In 2003, Washington beat Oregon 42-10 at Huskies Stadium. Same calendar year, Norah Jones won the Grammy for Album of the Year, Adrien Brody won the Oscar "Best Actor" for his role in The Pianist and gasoline cost $1.72 a gallon.

You don't vividly remember any of it.

But if you've been paying attention in the last decade, you understand fully and completely that the so-called football "rivalry" between Oregon and Washington isn't one at all.

The Ducks have won 10 straight times against Washington. In eight of those losses, UW has failed to score more than 21 points. I understand "Kenny Wheaton is gonna score!!!" holds a special place in the hearts of Ducks fans, I get that UW coach Don James was a thorn in Oregon's side, and I realize that geography played an important role in what was once a decent regional rivalry.

But all that's gone now. This isn't a rivalry and Oregon-Washington won't be until the Huskies break through --- if they ever do.

A year ago, at Washington, you couldn't miss the sight of so many giddy Oregon fans hanging over the railing, celebrating a decade of dominance over the Huskies after a 45-24 back-ally whipping. The victory felt like a foregone conclusion. Ducks booster Phil Knight walked past me after the game and said, "Knocked the (expletive) out of them."

It's an incredibly difficult task to win 10 straight of anything against anyone. Moreso doing it in college football, where there's an attrition of talent, and rain falls, and the ball sometimes bounces in a direction it shouldn't.

But what Oregon has done to Washington over the last decade is not built on luck. The win streak is derived from superior recruiting, better facilities, and utter dominance by the athletes and coaches on the field.

All that, "I hate Washington!" stuff is long gone. Nobody under age 50 could possibly hate the Huskies. In fact, I'd argue that students and recent graduates have nothing but love for Seattle's college entry. UW hasn't defeated Oregon, hasn't derailed a season, and has served as nothing more than a purple mop for the Ducks.

How can you hate a program that is no threat?

Washington hasn't played Oregon within three scores in more than a decade. You don't hate that opponent, you hire a police escort and make sure it arrives on time.

The Huskies have played different quarterbacks. They've worn different jerseys. They've been coached in those 10 losses by three different coaches (Keith Gilbertson, Tyrone Willingham and Steve Sarkisian). And yet the result, for a decade now, has been the same --- defeat.

Chris Petersen walks into a series that is a hot mess this week. He arrives as 21-point road underdogs in a conference where road teams have been 14-4 this season in Pac-12 games.

I have no doubt that Petersen will be successful eventually in Washington. He's a terrific coach. And this season has been as volatile as any ever. But right now, the Huskies are best described as "Stanford-light." Good enough to compete, but not talented enough to turn this back into a rivalry.

Stanford vs. Oregon is a rivalry in the last 10 years. The Cardinal have been a burr in the Ducks saddle. The SEC vs. Oregon is a rivalry over the last decade. The Ducks would love another shot in a meaningful game against a power team from that conference. Oregon State vs. Oregon is a rivalry, because even as the Beavers haven't risen above the Huskies as a program, what they have done is play the Ducks far tougher.

If you've been locked away on the Space Station, you're free to view this as a rivalry week. If you're desperate to sell tickets and sponsorships, it's understandable. If you're television, trying to market the Huskies-Ducks matchup, go on, have at it. But the rest of us know.

This rivalry is in a coma.

--- @JohnCanzanoBFT