That was then, this is now: Oregon 49, Washington 21

Demond Williams Jr. made his starting debut. No. 1 Oregon sacked him 10 times.

EUGENE, Ore. — Track Town Pizza opened in 1978. The place is a throwback, a perfect fit in a college town, striking for its proximity to the gleaming, new-age Matthew Knight Arena across the street. Oregon-themed sports photos hang on the walls, greeting diners who sit in one of several wooden booths. Wooden tables with benches run through the center of the place. The pies are quality. The sauce is handmade.

The line was out the door on Saturday afternoon, every seat occupied, mostly by folks wearing green and yellow. The big game played on the televisions. The patrons of Track Town cheered loudly when it ended.

Michigan 13, Ohio State 10.

Remember when national results mattered for Washington, back when Michael Penix Jr. threw darts in a purple jersey and each win brought the Huskies closer to the College Football Playoff? There are no big-picture considerations for Jedd Fisch’s rebuilt UW team, but there sure are for the No. 1 Oregon Ducks. They beat Ohio State in a classic here in October. Rather than a rematch in Indianapolis, Duck fans clearly preferred to tussle with Penn State for the Big Ten title, and that’s precisely what Michigan’s victory assured.

Presumably, many of those same fans wore heavy jackets and beanies and scarves and packed into Autzen Stadium a few hours later. There was cause to celebrate then, too, even if it felt a bit perfunctory.