Oregon Ducks, Washington Huskies Rivalry Snubbed In Latest Ranking?

The Oregon Ducks and Washington Huskies have a heated rivalry that has been played since 1900, but the rivalry game was ranked outside of the top 15 in a new ranking of the best rivalries in college football.
Nov 18, 2023; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Nov 18, 2023; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Athletic's Scott Dochterman recently ranked the top 25 rivalries in college football, and with it may have inadvertently brought Oregon Ducks and Washington Huskies fans together in agreement that the ranking is too low. The Ducks-Huskies Rivalry transcends friendliness, like the Oregon-Oregon State rivalry can sometimes have; it is a rivalry fueled by pure hatred for one another.

Dochterman ranked the Oregon-Washington rivalry as the No. 21-best rivalry in college football. Coming in at No. 20, just above the Ducks and Huskies, is the Harvard-Yale rivalry. While Ducks and Huskies fans could probably agree that a top-five ranking might be wishful thinking, it's safe to assume fans of both teams would have been hoping for at least a top 15 spot.

Some rivalries in the top 15 would be tough for Ducks and Huskies fans alike to argue against. Michigan and Ohio State took the No. 1 spot, and perhaps rightfully so. After all, the last time the Wolverines and Buckeyes met, an Ohio lawmaker decided to author a bill making planting flags in and around Ohio Stadium on Buckeye game days a felony.

Oregon Ducks And Washington Huskies Rivalry Game Snubbed In List Of Top 25 Rivalry Games In College Football?
Michigan football players plant their team’s flag at midfield following Saturday’s NCAA Division I football game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium. The Michigan Wolverines won the game 13-10. | Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Some Huskies and Ducks fans would have expected their rivalry to be ranked above the USC-UCLA rivalry. The Trojans and Bruins were placed at No. 14.

Another possible point of contention for Huskies and Ducks fans could be being ranked below Michigan and Notre Dame, who checked in at No. 18 on the list, as the rivalry game between the Wolverines and the Fighting Irish does not take place every single year. The two sides haven't met since 2019, and won't meet again until the 2033 season.

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The Oregon-Washington rivalry is a feud that began back in 1900, when the Ducks and Huskies kicked things off with a 43-0 Oregon Victory. Since then, the rivalry has grown fiercer with each passing year.

Oregon Ducks And Washington Huskies Rivalry Game Snubbed In List Of Top 25 Rivalry Games In College Football?
Oregon inside linebacker Bryce Boettcher dances around the field to “Shout” as the No. 1 Oregon Ducks host the rival Washington Huskies Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The rivalry game itself has seen some bizarre antics. In 1962, Washington fans rushed the field and tackled Oregon receiver Larry Hill while he was attempting to catch a game-winning touchdown.

In 2002, Washington coach Rick Neuheisel celebrated a Huskies win at Autzen Stadium by jumping up and down on the "O" at the 50-yard line after news broke that Oregon coach Mike Belotti was accused of turning in Neuheisel for recruiting violations.

Perhaps the most famous play of the rivalry game came in 1994, when Oregon cornerback Kenny Wheaton took an interception 97 yards to the house and helped the Ducks upset the Huskies. It's a play that has been coined as the turning point of Oregon football.

Oregon Ducks And Washington Huskies Rivalry Game Snubbed In List Of Top 25 Rivalry Games In College Football?
Kenny Wheaton runs toward the end zone after his interception against Washington in 1994. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

Oregon has had success in recent years against the Huskies, with the Ducks winning 15 of the last 20 games the two sides have played. The only things missing from this rivalry game are an official name and a universally recognized trophy handed out to the victor.


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Kyle Clements
KYLE CLEMENTS

Kyle Clements is beat writer for Oregon Ducks on SI. Kyle is a 2019 graduate of Southern Oregon University and currently does play-by-play for SOU football and men’s and women’s soccer. He currently also writes for Oregon State on SI and hosts a daily sports show in southern Oregon on The Ace Sports Radio, 107.9 FM and 1300 AM. Kyle also does play-by-play for the Rogue Valley Royals hockey team and the North Medford High School Black Tornado for TableRockSports.net. Kyle lives in Ashland, Oregon with his wife and a Dalmatian named Penny.