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In sports, going out on top is a rarity indeed. It's far more common to hang on for one game too many, one season too long. In that sense, the Pac-12 can leave with its head held high. This was not the path it would've chosen, of course. Head-in-the-sand decisions, bungled negotiations and an insatiable quest for the almighty buck spelled doom for the "Conference of Champions," Stunningly over the past year, it collapsed into a heap like a game of Jenga. But Washington has reached the national championship game, providing the Pac-12 with one more shot at gridiron glory.

Washington offensive tackle Troy Fautanu has heard all the snide remarks about finesse West Coast football and not being tough enough. His message to anyone who questions the Huskies' offensive line: just watch us play. The biggest dawgs allowed only 11 sacks this season, paving the way for Michael Penix Jr. and No. 2 Huskies to reach the College Football Playoff and earning the Joe Moore Award as the best offensive line in the country. In the Sugar Bowl semifinal against No. 3 Texas on Monday, Fatanu and company face one of the best defensive lines in the country.

Oregon State and Washington State are working on a deal to become affiliate members of the West Coast Conference for basketball and other Olympic sports for two years. Sources tell The Associated Press a deal could be done as soon as this week. Oregon State and Washington State recently reached a football-scheduling agreement with the Mountain West for next season. Both are trying to plan their future after the collapse of the Pac-12, which will lose 10 schools to other leagues next summer.

The Washington state Supreme Court has declined to review the Pac-12’s appeal of a lower court ruling that gives full control of the conference and potentially hundreds of millions in assets to Oregon State and Washington State.

Oregon State, Washington State and the Mountain West have announced a football scheduling agreement for the 2024 season. It gives the two schools six opponents each and keeps open the possibility that they will operate as a two-team conference for at least a year. All 12 Mountain West schools will be involved and Oregon State and Washington State will each play three homes games and three road games against members of the conference. The Mountain West will play a seven-game conference schedule and the games against Oregon State and Washington State will not count against the conference standings.

The Pac-12 Conference is having a heck of a final kick. No. 3 Washington and No. 5 Oregon are two of the four conference teams ranked in the AP Top 25. They meet Friday for an almost certain spot in the College Football Playoff. The Pac-12 has not placed a team in the playoffs since the Huskies made it in the 2016 season. That lack of success in the NCAA's marquee sport is why nearly every team is heading to other conferences next year. Washington and Oregon will be Big Ten Conference rivals.

The final Pac-12 version of the Civil War will play a role in which team plays No. 4 Washington in the Pac-12 championship game. Win and the Ducks are in. Lose and No. 16 Arizona beats Arizona State, the Wildcats head to Las Vegas. Oregon is still in position to make the College Football Playoff despite losing to Washington earlier in the season. No. 4 Washington also faces Washington State in the final Pac-12 Apple Cup. No. 16 Arizona and Arizona State face off in the final Territorial Cup before moving to the Big 12 next season.

Jedd Fisch had the toughest sales job in college football, trying to convince recruits and assistant coaches to join what was at the time one of the nation's worst programs. Amid what would become the longest losing streak in Arizona history, Fisch had to paint a picture of promise and lay out a plan for a better future. The former NFL coach sealed the deal more often than not, setting the foundation for a massive turnaround in a short timeframe. Arizona has beaten ranked opponents in three consecutive games for the first time in the history of a program that started in 1899. The Wildcats are already bowl eligible for the first time in six years and were No. 23 in this week's AP Top 25.

The clash between No. 8 Oregon and No. 13 Utah on Saturday in Salt Lake City isn't an elimination game in the conference race. But it's close. The loser will have two conference losses and likely need some help over the final month if they want to make it to Las Vegas for the conference title game. Utah is coming off its 34-32 win at USC while Oregon rebounded from its first loss by thumping Washington State. The sneaky good matchup in the conference this week features No. 11 Oregon State at improving Arizona.