8-29-08 Grin and Barrett: My Battle with Seattle

I’m watching Oregon State play Stanford and I’m realizing a few things. One, college football season is the greatest time of the year.

The second conclusion I am coming to is that the Beavers can be cheered for by a University of Oregon fan. Not necessarily screaming, jumping up and down cheering, but a nod or grin when something good happens for them.

For 51 weeks of the year, Duck fans can sit back and watch the Beavers and not mind them winning a game. That 52nd week is when they play Oregon in the Civil War and they become a feisty younger brother

There is one code University of Oregon fans must oblige to — you must never cheer for the University of Washington. It is the first thing you learn and can stick to without even aconsideration.

The hatred between Oregon and Washington goes far beyond the civil war. What other rivalry creates a website degrading the opposing team (check out Huskiessuck.com)?

With the conventions going on, I’ll keep this political and ask each of you to choose Oregon on Saturday when it takes the field against the Huskies.

In this debate, my competition might tell you that the Huskies won the national title.

Yes they did. But, I ask you what have they done since? It’s been 17 years since their title in 1991.

Since the millennium, Washington has gone 43-51, with one winning season and Oregon has gone 67-32, with seven winning seasons.

Head to head matches have not gone well for Washington in recent years. Oregon has won the last four meetings. In fact, the Huskies have beaten the Ducks only twice in the past eight years.

This year, Washington travels to Autzen Stadium where Oregon has lost one opening season game since Mike Bellotti took over the team coaching in 1995.

A week ago the line for the game came from Las Vegas and Oregon was a 12-point favorite. A few days later, the line went up a point in favor of the Ducks. Then when Nate Costa went down, the line went up another point and a half for Oregon.

My prediction for Saturday includes Oregon starting a bit slow, but hardly noticeable as Washington goes three-and-out on its first two possessions. The Ducks then get things going racking up 24 first-half points and the Huskies only make a long field-goal.

After an early Jake Locker interception, the Ducks then score 21 third-quarter points and give up a field goal. Bellotti plays his usual conservative and complacent fourth-quarter; the Huskies score two touchdowns while Oregon kicks a field-goal.

Final score, Oregon 48, Washington 20; but the big story of the day is the dominance of the defense.

In 1999, the University of Washington hired Rick Neuheisel as its head coach. In 2002, the University of Washington fired Neuheisel for participating in a NCAA men’s basketball tournament pool. The Huskies are flip-floppers. You’re not a flip-flopper, are you? I am an Oregon Duck fan, and I approve this message.