Washington safety Kyler Gordon: Oregon did not deserve to make Pac-12 title game

The Pac-12 was a mess in 2020. Still, the Washington Huskies were on their way to playing in the conference championship before a COVID outbreak ended their season. There was no closure, as the Oregon Ducks instead took their spot in the Pac-12 title game.

As Washington watched from home, Oregon took advantage of their opportunity. In the aforementioned game, the Ducks upset USC to win the Pac-12. A Fiesta Bowl bid followed, and the Huskies wouldn’t play football again until the next season.

As Washington looks for a measure of revenge over Oregon, Huskies defensive back Kyler Gordon remembers how he felt.

“I was pretty sad; I’m not going to lie,” Gordon said, via Mike Vorel of The Seattle Times. “I would have loved having a chance to play in the Pac-12 championship and do all that. Just to see a team we were in front of (Oregon) be able to take that (spot), it was like, ‘I don’t think you deserve that. You don’t. Let’s be real: you don’t.’ So it was sad to let that happen.”

Gordon’s strong words speak for the entire Washington team and fanbase. They felt like their season was robbed from them, slipping away due to something outside of the football field.

Now, Washington has a chance to settle their score with Oregon on the field. The Ducks stole their spot in the Pac-12 title game, but the Huskies can ensure that their rivals get booted from the College Football Playoff with a loss.

Finally, Washington will get a chance at revenge against Oregon. Now, we’ll see if the Huskies can take advantage of the opportunity they’ve waited patiently for.

Tonight’s game takes place from Husky Stadium tonight at 7:30 PM EST, on ABC. Washington enters as a 7-point underdog against Oregon.