The rivalry between Pac-12 schools Washington and Oregon hasn't received the most national attention in recent years. But there's an established history of animosity, and Huskies radio voice Tony Castricone believes that tensions will heighten this upcoming season.
"The rivalry has been great the last few years," Castricone told The DA Show on Monday. "As heated as the rivalry is, last year, Washington finishes atop the Pac-12 North, but can't make the Pac-12 championship game because of internal COVID issues. And then who does the Pac-12 send in Washington's place but Oregon -- a team that they didn't even get a chance to play against. And then Oregon goes and wins the Pac-12 championship game against USC and goes to the Fiesta Bowl.
"You want to talk about heartbreak for a program. It's not like you lost to your rival -- you didn't get a chance to play your rival, due to the pandemic within your team. Your archrival gets to go in your place -- when you finished above them in the standings -- and go to the Fiesta Bowl. That's just another level. And I just feel like it's going to make that game on Nov. 6 a really, really fun college football game to watch."
Since 1990, Washington and Oregon have combined to win 16 championships in the Pac-12, including the past three and five of the past seven. They're also the only Pac-12 schools that have appeared in the College Football Playoff, as the Ducks played in the inaugural title game in 2015 and the Huskies reached the semifinals two years later.
Washington and Oregon are scheduled to play each other on Saturday, Nov. 6 in Seattle. According to the William Hill Sportsbook, Washington currently has the second-best odds (+350) to win the Pac-12 title.
The entire conversation between Castricone and DA can be accessed in the audio player above.
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