It's championship week in the 2023 college football season, and the action kicked off with a monster matchup on Friday night, as No. 5 Oregon took on No. 3 Washington in the Pac-12 title game at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Heisman Trophy hopefuls Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr. had a prime-time stage to leave one last impressive on voters, and the rivals were likely playing for a berth in the College Football Playoff.
And the backdrop to all of this is the fact that this is the last Pac-12 game as we know it, as while the name of the conference might live on in some fashion, every school in the league — other than Oregon State and Washington State — is heading to other conferences next year. Washington and Oregon will be Big Ten Conference rivals, while their respective state rivals try to keep the Pac-12 going in some form with the help of an alliance with the Mountain West.
Earlier this season, Washington beat Oregon 36-33 in a thriller in Seattle, and this one was just as exciting. Washington built a 20-3 on Friday night, but Oregon rallied with 21 unanswered points to take the lead. From there, it was battle to the end, with Washington ultimately coming away with the victory.
Michael Penix Jr. passed for 319 yards and a touchdown, and was named player of the game.
Dillon Johnson balanced Penix with 152 yards of tough running and a pair of scores on the ground.
Now, Washington awaits a likely berth in the CFP on Sunday.
Here are the top moments!
Thought this was over? Think again. Oregon went 75 yards on two plays, a 30-second drive that was capped by a 63-yard pass from Bo Nix to Traeshon Holden. Washington leads 34-31 with just over 2 minutes to go.
2:44 4Q: TOUCHDOWN, HUSKIES!
What a drive by the Huskies, who went 82 yards on 12 plays, taking a 34-24 lead with 2:44 to go on a 2-yard TD pass by Michael Penix. The drive took more than 6 minutes off the clock. Will it prove to be the dagger? If Washington wins, it will be 3-0 in Pac-12 championship games, having previously won in 2016 and 2018.
9:04 4Q: Huskies on the move
Washington forced Oregon to punt after a brief 11-yard drive, and the Huskies had a chance to take control of this back-and-forth contest.
12:26 4Q: TOUCHDOWN, HUSKIES!
Washington retook the lead with some tough running from Dillon Johnson, who scored his second TD of the game and went over the 100-yard mark in the process.
14:52 4Q: Washington catches a break
Michael Penix was ruled to have fumbled deep in Oregon territory. But on review, the call was overturned and ruled an incomplete pass, as Washington kept possession.
0:18 3Q: Huskies on the move
Washington was driving as the third quarter came to a close, setting the stage for a dramatic finish.
2:04 3Q: TOUCHDOWN, DUCKS!
Oregon took the lead on a wild sequence. First, a long scramble by Bo Nix for a 44-yard gain, which took Oregon deep into Washington territory. Then, a Nix fumble that was recovered by an Oregon lineman and initially ruled a touchdown. Nix was ruled down after a review, but Oregon scored on the next play anyway, a 6-yard run by Jordan James, to take a 24-20 lead.
