loss, but the other two certainly are.

"I get it, we haven't had sustained success all season," Lanning continued. "But ultimately, we're playing really good football and if we can keep that trend running, this conference can keep that trend running, than they should certainly consider teams like ourselves, right, and certainly these other Big Ten teams we've played to be in that hunt."

The lean towards SEC being stronger than the Big Ten was present in the initial CFP rankings release, as the Bruins at 8-0 were placed behind Alabama (6-2), Kentucky (7-1) and Texas (6-2). Though it's not like years past in which Ohio State and Oregon are neck-and-neck for the Big Ten title, the conference remains stronger than ever, in Lanning's eyes, and should be considered when evaluating the Ducks — a team that has the talent to make a deep run if they can sneak into the playoff.

"You look at Miami last year, they were almost not in it and then they make it to the national championship," Lanning said. "If it's about getting the best teams in, you know, I think that's something everyone's gotta evaluate and this conference has great football teams and some great play."

There's still three weeks remaining in the regular season, plus a potential spot in the Big Ten title game for Oregon. That'd be the most ideal way to get into the 12-team field: win the final three games of the season and beat what would likely be UCLA in the conference championship game. That would be give the Ducks an automatic bid into the CFP.

But if the Ducks simply win out and don't get help from other results in the conference, Lanning would argue that the strength of the Big Ten and Oregon peaking at the right time should be enough to get them in. Time will tell if the Playoff Committee agrees.