With 10 seconds remaining and the ball placed on the 1-yard line, the Oregon Ducks had an easy chance to punch it in for one final score and make it look like a blowout took place in Seattle on Saturday night.
Mario Cristobal could have twisted the knife into the side of Jimmy Lake after a week full of one-sided talking led to an emotional game on the field.
Instead of running a play, the Ducks ignored the opportunity for style points, and instead chose to run the clock out.
It makes sense, because anyone watching the four quarters before that play know that there was nothing stylish about this victory for the Ducks. For a good portion of it, the outcome was in doubt thanks to an abysmal start from Anthony Brown and the offense.
On the very first drive of the game, Brown kicked things off with an interception that Washington took down to the 6-yard-line. A couple of plays later, they punched it in for a touchdown. Later in that quarter, the Ducks were tackled in the endzone for a safety, giving Washington a 9-0 lead. It was ugly to start.
Fortunately, the offense would ultimately get clicking, taking a 10-9 lead into the half, and then a different story started. In the second half, the running game was all the Ducks needed, riding Travis Dye to a career-high 211 yards and a touchdown. It wasn’t flashy, but it was effective.
On a day where the No. 3 team in the nation, Michigan State, lost to Purdue, and the No. 2 team Alabama got tested by LSU, it looked for a moment like Oregon would be the latest top-ranked school to suffer an upset and see their College Football Playoff dreams fade away. They quickly turned that page and found a way to win.
The playoff committee may not have been impressed, but a win is a win, and that’s more than some teams got on the day.
There will be other opportunities for style points down the road, but it wasn’t necessary today. Saturday was about beating a hated rival and reminding them who the better team is.
Mission accomplished.
[listicle id=12038]