As the Washington Huskies prepare to take-on the Oregon Ducks today at 12:30, I find myself wondering where the buzz surrounding the matchup has gone. The Ducks have dominated the Huskies recently, taking the wind our the Dawgs sails as the UW program has hit a low-point in its history. These are two fanbases that hate each other, traditionally creating a fierce environment around the annual rivalry game. This year, it’s just not there.
↵The Ducks enter the game as the consensus No. 1 team in the nation. They’ve steamrolled teams en route to an 8-0 record behind a high-powered offense. This is a team that looks poised to moonwalk its way into the BCS National Championship.
↵On the other hand, the Huskies came into the year with a tremendous amount of buzz and high expectations before fading as the season progressed. Two blowout losses to Arizona and Stanford have completely demoralized the fanbase. Mix-in an injury to Jake Locker and the fans have lost interest in this weekend’s game, instead focusing on the last three games in an effort to get bowl-eligible. It’s almost like they’re punting today’s game.
↵I’d love to see the Keith Price and the Huskies give the Ducks a game. It’s good for the rivalry, good for the Pac-10 and entertaining for the fans. I have no doubt the team isn’t chalking this game up as a loss, but it sure seems like the fans have all but given up.