Thankfully, the Pac-10 does not have one of those silly conference championships that, save for the SEC title game, usually winds up being an on-field mismatch or attendance disappointment (see the ACC Championship, which is so desperate for spectators it even advertises on this site).

The Pac-10 does a lot of things wrong, but the champion is crowned through a season in which every team gets a shot at the other. And occasionally, it all comes down to one game, such as in tonight’s Civil War showdown between No. 16 Oregon State and No. 7 Oregon.

Last year, the Beavers were the ones with a shot at the Rose Bowl, and the Ducks housed them to the tune of 65-38. This year, the winner heads to Pasadena (the first time in the history of the Civil War this scenario has played out) and the Ducks are the favorites.

With both teams having a bye last week, they should be at full strength for what promises to be one of the more entertaining games of the year. Oregon’s spread offense has given everyone fits this season, and while I don’t think the Beavers will necessarily be able to stop the Ducks, they’ve got a pretty good offense of their own.

Last year, the Rodgers brothers (running back Jacquizz and wide receiver James) missed the Civil War, a big reason why the Beavers couldn’t keep pace. This year, they are both healthy and rarin’ to go. Jacquizz Rodgers has scored 20 touchdowns this season, and can be both explosive and grinding, which may help the Beavs if they decide to control the clock.

Oregon’s had a great season, but it barely escaped Arizona, and the Beavers are going to be fired up to spoil the Ducks’ party and have one of their own. I’m going for the upset. Pick: Oregon State 34, Oregon 31.

No. 19 California at Washington:Strange to see the Huskies finish their season against someone other than Washington State, which will likely be the story of this contest. Washington won the game that really mattered last week by capturing the Apple Cup, so expect a bit of a letdown in this one. Cal usually stinks at the end of the year, but has reversed the trend, and now the Bears are looking to improve their bowl status. Even without Jahvid Best, Bears have too much for UW to handle. Pick: California 31, Washington 20

Arizona at No. 18 USC:Normally this would be a no-brainer for the Trojans, but the way they’ve sputtered on both sides of the ball makes this one a tough call. Arizona still has to be smarting from losing that Oregon game a couple of weeks ago, and having sleepwalked through their win last week over ASU, needs to show a little more spark if they want to finish strong. USC  doesn’t have much to play for, so it remains to be seen if they’ll even be motivated for this game, although I imagine Pete Carroll has something up his sleeve. Pick: Arizona 28, USC 24.

Last week: 4-0
Overall: 49-18