Rivals Washington, Oregon set for a most epic Pac-12 finale: 'This is what we work for'

At the Power 5 level, it's not exactly commonplace to have one team play another twice in a season.

It's happened a few times over the years, but the combination of divisional play and the general nature of major college football scheduling has limited the number of times it has become a factor on championship weekend.

Until this week at least, as the final Pac-12 championship game ever offers both a glimpse into the future — given the division-less setup of a league on its last legs — as well as a fitting rematch between the two best programs out West. Even better, this showdown for the title on Friday night in Las Vegas adds a rivalry element on top of things, as No. 3 Washington, the first team in the Pac-12 era to run the table in conference play, faces off against No. 5 Oregon for the second time in seven weeks.

"At Sioux Falls, two of the top teams in the country were us and Morningside College. We played a regular-season game usually for the conference championship and then played usually in the second round of the (NAIA) playoffs," Huskies coach Kalen DeBoer noted. "Even when I was at Fresno State, we played Boise State back-to-back weeks. You learn from the game before. They're going to make adjustments, but it's not like there's any secrets. You know who their personnel are, they know who ours are."

Most of the country does, too, both because the pair staged an instant classic that came down to the final kick in Seattle, as well as the fact that each has featured prominently in the national conversation when it comes to both the College Football Playoff and Heisman Trophy.

The initial result back in Week 7, a 36-33 Washington triumph, featured four frantic lead changes amid 60 minutes of high-level play, giving plenty of hope that the encore at Allegiant Stadium will be just as compelling.

It will be hard to be quite as dramatic, however, as Washington's game-winning touchdown came on a beautiful 18-yard strike from Michael Penix Jr. to Biletnikoff Award finalist Rome Odunze with just 98 seconds left. The Ducks quickly marched down the field, but missed a 43-yard field goal as time expired, provoking a purple-clad field-storming on Montlake.

"We didn't finish and win the game last time. That's the thing that sticks with you," Oregon head coach Dan Lanning remarked this week. "This one doesn't require a lot of extra motivation."

Like his counterpart, Lanning also understands the cat-and-mouse game coaches have to play when facing another team for a second time. While an assistant at Georgia back in 2021, his defense got torched by eventual Heisman-winner Bryce Young and Alabama in the SEC championship game. The Bulldogs still made the Playoff and got the last laugh, however, winning the national championship by out-maneuvering one of the best coaches ever in Nick Saban.

DeBoer isn't anywhere near the Tide coach in terms of accomplishments, but he's in this game for a reason — 23-2 overall since taking over last year and riding the nation's second-longest winning streak — 19 in a row. For good measure, he's also 102-11 overall as a head coach.

But there's certainly a challenge ahead, and it's not just limited to playing an Oregon side that has the top scoring offense and defense in the Pac-12 this year. It's wholly accurate to say that Washington's peak this season came in those final few minutes at Husky Stadium, because the team simply hasn't looked as good since. After blowing out opponents left and right coming into that meeting, it's been difficult sledding ever since, even if the wins have continued to pile up.

UW's last eight games have been decided by 10 points or fewer, including the past three — over two ranked opponents and in another rivalry game in the Apple Cup — that have come down to a touchdown or less. Penix Jr. has also had a noticeable dip in form, still sitting second in the country in passing yards (to Oregon's Bo Nix) but having been held below 200 yards each of the last two weeks. 

That lack of peak efficiency is one reason, despite entering a perfect 12-0 and accomplishing things the program hasn't done since last capturing the national title back in 1991, the higher-ranked team is a 9.5-point underdog.

"We know that every game is its own game. We've got to be our best on Friday night," DeBoer said. "We'll be ready, and we'll bring our best."

The same can be said of the Ducks — and particularly their young head coach. Lanning's aggressiveness has been a big part of the program's ethos since he took over, but it has cost them in big moments just like this one. Up in Seattle during the first meeting, Oregon went 0-3 on fourth down — including one attempt in the red zone to bypass a short field goal just before halftime.

Those three points proved decisive in the end.

Outside that close shave, however, the team has largely looked and played like a true national title contender — and been far more consistent on both sides of the ball than either No. 1 Georgia or No. 2 Michigan.

The Ducks are top 10 nationally in both offense and defense, making quick work of the rest of the league despite this being the Pac-12's best season in ages from top to bottom. Oregon's point differential is tops in FBS this season, and they're outscoring opponents by 29.3 points per game.

Much of the green and yellow firepower is the result of having Nix in the backfield as the leader for one of the most efficient and explosive offenses around. The senior has vaulted into position as Heisman Trophy favorite, completing 78.6% of his passes (on pace to set the FBS record) and leading the country in yards.

Nix is also the only player in the country with multiple touchdown passes in every game, and that's not even getting to mention his capacity to scramble out of pressure or lower his shoulder down near the goal line.

"Bo's always had that kind of ability and everyone's seeing that now," Lanning added. "He's played at a high level during the entirety of the season, and he's playing as good as anyone in the nation right now. It's really apparent."

While Nix is frequently compared to his opposition a few hours to the North, the Ducks signal-caller does get the benefit on Friday of facing a slightly weaker defense, with the Huskies allowing 23 PPG — just outside the top third in the country. It's a bend-but-don't-break unit, however, allowing 20 or more the last five games but limiting teams significantly in the second half of all those close wins.

And given the way these two have played in recent years — including that memorable edition in mid-October — it's likely to come down to the end yet again.

This time around, the stakes have been raised considerably though.

There will almost certainly be a College Football Playoff bid on the line for the winner — ending a six-year drought for a conference that is breaking up next summer. If the Huskies win, they'll be a shoo-in at 13-0, as they look to cap off the best regular season in school history with their first conference title since Chris Petersen roamed the sidelines.

As for Oregon, every one-loss team in the Playoff era to avenge its lone blemish in the conference championship has wound up making the final four. That includes the Ducks back in the inaugural edition of the Playoff, being led by a Heisman-winning signal-caller with deadly accuracy to boot.

Speaking of the big names involved, Nix versus Penix is being billed as a heavyweight fight between quarterbacks in the city where such bouts are commonplace. It could — and some say should — decide who wins the Heisman this year, too. The grand stage of a Friday night prime-time window on the East Coast certainly helps matters.

Just as important to some in this bitter Pacific Northwest rivalry: bragging rights are on the line in a way they really haven't been in the past. There may be no better way to leap into the Big Ten in 2024 having ended your rival's Playoff and Heisman dreams.

Those on the field won't be thinking about all that, however. Both the Huskies and Ducks will enter with a healthy dose of respect for each other given what transpired in their first meeting, but certainly not fear.

"I'm excited about what we've accomplished, but the mindset of our guys is the job's not done, DeBoer said. "This is what we work for since Jan. 3 when we had our team meetings. When guys decided to come back, it was to win a championship. We don't talk a lot about it when we get into the season because your focus is on the next game and the next game is the most important. 

"Now that next game is the championship game that we've had our sights set on."

In this final football game pitting Pac-12 teams against each other, DeBoer is not alone. 

Bryan Fischer is a college football writer for FOX Sports. He has been covering college athletics for nearly two decades at outlets such as NBC Sports, CBS Sports, Yahoo! Sports and NFL.com among others. Follow him on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.