And History Hides the Lies of Our Civil Wars

Tonight is the last scheduled meeting between Oregon and Oregon State, the 127th game of a series long known as the Civil War. As meetings go this is a big one; Oregon is 10-1, ranked 6th, and will play Washington for the Pac-12 title and likely a spot in the College Football Playoff if they win this game (they’ll likely play Washington for the final Pac-12 title in any event). Oregon State is 8-3, 16th ranked, and has bowl placement at stake in addition to bragging rights and the desire for sweet, sweet revenge. The revenge isn’t about last year’s result (the Beavs won) but rather about the role that Oregon played in destroying the Pac-12 and setting the Oregon State program temporarily adrift. While Washington and Washington State have come to an agreement to continue the Apple Cup through 2028, there is as of yet no agreement between the Oregon schools. Talks are apparently ongoing, but hinge on the willingness of Boise State to shift its game with Oregon to a future date, and as everyone knows those Boise State folks are complete fucking assholes.

In any case, it should be a good game. Oregon QB Bo Nix, who I am reliably told is 52 years old and has started approximately 900 college football games, is also the current Heisman frontrunner. However, last year sucked:

The Ducks have not forgotten the meltdown — Lanning and his staff won’t let them. Video of the fourth-quarter collapse has been played on an endless loop all week in the locker room at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex, broadcasting the gory details of how they squandered a 31-17 fourth-quarter lead.

Let this serve as a Civil War open thread.