A top-10 matchup between rivals and undefeated teams has all the makings for a classic. No. 8 Oregon (5-0, 2-0 Pac-12) heads up to Seattle this weekend for a matchup with No. 7 Washington (5-0, 2-0) for a huge contest with major College Football Playoff implications.
The Ducks and Huskies have emerged as the top two teams in the Pac-12 Conference this season, and the future Big Ten foes will wrap up their history as members of the Pac-12 with one last regular season game that could determine just how far the respective teams will go by the end of the year.
There will be star power on both sides of the field, and Duck Sports Authority is looking ahead to Saturday's matchup with its weekly roundtable.
In your opinion, is this the most important game in the history of the Oregon-Washington rivalry?
Scott Reed: I imagine this depends on how we define most important. From a retrospective view, I am not sure there will ever be a game more important than the 1994 game. But heading into that game, there were no national title aspirations on the game – just normal rivalry hope and pride. It was only what came after the game that creates the definition of most important. The 2007 ‘Storm Trooper’ game is also important for the creation of the longest streak of wins by one team in this rivalry ever. I am not sure that 12 year stretch will ever be equaled by either team, but at the end of that game, once again, there was only pride in a win over a rival. So, yes, I think that this could be the most important game in the long and rich tradition of this rivalry. Never has so much rested on a win or a loss. Whoever wins this game will have not only the inside track to a Conference Championship appearance, but also a true shot at the College Football Playoff when it appears there is no dominant force. In other words, the winner of this game has a legitimate chance to win a national championship – and that has never happened before in this matchup.
