(BCSNN) - James Madison made the College Football Playoff. That part deserves to be remembered. The rest of Saturday night - a 51-34 loss to No. 5 Oregon - is something the Dukes will gladly leave behind.
Oregon dominated from the opening snap, scoring touchdowns on its first five drives and piling up 34 points on just 21 plays. JMU’s defense was outmatched at every level, unable to keep pace with the Ducks’ speed, physicality, or tempo. The only thing that stopped Oregon’s streak was a deflected interception at the end of the first half - and even that barely slowed the avalanche.
The Ducks blocked a punt for a touchdown early in the second half, crossed the 50‑point mark before the third quarter ended, and never looked threatened. By the time Oregon began rotating personnel, the outcome had long been decided.
Quarterback Dante Moore accounted for five total touchdowns - four through the air and one on the ground - while Malik Benson, Jeremiah McClellan, and Jamari Johnson each hauled in scoring passes. Oregon’s ground game was equally punishing, averaging more than 10 yards per carry as Dierre Hill Jr. and Jordon Davison each surpassed 60 yards on just five attempts.
And yet, the story isn’t that James Madison didn’t belong. It’s that this is what the sport looks like now.
The Dukes earned their playoff berth. So did Tulane. Their blowout losses aren’t an indictment of the 12‑team format or a sign that Group of Five programs should be excluded. They’re simply reminders of the widening gap between the sport’s haves and have‑nots - a gap created not by the playoff, but by the financial and roster‑building realities that define modern college football.
Beginning in 2026, the playoff format will shift again. Power conference champions will be guaranteed spots regardless of ranking, and Notre Dame will receive an automatic berth if it finishes in the top 12. Under those rules, JMU wouldn’t have made the field this year. Duke would have taken its place.
But in 2025, James Madison did everything required. It won, it climbed, and it earned its shot. That’s more than many programs can say.
The challenge for teams like JMU is sustainability. When former coach Curt Cignetti left for Indiana after the 2023 season, 13 players followed him to Bloomington. With current coach Bob Chesney heading to UCLA in 2026, more departures are likely. Meanwhile, programs like Texas Tech and Ole Miss can rebuild entire rosters in a single offseason thanks to donor‑driven NIL collectives.
That’s the real imbalance - not the playoff bracket.
If fans love March Madness upsets, they should embrace the possibility of similar chaos in football. Blowouts are part of the deal. They happened in the four‑team playoff too - Michigan State, Ohio State, and even Oregon have all been on the wrong end of lopsided semifinal losses.
But those blowouts make the rare upsets unforgettable. And as long as Group of Five teams are given a path, one of those moments will eventually arrive.
James Madison didn’t get its miracle on Saturday. But it got its chance. And in the modern landscape of college football, that alone is worth something.
