Rivalry Week is a big one across the landscape of college football, and with the stakes resting on this weekend's game between the Oregon Ducks and Washington Huskies, tensions are high as the game heads to Seattle on Saturday. With a win, Dan Lanning's squad will clinch its spot in the College Football Playoff, likely with a very favorable seed. With a loss, they likely will be knocked out of the playoff.
Talk about a lot riding on one game, huh?
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWhile the Huskies are out of playoff contention, they would like nothing more than to end Oregon's promising season with an upset victory on Saturday. The Ducks are the more talented team on paper, but they have been dealing with a lot of injuries over the past few weeks, so they could be down a few key players going into this game.
So far, we've broken down the matchup and identified major keys to victory, and covered major injury news heading into Saturday. Now it's time to make some predictions.
To preview the game, we go through our weekly roundtable with the writers from Ducks Wire to offer our opinions and predictions for what's to come. Here’s another edition of the roundtable.
Recapping USC Win
Oregon defensive back Ify Obidegwu intercepts a pass intended for USC tight end Walker Lyons as the Oregon Ducks host the USC Trojans on Nov. 22, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon.Question: If you could use one word to describe Oregon’s 42-27 win over the USC Trojans on Saturday, what would it be?
Zachary Neel: Comfortable. Oregon played within itself for the entire game, never seeming to panic or feel any pressure. It was a statement win against a good team, and it looked to be easy for the Ducks.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDon Smalley: Resilient. Oregon had to dig deep on the roster with all the injuries and still handled a pretty good USC team fairly easily.
Paul White: Convincing. Oregon left no doubt against the best team they've faced so far this season.
Bjorn Bergstrom: Resilience. No matter what happened, the Ducks showed impressive resilience in continuing to bounce right back up.
Concerning Injuries
Oct 18, 2025; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning looks on during the second half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn ImagesQuestion: The Ducks are dealing with several major injuries, mainly on the offensive side of the ball. Which one gives you the most concern going forward?
Zachary Neel: I think the potential loss of center Iapani Laloulu is the one that concerns me the most. Charlie Pickard was great as a replacement last week, but Poncho is the leader of that offense, and missing him for an extended period of time would be brutal.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDon Smalley: The offensive line is getting down to the bare bones of the depth chart. If this keeps up, it'll eventually burst, and that's not a good thing. Defenses will be able to stop the run and get pressure on Moore.
Paul White: It’s not just one, but the injuries to the offensive line. It could be difficult to keep shuffling the line around and having consistency this deep into the season.
Bjorn Bergstrom: Though Malik Benson and Jeremiah McClellan have stepped up in huge ways over the past couple weeks, it has to be Dakorien Moore. Stronger defenses are going to be able to key in on Kenyon Sadiq and limit him in ways that Minnesota and USC haven’t. With Moore on the outside, it gives Dante Moore another trusted receiver that he can rely on.
Big Ten Title Decline?
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks celebrate defeating the Penn State Nittany Lions to win the Big Ten Championship in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn ImagesQuestion: There is a path for Oregon to make it into the Big Ten Title game, should they beat Washington, and Ohio State loses to Michigan. If that happens, you will be feeling what?
Zachary Neel: Annoyed. We have seen for several years now that conference title games are becoming less beneficial, especially with the expanded playoff. Last year, the Ducks got screwed because of the playoff seeding, which has since been changed. If they got hurt by making it into the Big Ten title game this year, only for conference championships to go away in the next year or two, that would be annoying.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDon Smalley: Worried. Oregon needs the time off to get the roster healthy and make a serious playoff run. I'd rather sit out the title game, host a first-round game at Autzen, and go from there. It worked wonders for Ohio State last season.
Paul White: I would be ecstatic just to be there if that upset happened and feel confident about Oregon’s chances.
Bjorn Bergstrom: I can’t say I’ll be feeling one way or another — it’ll just have been how it all plays out. I’m not buying into the fact that Oregon should be rooting to not make the Big Ten title game. While there are advantages to getting extra rest, a win against Indiana in the conference championship would award them a first-round bye, also giving them plenty of time to rest and having won the Big Ten title in their first two years in the league. Yes, it’s not a national championship, but a significant accomplishment nonetheless.
Causes for Concern vs. Washington
Oregon Ducks inside linebacker Bryce Boettcher walks off the field as the Oregon Ducks host the Oregon State Beavers Sept. 20, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon.Question: Oregon has the more talented roster and a better coaching staff than Washington, but the line in this game is only 6.5 points. What gives you the greatest cause for concern in this game?
Zachary Neel: I think it's just the health of this team, and asking depth players to play at elite levels on the road in a tough environment. It's one thing for backups to perform at home, but Husky Stadium is no easy place to play for anyone.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDon Smalley: Demond Williams' ability to make lemonade out of lemons with his athleticism. When a play breaks down, the Ducks need to make sure Williams doesn't pull a rabbit out of the hat.
Paul White: Definitely the rivalry itself. Everyone is trying to play spoilers in the final week of the season, but even more so in a big conference game.
Bjorn Bergstrom: Two things: it’s in Seattle, and it’s against Demond Williams Jr. Husky Stadium, especially in this rivalry game, is going to be difficult to play in. And I’m a huge believer in Williams’ game. He is not the same quarterback that the Ducks sacked ten times last season. The true sophomore has improved greatly since then and has a chance to be a Heisman contender as soon as next season, thanks to his explosive playmaking ability with his arm and legs.
Key to Victory for Oregon Offense
Nov 14, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) throws a pass for a first down during the first half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn ImagesQuestion: If Oregon does WHAT offensively, they will be fine in this game?
Zachary Neel: Feed Kenyon Sadiq. The Ducks' tight end has proven himself as a true game-breaker over the past few weeks, and Washington's safeties are not good in coverage on tight ends, so this could be a huge day for him to break things open.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDon Smalley: Protect Moore in the pocket and run the ball consistently. I don't think the Huskies have the defensive talent to hold Oregon down for 60 minutes.
Paul White: Stick with the run game early and often.
Bjorn Bergstrom: Run the ball. It’s the same story almost every week, but if the Ducks stick to their guns with the running game, they’ll be just fine offensively. The Huskies are 57th in run defense, allowing 4.7 yards per carry. That track record is simply not good enough to stop Oregon.
Key to Victory for Oregon Offense
Oregon outside linebacker Matayo Uiagalelei, right, forces a fumble from USC quarterback Jayden Maiava as the Oregon Ducks host the USC Trojans on Nov. 22, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon.Question: If Oregon does WHAT defensively, they will be fine in this game?
Zachary Neel: Limit Demond Williams and slow down the run. Oregon has done a good job against running quarterbacks so far this year, but Williams is a different animal when he gets outside of the pocket.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDon Smalley: As I said before, contain Williams in the pocket and make him throw the ball. A couple of sacks early could get into his head and affect him for the rest of the game and make him think about those 11 sacks from a year ago.
Paul White: They’ll be fine if they don’t give up an abundance of explosive plays.
Bjorn Bergstrom: Makes things difficult for Demond Williams Jr. He has the ability to win this game by himself, so making it tough — which means sending pressure, showing him a variety of coverages, etc. — should be a huge emphasis. If they can hold him to around 200 yards passing and, maybe even more importantly, under 50 yards rushing, the Ducks should like their chances.
Gambling Corner
Oregon Ducks Spring Game 2025Question: Gambling Corner: You get $100 to spread across the point spread (Oregon -6.5), and the over/under (52.5 points). How are you allocating your funds?
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementZachary Neel: Give me all $100 on Oregon to cover -6.5, and place the bet with some confidence.
Don Smalley: $70 on the Ducks covering and the rest on the under.
Paul White: I would put $50 each on the spread and the under. I think it will be a lower-scoring game because of these two elite defenses.
Bjorn Bergstrom: In a rivalry game, I’m staying away from the line. I’d rather put $100 on the over, as I think this one could be similar to the USC game in that the offenses get going early.
Final Score Prediction
The Oregon Ducks mascot walks the sideline during the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against the Ohio State Buckeyes at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2025. Ohio State won 41-21.Question: Final Score Prediction: Who wins the game?
Zachary Neel: I like Oregon here, 28-13.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDon Smalley: Oregon 31, Washington 13
Paul White: I think the Ducks take this one 27-20.
Bjorn Bergstrom: Oregon wins a close one on the road, 31-27. Barring an Ohio State loss to Michigan, the Ducks will be hosting a playoff game at Autzen in three weeks.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon football predictions for rivalry game vs. Washington Huskies
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