The Washington Huskies are facing an uphill battle as they take on the top-ranked Oregon Ducks in Autzen Stadium this weekend. As Jedd Fisch and the Huskies head to Eugene, they’re going to be notable underdogs in this rivalry matchup. At least that’s the case if you ask ESPN Analytics (and just about any neutral party that happens to be headed to Las Vegas to gamble on this game right now).

According to the latest numbers from the ESPN Analytics Matchup Predictor, the Huskies have just an 11.2 percent chance of coming out on top of the Ducks on Saturday. That’s not exactly a great percentage if you’re wanting Washington to win this game. 

So, what does that mean for the Ducks and Huskies? Is UW’s fate set in stone simply because some computer calculations and scenarios have Oregon coming out on top and ending Washington’s three-game winning streak in this rivalry?

Well, it’s a little complicated.

Essentially, to oversimplify this whole thing, along with all of the numbers that are thrown into a bunch of computers for ESPN’s Football Power Index, some simulations of games are run. And basically, Washington just isn’t winning many of these hypothetical computer matchups. 

As these two teams get set to face off for the first time in the Big Ten, it’s worth remembering that rivalry can often bring a bit of chaos. 

Along with all of the other context that is worth considering at the moment (including just how dominant Dan Lanning and the Ducks have been at times this season and how flawed they’ve looked at others), it’s worth considering that maybe the human element of all of this might matter a bit.

Or maybe it won’t. And maybe Oregon will come out and absolutely steamroll Washington. I, for one, don’t want to see that happen. But we do need to acknowledge the possibility of such a thing happening, I suppose. 

Washington has won three games in a row in this series and the Huskies hold an all-time series lead of 63-48-5. But this game feels a little different than some of those recent wins over Oregon in the past couple seasons. UW is in a rebuilding year while Oregon has a cohesive roster built ready to compete for a national title. 

Washington will need to demonstrate that it can contend with a national title caliber team to be able to pull off this rivalry road upset this weekend. We’ll see how it unfolds as the Huskies and Ducks meet up at 4:30 p.m. in Autzen Stadium. 

The Tennessee Titans face a difficult opponent in Week 13 in the Washington Commanders, who boast rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.

Daniels, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner and the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, has built a strong case for Offensive Rookie of the Year as the Commanders have a winning record and a spot in the current playoff picture for the NFC.

Titans coach Brian Callahan knows how dangerous he can be and will create a very methodical game plan against him.

“He’s the driver of the (Commanders) run and pass game,” Callahan said via team reporter Jim Wyatt. “He’s fun to watch, and his poise for a young player stands out the most to me.”

Daniels got the Commanders off to a wonderful start during the season as the team won seven of its first nine games. However, the Commanders haven’t played up to their standards as of late, losing their last three games and falling to 7-5.

This doesn’t mean Daniels has been bad. In fact, he has remained cool, calm and collected during the losing streak.

Washington’s recent woes could suggest an “easier” game for Tennessee, especially after conquering the top team in the AFC South in the Houston Texans on the road in Week 12. The win spawned some confidence from the Titans, but Daniels has the power to make it all irrelevant with a strong performance.

Stopping Daniels will be the key to victory for the Titans. If they can keep him at bay, the Titans will have a decent chance to pull off an upset. If he goes off, the Titans will likely head back to Nashville on a long and quiet flight.

Kickoff between the Titans and Commanders is set for 12 noon CT on Sunday.

Make sure you bookmark Tennessee Titans on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

The Piano Lesson stars Denzel Washington’s son John David and is directed by his other son, Malcolm. But the film is no mere adventure in nepotism. John David, playing the same role in this adaptation as he did in a recent Broadway revival of August Wilson’s play, is a voluble storm in the film, joining his father as another sharp interpreter of Wilson’s kinetic poetry.

Vanity Fair’s Little Gold Men podcast recently caught up with John David on his whirlwind press tour for the film, sitting down with the actor for a special live event at New York City’s Perelman Performing Arts Center—a recently opened multipurpose event space located right next door to VF’s One World Trade Center offices in Manhattan’s financial district. Washington and LGM were there as part of PAC’s Icons of Culture Festival, an inaugural event celebrating influential artists of all disciplines.

John David is indeed a disciplined artist, still in the process of honing his craft as part of a remarkable professional second act. He began his working life as a pro footballer, playing the game in Europe and in the UFL, the former minor league. Though his acting career already has some very bright highlights, he says that doing The Piano Lesson on the Broadway stage felt like a real make-or-break moment.

“That’s what the play served for me,” he tells LGM. “I can go toe-to-toe with my fears, because this is the scariest it’s ever going to get—being onstage, spitting August Wilson’s words to a bunch of people that came to pay their good money to see if you’re any good. And I felt like my career would be over, and I’m not being hyperbolic, or I’m not being dramatic. I was like, If this doesn’t work, I’m going to have to look for another line of work.”

David Canfield, Richard Lawson, and John David WashingtonPhoto by Peter Cooper.

It all panned out in the end, leading to much of the cast signing on to do the film version of the production—this time directed by John David’s kid brother. But that family connection didn’t mean the actor took the project any less seriously. “I was ready to run through a brick wall for my director,” he says of his commitment to the piece, which was well matched by his sibling’s. “What I learned about my brother during that experience was how in control he was, how he was really born to do this.”

Judging by the film, multiple scions of the Washington family are to the manner born—yet all remain refreshingly humble despite their rocket ship success and, of course, hereditary legacy. That is an exceedingly rare quality these days.

You can listen to the entirety of LGM’s conversation with John David Washington above, or wherever you listen to podcasts.