Oregon vs Oregon State is a rivalry that dates back to 1894. Growing up in the great state of Oregon, the “Civil War” game is a big deal. It doesn’t matter the rankings, it doesn’t matter the betting spread – the in-state rivalry always has the possibility for upsets.
As a kid, you were a Duck or a Beaver. Lines were drawn in the dirt at a young age. I remember plenty of playground conversations taking place before the Thanksgiving break, and just hoping that I was going to be on the right side of the scoreboard when I returned back to school. Ah, memories.
Like all of college football, things look a little bit different this year. In this rivalry, a ton has changed. University of Oregon left for the Big Ten Conference, while the Oregon State Beavers stayed behind as one of two holdouts in the floundering Pac 12. The Civil War game was always played on Thanksgiving weekend, but this year we get it in early September.
I’ll be honest – I’m kinda bummed that it’s being played this early. If you’re not familiar with Oregon weather, November has the chance for significant rain storms to roll through, something that has happened in plenty of these matchups. It always makes it interesting. Oregon head coach Dan Lanning is no stranger to what the in-state rivalry means.