**Editor’s Note: Each week during football season, we feature an essay from the opponent’s student newspaper on why Oregon will lose. This week’s edition is from Andrew Kilstrom, the sports editor at The Daily Barometer.**
There’s no question that Oregon has dominated the Civil War the past few seasons. Since taking the leap to national contenders, the Ducks have simply been on a level that Oregon State has only known once in its entire history — in 2000 when the Beavers thumped Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl.
Never has OSU known what Oregon has experienced in the past five seasons.
The Ducks’ success has turned the Civil War from what was once guaranteed the most important football game in the state of Oregon on any given year into something of a joke.
Since 2008, when Oregon State was playing for a berth in the Rose Bowl, Oregon has been the clear favorite entering the contest, and won every single time. While it’s always OSU’s Super Bowl, regardless of the circumstances, the game has turned into just another conference matchup for Oregon.
Ever since Cliff Harris called the team from Corvallis, “Oregon’s little brother,” the Ducks have held a psychological advantage.
That cocky, “we’re better than everyone” attitude finally came back to bite Phil Knight’s personal bank account last weekend, as Oregon fell out of national title contention and more than likely out of a BCS bowl altogether.
The popular belief is that last weekend was the last time the Ducks will lose this season.
Everyone expects Oregon to come out Saturday pissed off, and for an Oregon State team coming off its most embarrassing loss in recent memory to roll over.
That’s exactly why the Beavers have a chance on Saturday.
OSU has lost four straight and has been completely written off. While this team has more flaws than anyone guessed entering the season, they’re still dangerous.
The defense has shown the ability to create turnovers, and the offense has flourished at times. Brandin Cooks is as good as anyone on Oregon’s sideline, and Scott Chrichton has shown he can single-handedly disrupt an offense.
Meanwhile, Oregon has already said their season is lost.
To publically say you don’t want to play in the Rose Bowl is a slap in the face to the rest of the conference. How entitled are you that you don’t want to play in the most prestigious game in all of college football?
With that attitude it’s no wonder they played so poorly last weekend, and why they could learn another lesson Saturday.
For guys like Cooks and Chricton, two guys that will likely leave for greener pastures after this season, and other seniors that have one last shot at their most hated opponent, that’s all the motivation they need.
Oregon State might not have half the talent the Ducks have, but they’re better at certain positions and have all the reason in the world to play with anger and passion.
I grew up going to Oregon State football games and have been entrenched in this rivalry since birth. Never have I seen an Oregon team and fan base like this year’s. The Ducks have always been easy to like, but they’ve also been easy to hate as well.
I can guarantee you that Oregon State locker room feels the latter.
Chances are Oregon steamrolls on Saturday and the Beavers return to Corvallis as demoralized as ever. But if Oregon plays like they did against Arizona this past weekend, and Oregon State finds the flashes they’ve shown at times, it could just be a game.
They say anything can happen in a rivalry game. That’s especially true when one team feels disrespected.
Oregon might be the Beavers’ “big brother” as it stands right now. But if they fail to show up on Saturday, they might just watch their little brother leave their gazillion-dollar football complex with a Civil War victory and a year’s worth of bragging rights.
Follow Beth Maiman on Twitter @bethamaiman