Mario Cristobal describes Oregon locker room after disappointing Utah loss

Oregon suffered a crushing defeat against Utah on Saturday night. Utah took down the Ducks, winning 38-7 in a dominating performance. The loss is obviously disappointing for Oregon and head coach Mario Cristobal. Oregon was in the heart of the College Football Playoff race, coming in at No. 3 in the latest rankings. But Saturday night’s loss likely ends that possibility for the Ducks.

“Everybody is upset,” Cristobal said after Oregon’s loss. “Everybody is upset and disappointed like we should be. It should burn, it should hurt a ton. Guys are competitors and it’s hard because we’ve taken a lot of pride in being resilient and being able to bounce back from adversity. Tonight, we didn’t do a good enough job.”

Utah led Oregon 28-0 at halftime. Oregon was unable to stop Utah on third down, as the Utes converted 11 of their 14 third down attempts. The Ducks rushed for just 63 yards in the game as opposed for 208 yards for Utah.

Oregon was in a good spot for the College Football Playoff prior to the loss

The race for the College Football Playoff was wide open entering Week 12. But Oregon’s crushing defeat has opened the door for teams like Cincinnati and Oklahoma State. With two losses on the season, Oregon is essentially eliminated. But Cristobal is still focused on Oregon finishing the season on a high note.

“And the reality of the matter is that we have a great opportunity in seven days,” said Cristobal. “That’s the reality and it’s going to be here in a hurry. We gotta get right to work on it, fast.”

Cristobal and Oregon will need to win next week at home against Oregon State. Oregon, Oregon State, and Washington State are all still alive in the Pac-12 North standings. If Oregon wins, they win the division and a spot in the Pac-12 title game. But a loss opens the door for a few different possibilities.

Oregon is now 9-2 on the season. The Ducks will kick off against Oregon State on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET.