If you're craving a game that carries not only conference title implications but College Football Playoff ones as well, then look no further than No. 7 Washington hosting No. 8 Oregon in a Week 7 showdown on Saturday. The Pac-12 may be on the brink of extinction, but to this point in the season, the Ducks and Huskies have proven to be among the cream of the crop in the nation as the conference has stolen the national spotlight amid a bleak future.
The Huskies are off to a blazing start, leading the nation in total offense and outscoring Power Five opponents by a combined 68 points in three games. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. leads the nation with just shy of 400 yards passing per game -- more than 60 yards ahead of second place.
Oregon has been nothing to scoff at itself, winning its first two Pac-12 games by a combined 84-12. The running game leads the nation at 7.1 yards per carry. Quarterback Bo Nix has thrown 15 touchdowns to just one interception and is completing an absurd 80% of his passes.
The Ducks dominated this rivalry for the better part of the 2000s, winning 12 straight matchups between 2004 and 2015. However, the matchup is dead even at 3-3 in the last six games after Washington edged Oregon 37-34 behind 408 yards passing from Penix last season. Washington holds a 61-48-5 advantage all-time in the series, which dates back to 1900.
Offensive showcase: Washington and Oregon rank No. 1 and 2 nationally in total offense, respectively. The Ducks and Huskies also rank No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, in scoring offense, trailing only conference-mate USC at the top. Quarterbacks Penix and Nix have each emerged as top Heisman Trophy contenders, and Saturday could be their showcase opportunity.
Monumental matchup: Oregon and Washington have both achieved success on a national scale over the past 30 years. However, Saturday marks the first-ever meeting with both teams ranked in the top 10. The two programs have combined to win eight of the last 13 conference championships and collected the only two CFP trips in Pac-12 history. Still, this marquee matchup will be the biggest one yet. The winner of this game becomes arguably the Pac-12's top contender for the College Football Playoff.
First major test: Oregon and Washington each had slight stumbles against Texas Tech and Arizona, respectively, but have still outscored FBS opponents by an astonishing 29 points per game. Saturday marks a first real test for both defenses as they head into the meat of the Pac-12 schedule. Oregon has been especially good on defense, ranking top 10 in both total and scoring defense. However, the opponent-adjusted SP+ rates the two units nearly dead even.
Oregon vs. Washington prediction, picks
Odds via SportsLine consensus
Penix has been better and far more explosive than Nix, but Oregon has looked like the more complete team. The Huskies are explosive, but the Ducks have more down-to-down consistency. This will be one of the top matchups of the season, and it could go either way. However, home -ield advantage and a Heisman-level day from Penix gets UW over the finish line. Pick: Washington -3
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