It’s Rivalry Week!

No, that is not a typo and yes, it’s Rivalry Week in the Pacific Northwest and in the Pac-12 Conference. For the first time ever, these 2 games will be played in September.

The Oregon State Beavers host the Oregon Ducks in the 128th meeting of the game formerly known as the Civil War. This is the 7th most played match-up in college football history and tied for 2nd at the FBS level.

The Washington State Cougars and the Washington Huskies meet up at Lumen Field, home of the Seattle Seahawks, in the 116th Apple Cup. This will be the 2nd time this matchup will take place in this stadium as the renovation of Husky Stadium forced the move in 2011.

And with realignment still fresh in all four fan bases minds, there is even more spice added to these epic rivalries. It’s human nature and it’s part of the new world of college football.

I’ve been at both of these games over the years and was on the broadcast for an Oregon State/Oregon game just a few years ago. The energy is different, the passion is through the roof and the distaste for one another is exactly what you’d imagine.

This year, it’s safe to assume that the vitriol from the Cougs and Beavs fan bases will be even higher.

We’ve been saying for months now that the Cougs and Beavs are America’s Teams, and this weekend the nation gets to see them on a grand stage. Washington State is fresh off a dominant win over the Big-12’s Texas Tech, where the legendary coach Mike Leach was inducted into the WSU Hall of Fame. The Beavs also sit at 2-0 and are playing exactly how Trent Bray hopes - controlling the clock, running the rock and winning at the line of scrimmage.

So welcome to Week 3 as we welcome in first year head coach Trent Bray to the show for a thoughtful conversation, presented by our founding partner 76, about his team in advance of the #9 Oregon Ducks.

This Saturday will be his 14th meeting as a member of this rivalry, 4 as a player and 9 as a coach. His expertise in this game is unmatched among anyone associated with it this year and he shared with us exactly how he is talking to his team about this game, what Reser Stadium will feel like at kickoff and how his team has approached the week of preparation. 

Also, Jim Thornby and I reflect on what went down in Week 2 on the West Coast and how this side of the country is picking up where it left off last year – winning –as Cal, ASU and others earned key victories over the weekend. 

Be sure to check out our weekly Go Go Go Awards, presented by 76 as we will announce those each Monday this fall. 

As always, thank you for the support around this new endeavor, it’s been better than we could have imagined and it’s not possible without your support!

This episode is executive produced by Jim Thornby and edited by Victor Ren.

This podcast is a Best Coast Media production.

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