Playoff spot on the line when Oregon and Washington meet in Pac-12 Championship

By The Associated Press

No. 5 Oregon (11-1) vs. No. 3 Washington (12-0) in the Pac-12 Championship in Las Vegas, 8 p.m. EST Friday (ABC)

Line: Oregon by 9½, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Series record: Washington 62-48-5

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

An almost certain spot in the College Football Playoff. There also a chance the Huskies could lose and both teams get into the four-team postseason field given the two teams would have split their head-to-head meetings and beaten everyone else. Either way, the Pac-12 is almost assured of placing a team in the playoffs for the first time since Washington in the 2016 season.

KEY MATCHUP

Washington WR Rome Odunze vs. Oregon’s secondary. Odunze is one of three finalists for the Biletnikoff Award, which goes to the nation’s top receiver. He broke 100 yards eight times this season, including against the Ducks when Odunze caught eight passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns. Oregon’s defense otherwise has been lights out. The Ducks are tops in the Pac-12 in passing and scoring defense.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Oregon: QB Bo Nix emerged late in the season to become the leading contender for the Heisman Trophy, according to FanDuel. He is completing 78.6% of his passes for 3,906 yards and a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 37-2.

Washington: QB Michael Penix Jr. looked at one point as if he might win the Heisman. His production tailed off toward the end of the season, but Penix is still capable of putting up big numbers. He has completed 65.6% of his passes for 3,899 yards with 32 TDs and eight interceptions.

FACTS & FIGURES

Washington beat Oregon 36-33 in their regular-season meeting in Seattle. … The Ducks have won six consecutive games since that loss. … This is the second time both teams have been ranked in the top 10 when they have played each other. The other time was the first meeting this season. … Oregon is 4-1 in Pac-12 Championship games, winning four in a row before losing in its most recent appearance, 38-10 to Utah in 2021. … Washington is 2-0 in title games, most recently defeating Utah 10-3 in 2018. … Both teams will play in the Big Ten Conference next season. They are scheduled to meet each other in the season finale Nov. 30 in Eugene, Oregon.

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll