The annual football game between the University of Oregon and Oregon State this year has become much more than a mere clash between in-state rivals.
For those who don't obsess over sports blogs or watch ESPN religiously, know that the season-ending showdown Thursday, Dec. 3, between the first-place Ducks and second-place Beavers, will be the de facto championship game for the Pac-10. And for the first time in the history of the 113-year-old "Civil War" rivalry, the Rose Bowl is at stake for both teams.
Here are a few other numbers to help make you at least passably conversational when your sports-obsessed pals start yammering about the historical significance of this year's game:
56-46-10
: All-time series record, which UO leads.
8
: Each team's longest winning streak against the other. Oregon State's longest streak ran from 1964 to 1971. UO's lasted from 1975 to 1982.
0
: Points scored by both teams in 1983, a rain-deluged tie forever known as the "Toilet Bowl."
1965
: The last time Oregon State played in the Rose Bowl.
1995
: The last time UO played in the Rose Bowl.
2000
: The first year both teams faced each other while ranked in the top 10 nationally.
5
: Number of interceptions thrown by UO quarterback Joey Harrington in the Beavers' 23-13 victory over the Ducks in 2000 to knock them out of the Rose Bowl.
4
: Number of interceptions UO quarterback Jeremiah Masoli has thrown this year in 10 games (he sat out one game with a knee injury).
65
: Points scored by UO in a win last year over Oregon State, when the Beavers needed to beat UO to go to the Rose Bowl.
10
: Number of points UO is favored by this year, according to oddsmakers.
2.545
: Average recruiting rating—on a five-star system—of UO's starters when they were high-school seniors.*
2.455
: Average recruiting rating—on a five-star system—of Oregon State's starters when they were high-school seniors.
24
: Number of Oregon natives on UO's roster.
32
: Number of Oregon natives on Oregon State's roster.
*Idea suggested by Portland lawyer and longtime Ducks fan Dan Lindahl.
WWeek 2015