USC football to play Oregon in Pac-12 Championship Game with Washington out

USC football will play Oregon instead of Washington in the Pac-12 title game

It’s official: USC football’s Pac-12 Championship Game opponent is Oregon.

The Pac-12 announced the cancelation of USC’s matchup with Washington on Monday because the Huskies do not have the minimum number of players available to play as they deal with COVID-19.

Now the Trojans can truly begin preparations for their biggest game of the season on Friday night.

USC football is at a disadvantage going into the title game

It’s a good thing USC officially found out their title game opponent as early in the week as possible. They’re already at a considerable disadvantage going in.

While the Trojans played on Saturday, already operating on a short week, the Ducks had the week off because their game against Washington set for Saturday was canceled. Thus, USC will be playing their second straight game on minimal preparation against a team that essentially is coming off a bye week.

On the other hand, USC will be the rightful favorite in the matchup. Oregon is 3-2 and coming off two straight losses to Oregon State and Cal. That’s after achieving a narrow three-point win over UCLA on Nov. 21.

The Ducks are 1-2 on the road this season and they’ll be traveling to Los Angeles, where USC has built a fortress at the Coliseum.

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That’s not to say Oregon won’t present a huge challenge for the Trojans. They have a capable quarterback in Tyler Shough, a ferocious pass rush led by Kayvon Thibodeaux and the best secondary USC will have faced since ASU.

The last time the two teams met, Oregon overpowered USC 56-24 at the Coliseum, so they’re certainly capable of winning in front of the Peristyle.

The Trojans will have vengeance on the mind and their first Pac-12 title since 2017 in their sights.

It’s not the way everyone will have expected it to happen, but USC vs. Oregon was the title matchup most wanted to see going into the season. Now it’s happening.