It can be argued it’s one of the longest and most heated rivalries in college football.
But this one goes way beyond rivalry.
There’s often real hate and jealous fervor when the Huskies and the Ducks meet up in football.
Washington is traveling south to Eugene on Saturday with their own first-year head coach and of course, it’s the same for Dan Lanning at Oregon.
And while neither one has experienced this rivalry from the sideline, that’s about to change in a big way on Saturday at 4:00 pm. (Fox-TV)
In Oregon’s case, Lanning, unlike some coaches in the past, knows exactly what beating the Huskies would mean to this Duck fanbase.
“This game means a lot to us” said Lanning on Monday evening.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for Kalen (DeBoer). He’s one of the winningest coaches in college football. He’s had a lot of success and he’s done it the hard way. Came up from a small school and worked his way up and really busted his tail to get where he’s at.
“So there’s a lot of respect on my end for him and the job that he’s done. That being said this is the game we want to win and I know how important it is to all Duck fans.”
It does mean a lot and in 2022, there’s even more on the line than just pride amongst the fan bases.
Oregon is 8-1 and looking toward a Pac-12 title.
Washington is having a very solid season as well at 7-2, also still in the hunt for a possible conference championship title berth.
The Huskies would like nothing more than to derail the Ducks’ title hopes who remain undefeated in conference play.
“I don’t think I’ve been to a speaking engagement where they haven’t emphasized how important it is to beat the Ducks,” DeBoer said.
“It’s certainly important and it’ll be fun. We’ve put ourselves in a spot where it means something and they’ve put themselves in a spot where it means something. It should be a fun weekend.”
Back in Eugene, Lanning said that he’s received a few calls from Oregon legends so they can give him a little history lesson on the Dawgs and the rivalry.
“I’m getting to talk to some former alumni that have played here” explained Lanning.
“Coach Bellotti, …Dan Fouts,… guys that I’ve been able to kind of link up with and just communicate with on what this game has been like over time. It’s been exciting for me because this game means something to people and not just our players.
“Our players are gonna go out there and execute every single game but it means something to people outside of that arena. I’m excited to see our fans come up and make an impact, but also our players get out there and take care of business.”
Ultimately, that is the bottom line. Go out and win the game and move on to the next opponent.
But during the week leading up to the Washington game, it’s fun to explore the rivalry, and as Emperor Palpatine would say in Star Wars, “Let the hate flow through you.
GOOD!.”