In the most intriguing story of this Conference Championship Week, undefeated and #3 Washington, which beat Oregon earlier this season, is +9.5 to the #5 Ducks in the PAC-12 finale. Unless something unexpected happens, the winner of this game will make the College Football Playoff.
The Ducks were undefeated at 5-0 when they met the Washington Huskies in Seattle on October 14, losing the game 36-33. Since then, UO has reeled off seven wins in a row, outscoring their opponents by an average of 26 points a game.
Why are the Ducks a heavy favorite? The Athletic put it this way: “Oregon outgained Washington by 126 yards and won the turnover battle but still came up short. That performance, coupled with Washington playing four one-score games since and this one being played on a neutral field instead of at Washington, is why Oregon is such a big favorite.”
“Big” is not hyperbolic either. The ESPN Matchup Predictor gives Oregon a 76% chance of winning.
The Pac-12 championship will give the Ducks quarterback Bo Nix, running back Bucky Irving, and wide receiver Troy Franklin an opportunity to redeem a missed last-second field goal and plant their team in the playoffs. All three are having terrific seasons. Nix has thrown for nearly 4000 yards with 40 TDs; Irving has rushed for over 1000 yards and scored 10 TDs with a 6.4 rushing average, and Troy Franklin has almost 1400 receiving yards with a 17 YPC average, scoring 14 TDs.
Watch Oregon vs. Washington on Friday night, December 1, at 8 pm (EST) on ABC-TV. The game will be played at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
