GameDay: Now I Smell Roses

Trafton B.

December 4, 2009 - 11:02 AM

You know, I have my first final of the term in about three hours and I could be reviewing the elegant prose and rhapsodies of the early Han Dynasty, but my mind is a little preoccupied right now because I'm busy looking for tickets to the 2010 Rose Bowl and still soaking in all the glory the is the Civil War 2009........Ducks win 37-33. We're going to Pasadena!

Following up on one of my previous posts, I've checked the facts and this year's Civil War - the 113th meeting of the University of Oregon and Oregon State - is the first time that the winner is guaranteed a berth in the Rose Bowl. I'm not going to give you all a detailed history lesson right now, mainly because I want focus on the near future rather than the distant past, but there have been some interesting battles between Ducks and Beavers over the years.

1894: The first Civil War was played in on the UO campus in Eugene when Oregon Agricultural College shut out the University of Oregon 16-0.

1959: The Platypus Trophy is introduced as the prize for the winning team. The trophy was lost for 40 years and found in 2005, and beginning in 2007 it is awarded to the winning school's alumni association. If you've never heard of or seen the Platypus Trophy, don't worry, you're not alone because neither had I.

1983: A battle between two mediocre teams was waged in the middle of a hailstorm and resulted in a scoreless tie. Eleven fumbles, five interceptions, and four missed field goals; the game is fondly remembered by all as the "Toilet Bowl."

After 115 years of name changes, Rose Bowl berths and slightly outlandish looking trophy giving, the University of Oregon leads the all-time series with 57 wins, 46 losses and 10 ties. This will be our first Rose Bowl since 1995, and hopefully it will be our first Rose Bowl victory since 1917 when we beat Pennsylvania 14-0.

If all goes according to plan, I'll be celebrating New Year's Day at the Rose Parade in Pasadena. See you there.