Civil War Isn’t Just About Two Teams Battling History
The 113th edition of the Civil War is going to be built up as some sort of rags to riches success story. You’ll hear about two teams with little history of achievement. The common refrain will be how this is the first time the game has been played in which the winner is guaranteed the Rose Bowl. No doubt, you’ll be reminded that Oregon State hasn’t been to Pasadena since 1965 while Oregon’s drought extends to 1995. A Rose Bowl winner can’t be found from Oregon since the 1940s. Need I go on?
They’re all cute stories and admittedly significant in a historical sense.
However, there’s another narrative to follow, one where Oregon and Oregon State are shown to be among the conference’s elite since the turn of the century.
| Winningest Pac-10 Teams in 2000s | ||
| Team | Non-Conf. Wins | Conference Wins |
| USC | 100 | 63 |
| Oregon | 86 | 56 |
| Oregon State | 81 | 51 |
| California | 71 | 43 |
| UCLA | 66 | 41 |
| Arizona State | 65 | 37 |
| Washington State | 57 | 33 |
| Arizona | 48 | 28 |
| Washington | 47 | 29 |
| Stanford | 46 | 33 |
Since 2000, only USC has won more games than either program.
But with the Trojans finally out of the picture, it’s time the Ducks and Beavers got their due not as two teams coming up from history’s scrap pile, but as the premier programs they are in this conference.
This showdown isn’t a revelation of two teams with checkered pasts. It’s merely a culmination of a decade’s work in which the state of Oregon has outperformed all but one team within the conference.
And the stakes are becoming common.
This will be the fourth time in 10 years that Oregon or Oregon State enters the Civil War with a chance to clinch the conference’s premier bowl bid.
In previous games where a conference title was on the line, each team has denied the other a spot in the Rose Bowl with the Beavers turning back Oregon in 2000 while the Ducks famously laid 65 points on a dream just one year ago.
This year, one has a guaranteed ticket to Pasadena and perhaps that means the stakes have never been higher. But it doesn’t mean these two teams haven’t been here before. Lately, it’s become something of an expectation.
I love the chart! It really does tell a great story. After the Civil War the Ducks will have 57 conference wins. Also love to see the woeful Huskies near the bottom of the list. May they stay stuck there forever!
It is interesting that the ducks and beavers are the next two teams after usc which shows that once you can look past the emotional side of the game that we fans love to indulage in. It comes down to who really wants it more come game time. Home field advantage has little or no meaning for this game.
home field advantage has little or no meaning? what about the 10 years in a row, from 1997 to 2006, that the home team won it? granted, the last two years, the away team has won it, so i guess it doesn’t matter… but it definitely comes into play quite a bit now that the beavs aren’t losing every game every season.
speaking of the last two seasons. 2007, beavs win at eugene (dixon is hurt. i was there. loved it.) and 2008, ucks win at corvallis (rodgers is hurt). just throwing it out there.
Just throwing out a little hope for you to grab on to.
theres nothing worse than going into a game with no hope.
GO!!!!!!!!!!!! DUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Have to disagree Stachman. Home field advantage does count in this game. Autzen will be crazy loud. Beavs are going down!!
Although I must add that it is great to have it come down to Ducks vs Beavers. Remember when it was always UCLA vs USC for the Pac-10 championship? As the chart shows this is no anomaly now. When you think of the recruiting base and the fact that these are small college towns it is really a statement about the quality of the athletic programs and football coaches at UO and OSU. It should be an awesome game!!!
I here what you are saying. Haveing it come down to the two oregon teams. And having the Cal.and Wash.programs out Makes this a perfect storm a brewing. Speaking of which. what are the chances that these two teams will be playing in horizontal rain? and what effect will it have on the outcome?
GO!!!!!!!!!!!! DUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!
We both have excellent coaching. Imagine what big name programs would PAY for the kind of success our programs have had. Being a native Duck alum from Eugene I do not hold the resentment for OSU that I do for Washington and Arizona. It’s like a fight with your brother, mean and viscous, but nobody else better pick on him.
That said Riley is an outstanding coach and we’d better be ready…
GO DUCKS!!!!