There surely are people in the Evergreen State who greatly look forward to Washington and Washington State battling it out every year. One can’t blame them with state pride on the line.
In spite of that, we’re here to tell you that when Rivalry Week wraps up the regular season, you’re better off watching another game. This game doesn’t deserve the hype it gets, especially with the Huskies fresh off coming within a game of a national championship and the Cougars going nowhere fast.
Of all the Power Five games that have been played consistently during Rivalry Week over the past decade or so, this is one of only two in which a team has won nine of the past 10 meetings. The Huskies are beneficiaries of that. The other features Virginia Tech’s dominance of Virginia.
One reason the game in the Pacific Northwest wins this regrettable battle is because the Cougars have achieved national rankings far more frequently than the Cavaliers. That being the case, it’s almost a given these days that the Hokies will beat the Cavaliers. One would expect in some years for the Cougars to beat the Huskies, but it’s just not happening.
Another reason is when the Huskies beat the Cougars, they typically dominate. That wasn’t the case in 2023 as the Huskies won by only three points, but it was their first single-digit win over the Cougars since 2010. The Cavaliers, by contrast, have lost to the Hokies by single digits four times during the same stretch.
So again, don’t waste your time watching this game between the two major Washington schools. Choose from one of the many others instead.
Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.
Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89