Annual ‘Civil War’ has significant implications

A lot is riding on the outcome of the annual “Civil War” football game Nov. 24, when the Oregon Ducks take on their rivals the Oregon State Beavers.

Oregon (10-0), the second-ranked BCS team in the nation, has had a dominating season with big wins and excellent play.

Duck quarterback Marcus Mariota, a freshman, has the best QB rating in Division 1 football. The team has explosiveness all over the field with many top-notch athletes and has arguably the best offense in the nation.

The Beavers, currently No. 16 in the nation, have had an incredible start to the season and is now a surprising 7-2, losing only to Washington and Stanford.

It was a completely different story last season, when the Beavers finished 3-9. Now, they look to finish the season strong and play in a bowl game.

If the Ducks win out the rest of their season, they can expect to be in Miami in January for the BCS championship game. So, there are national implications when it comes to this year’s Civil War.

Last time both teams played for more than just bragging rights was 2009, when the winner would head to the Rose Bowl. The Ducks came out on top, beating the Beavers, 37-33.

The Ducks have won the past four matchups against Oregon State, but this new and improved group of Beavers don’t look to be the pushovers of the recent past.

The Ducks and Beavers better have next Saturday circled on their calendars, as it should be a huge – and hopefully good – game.