Washington football rivalry game ranked among Big Ten's top matchups

When the Washington Huskies head south to close out the 2026 season with a matchup with the Oregon Ducks, according to On3's Crain and Cone, it will be one of the biggest games in the Big Ten this fall.

The podcast ranked the rivalry game as the No. 4 matchup in the conference this fall, as the Huskies are looking to take another step forward in Jedd Fisch's third season at the helm and potentially establish themselves as College Football Playoff contenders, while their arch-rivals are widely considered one of the favorites to win the Big Ten.

"I feel like Washington is always there," Blaine Crain said in his analysis. "And I just want to see with this Washington team, so good at home, one of the best teams at home in the country, but when they go on the road, it’s not that good. … This will be one of those things where can Washington get it done on the road, actually?”

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Fisch is searching for his first win against coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks, and a win in Eugene would be a major statement as the Huskies look to get over the hump against ranked teams while improving on Fisch's 3-7 record on the road in his first two years on Montlake. In 2026, a lot of that will rest on the shoulders of quarterback Demond Williams Jr.

Heading into his second full season as the starter, Fisch has been vocal about the junior stepping up in big moments. In his second start against the Ducks, Williams completed just 50 percent of his passes for 129 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, while he was able to add just 27 yards on the ground on ten carries.

"Without a doubt, the main thing that we're working on is how good can we be in the big game?" Fisch said on the Big Ten Network in April.

"We say competitive greatness is being at your best when your best is needed...it's really something we heavily believe in, and we need D to be his best in the biggest games this year. He's an elite player, I think he has a chance to do everything and anything you could ever possibly want, so we've got to make sure he does it at that highest level in the biggest games."

This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Washington football rivalry game ranked among Big Ten's top matchups