The No. 16 ranked Oregon State Beavers (8-3, 5-3 Pac-12), coming off a close loss in their most recent matchup with Washington, make the short trip down to Eugene to take on in-state rivals  No. 6 Oregon (10-1, 7-1 Pac-12) Friday evening in the last matchup of this historic rivalry in the Pac-12.

This matchup will bring the emotion out of both squads with the future of the rivalry very much in doubt. Autzen Stadium will play host to Oregon’s last regular season football game in the Pac-12, something that evokes both sadness and excitement for Ducks fans.

For Beavers fans, the conference realignment has only left a bad taste in their mouths. Oregon State was not included in any of the moves that Pac-12 teams made to larger and more lucrative conferences. Both Washington State and Oregon State have full control of the conference’s decisions as it reaches its crescendo, while all of the other Pac-12 members moved to the Big 12 or Big Ten. This will surely light a fire under the Beavers, who want to show up their rivals in the last dance of the Pac-12 as we know it.

The Beavers got the better of the Ducks last season, in a game which included 21 unanswered, fourth-quarter points to lift Oregon State to a 38-34 victory. That game was highlighted by the relentless rushing attack of the Beavs with star running back Damien Martinez at the helm.

The sophomore standout is No. 11 in the country in rushing yards with 1,147 along with nine touchdowns. Oregon State has a top-25 rushing offense in the country, and a big reason for that is Martinez’s dominance as the focal point of the entire offense. Martinez has also rushed for over 85 yards in his last six games, rushing for over 100 in each of the last three contests.

Oregon tends to have trouble with dominant running backs like Martinez, especially when it faces a very balanced offense. OSU has that balance with transfer quarterback DJ Uiagalelei running the offense. The Beavers will make sure the Ducks are challenged on defense, something that really hasn’t happened since the Washington game early in October.

Uiagalelei is having his best campaign as a college player in his first season in Corvallis, and coming off his worst performance as a Beaver last week, he’ll be fighting for redemption.

The OSU defense is nothing to balk at as well, as it has had some of its most successful outings in recent weeks against some of the best quarterbacks in the nation in Shedeur Sanders and Michael Penix Jr. There is much to be desired in the rush defense, which is where Oregon is likely to attack, as Bucky Irving has been unstoppable in the past few weeks.

While Oregon State no longer has much to play for, having been removed from contention for the Pac-12 title after its loss to Washington, it would relish their opportunity to potentially play spoiler to Oregon’s outstanding season.

The Ducks control their own destiny. If they win, they’re in. With a victory in Eugene on Friday, Oregon would clinch a rematch with its cross-state rival Washington in the Pac-12 title game. Given the heartbreaking nature of their loss at Husky Stadium, the Ducks will be itching to get revenge for a game many believe should have been theirs.

Bo Nix has shined when the national spotlight has been on him this season, but there hasn’t been a game with this much riding on it since the game against Washington. Nix faces real pressure as he hopes to give the Ducks that final lift to the Pac-12 title game and the fight for a place in the playoff.

Oregon has controlled the rivalry in the 21st century, but have won just four of the last seven matchups, while losing two of the last three. The Beavers, whose future as a power five team lies in the balance, will hope to show the college football world that they messed up by not including them in their grand plans for conference realignment.

Both squads have a lot to play for in the last ever matchup of the Oregon powerhouses. Oregon State just wants to spoil its neighbor’s chances at a second berth in the College Football Playoff, while Oregon just wants to stick it to its “little brother” one last time before moving on to the postseason.