“In rivalry games, you throw the records out of the window.”
That’s a statement that you have no doubt heard before if you are a fan of sports at any level. It rings incredibly true when you are dealing with a rivalry between two teams that are separated by just a 36-mile stretch of freeway that dates back to 1894.
When the Oregon Ducks and Oregon State Beavers meet on the gridiron, it doesn’t often matter who is the “better team,” but rather who shows up on any given day, which is not always something that you can predict.
While Duck fans can feel confident that their team has no reason to overlook this game between No. 6 Oregon and No. 16 Oregon State, they still need to be cognizant of that rivalry game factor. A win will send the Ducks to the Pac-12 title game, and keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive. While the Beavers are no longer eligible for either outcome, a win for them would ruin their rival’s season, which is quite possibly the best result of all.
As we look ahead to this matchup, let’s take a dive into the numbers behind each important matchup and figure out which side should have an edge. Here’s our Tale of the Tape for the final regular season game of the year.