Playoff spot on the line for rivals in final Pac-12 title game

It’s hard to imagine a better finale for the Pac-12. There’s so much at stake.

A place in the College Football Playoff is up for grabs. Pacific Northwest bragging rights are on the line. There are Heisman Trophy implications. Plus, it’s a rematch of one of the most exciting games of the year.

There isn’t much that will be missing when Washington, No. 3 in the CFP rankings, takes on No. 5 Oregon in the final Pac-12 championship game as people know it at 5 p.m. Friday at Allegiant Stadium.

“This is what we worked for since Jan. 3 at our first team meeting,” Washington coach Kalen DeBoer told reporters Monday. “Guys decided to come back and it was to win a championship.”

Washington and Oregon will renew their rivalry in a game which essentially serves as a CFP quarterfinal. The winner has a clear path into the four-team playoff. The loser has to watch a hated rival lift a trophy and earn a shot at the national championship.

The Huskies (12-0, 9-0 Pac-12) are undefeated, yet enter the game as 10-point underdogs. The Ducks (11-1, 8-1) have a chance to avenge their only loss, a 36-33 defeat in Seattle.

“We didn’t finish it and win the game last time,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said. “That’s the kind of thing that sticks with you.”

Oregon and Washington entered the season with high expectations. Both teams returned Heisman-caliber quarterbacks in Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr., respectively, ahead of their final seasons in a conference both universities helped found in 1915.

The two Pacific Northwest schools announced their move to the Big Ten in August, joining UCLA and Southern California. That triggered the departures of Arizona, Arizona State, Utah and Colorado to the Big 12. California and Stanford caught on with the Atlantic Coast Conference, formalizing the demise of the Power Five’s western-most conference.

The Ducks and Huskies dominated on the field while conference-realignment discussions raged off it. Washington demolished its nonconference schedule, including a 56-19 win against Mountain West championship contender Boise State. Oregon thumped Deion Sanders’ then-ranked Colorado Buffaloes 42-6 during Week 4.

The two teams’ early-season success set up a top-10 matchup in Seattle on Oct. 14. Washington hosted Oregon — and ESPN’s “College Gameday.”

The Ducks had a chance to win the game, but failed to get a key fourth-down conversion late in the fourth quarter. Penix then led a two-play, 53-yard drive which ended with an 18-yard touchdown pass to receiver Rome Odunze.

Oregon still had a chance to send the game to overtime. Kicker Camden Lewis missed a 43-yard field goal wide right at the buzzer, however, clinching the win for Washington.

The Ducks have destroyed their opponents since then. Oregon beat a ranked Utah team 35-6, and finished its season with a convincing rivalry win against Oregon State 31-7. The Ducks have won their final six games by an average of 26 points.

Nix, one of the Heisman Award frontrunners, leads an efficient offense with weapons like receivers Troy Franklin and Tez Johnson, along with running back Bucky Irving. The Oregon defense features edge rusher Brandon Dorlus and safety Evan Williams, the team’s leading tackler.

Washington, by contrast, has survived and advanced. Its wins against Oregon State and Washington State during the past two weeks have been by a combined five points, a major reason why the perfect Huskies are underdogs.

Penix leads the Huskies, who feature several Las Vegas natives. Odunze, a Biletnikoff Award finalist, and linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio played at Bishop Gorman. Left tackle Troy Fautanu and receiver Germie Bernard starred at Liberty.

“Like I said a couple weeks ago, job’s not done,” DeBoer said. “That’s our mindset.”

Contact reporter Andy Yamashita at ayamashita@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ANYamashita on X.