Bo Nix and Oregon are ready for a challenge. After a 5-0 start for the Ducks, Oregon has had a bye week to prepare for the rivalry matchup against Washington.

On the flip side, the Huskies also had a bye week of preparation, allowing for the hype to build around a top-10 matchup in the Pac-12. Expectations for the game are at a fever pitch, but Nix noted the team has to remain focused on the day-by-day responsibilities of going out to play a football game.

“You’ve gotta just take it day by day and treat it for what’s it worth. It’s going to be a top-10 matchup, it’s gonna be a lot of noise, a lot of hype,” Nix admitted at his Tuesday press conference. “But at the same time, you got to strap it up and go play football and do what we do and they’re going to do the same.

“It just turns into a football game and that’s exactly what it is each and every week. You can’t make it too big, can’t let the moment get too high. You’ve got to stay focused on the main thing and that’s just going out and executing.”

While Nix pointed out what needs to be done, he also said it is a challenging task because everyone will talk about games of this magnitude. However, he says the Ducks are focused on appreciating this type of game, something Nix also expects the Huskies to be prepared for.

“It’s hard because everybody does talk about it so you have to constantly keep your mind frame from going to the noise. You try not to let it get super loud, you try to control the things that you can and obviously stay off social media, not watch a lot of TV,” said Nix about his methods of limiting exposure. “It’s a part of it, but at the same time, it’s rewarding playing in games like this so you want to appreciate it…

“This will be a fun one and I think both sides are just ready for the game, ready for the atmosphere. You don’t always get these so we want to make the most of them.”

Washington and Oregon enter the matchup ranked No. 7 and No. 8, respectively. The winner of the game will keep pace with USC with an undefeated mark overall and in Pac-12 play moving forward.