Washington wins final Pac-12 Championship over Oregon, reaches 13-0

Eight weeks ago, Washington defeated Oregon 36-33 in a thrilling shootout at Husky Stadium. The rematch was Friday night — only this time, it was in the Pac-12 Championship with a likely College Football Playoff berth on the line.

In a fitting farewell to the Pac-12 as we know it, the game went down to the wire. When the clock hit zeroes, though, it was Washington left standing as the final Pac-12 champion and more than likely off to the CFP.

The Huskies had to battle back from a late deficit, but they ultimately came away with the 34-31 victory. Now, they turn their attention to Selection Sunday to see where they fall in the final rankings — and what bowl game they’re heading to at the end of the month.

It was all Huskies in the first half as they totaled 255 yards of offense, including 196 passing yards from Michael Penix Jr., to take a 20-10 lead into halftime. But Oregon started out the second half with a 15-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to make it a 20-17 ballgame in the third quarter, and it was game on from there.

The Ducks took their first lead, 24-20, when Jordan James took a 6-yard carry into the end zone — a play that was set up by a long run from Bo Nix. But Washington didn’t back down as a Dillon Johnson touchdown put the Huskies back on top, 27-24, and Penix found Quentin Moore for a touchdown with 2:44 to play to go up 10 points.

Oregon could’ve let off the gas, but Nix connected with Traeshon Holden for a 63-yard touchdown on the ensuing drive and, just like that, it was a 34-31 Washington lead with 2:14 to play. The Huskies had to play a clean drive to run out the clock even though Oregon had all of its timeouts, and that’s exactly what they did.

How the Pac-12 Championship impacted the College Football Playoff

Friday’s matchup featured no shortage of storylines beyond the highly anticipated showdown. It marked the end of the Pac-12 as we know it, with plenty of changes coming after a groundbreaking round of realignment. But the winner of the game would likely secure a spot in the College Football Playoff. Undefeated Washington came in at No. 3 in the penultimate rankings earlier this week, but one-loss Oregon wasn’t far off at No. 5 to stay in the hunt.

Now, all eyes will be on what happens Saturday — starting with what happens in the SEC.

No. 1 Georgia is expected to face a tough test in the SEC Championship against No. 8 Alabama. The Bulldogs are 5.5-point favorites in the game, according to FanDuel, and it’s shaping up to be an intriguing game. The Bulldogs are still the top team in the country as they look for a three-peat, but the Crimson Tide have been red-hot the last few weeks as they look to sneak their way into the top four.

Another team that could take a leap in the rankings is Texas, which will take on Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Championship Saturday at noon ET. The Longhorns have a victory over Alabama under their hat this year, but they’ve also played some close games as of late. Depending on what happens elsewhere, they could present an interesting case to the committee.

Finally, at night, two conference title games will determine how the final rankings shake out. The first is in Indianapolis where No. 2 Michigan will take on No. 16 Iowa in the Big Ten Championship. The Wolverines look primed to return to the CFP as heavy favorites against the Hawkeyes, but the next question mark will be at the ACC Championship.

Florida State enters the title game against Louisville with an undefeated record, but the Seminoles are without quarterback Jordan Travis. That’s a consideration for the committee with Selection Sunday looming, and an FSU victory would also generate some discussion.