The way it all went down will be talked about for a generation, one beyond-explanation coaching call begetting another even costlier decision.

And in the process, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning cost his Ducks and the Pac-12 a chance at a potential College Football Playoff berth.

If Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer’s decision to call for a Michael Penix Jr. pass on 1st-and-goal from the Oregon 1-yard-line with 14 minutes, 27 seconds left to go was a head-scratcher, Lanning’s decision to go for it on fourth-and-1 at the Ducks’ 34-yard-line, with 1:27 left in a tie game, with an untested redshirt freshman backup quarterback lined up in a shotgun formation and star quarterback Bo Nix begging to go in, was a head-banger.

As in, Ducks fans will be left smashing their foreheads in agony for years to come.

He’s a first-year defensive coach who didn’t trust his defense. With a young offensive coordinator who would not trust his backup freshman quarterback to throw on either of the previous three downs.

It was a stunning ending to a classic game. A stupefying ending to what had been a beautiful display of ‘Pac-12 After Dark.’

And a sudden ending to the Pac-12’s Playoff chances.

To understand how the game led up to two bone-headed calls by two impressive coaches, you’ve got to rewind to arguably the most exciting 10 minutes in Pac-12 history.

Surprisingly trailing 13-10 at the half after a missed field goal by Camden Lewis to end the second quarter, Oregon came out of halftime swinging.

The fun started with a Nix-to-Dont’e Thompson 46-yard touchdown connection.

17-13, Oregon.

It continued with a Cameron Davis 3-yard touchdown run, capping off a 10-play, 65-yard drive for the Huskies.

20-17, Washington.

Then Noah Whittington ran it in from 29-yards out to put the Ducks back on top.

24-20, Oregon.

Next, Penix bombed one to Ja’Lynn Polk for a 76-yard touchdown.

27-24, Washington.

Not to be outdone, Nix hit Troy Franklin for a gorgeous 67-yard scoring connection.

31-27, Oregon.

Just more than 10 minutes, five touchdowns, 35 points, and more cricked necks than a Federer-Nadal classic.

And that’s when things got interesting.

After hitting seven first downs on a 98-yard drive, setting up a first-and-goal at the Oregon 1-yard-line, the Washington offense appeared poised to regain the lead. Only DeBoer called a pass, which was tipped by Noah Sewell and intercepted by Jeffrey Bassa.

And that’s when things got really interesting. Or completely uninteresting, if you’re a fan of swashbuckling football.

Oregon went from #Pac12AfterDark to #BigTenAtNoon, running the ball 16 times on a 20-play drive that stalled at the Washington 8-yard line. The Ducks managed to convert a field goal, grabbing the 34-27 lead. But it was a costly field goal, as Nix was injured on the penultimate play of the drive, a fruitless 2-yard run that sent him into the injury tent.

Nonetheless, the Oregon defense was poised to close out the wild back-and-forth game with a defensive stand.

Only Penix had another finish in mind. Regaining possession of the ball with 3 minutes, 7 seconds left after Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. uncorked a beauty of a 62-yard touchdown pass from hashmark to opposite sideline to Taj Davis.

“It’s not like him to throw that interception down there,” DeBoer told Fox’s Allison Williams after the game. “We trust him and (offensive coordinator Ryan) Grubb and him got it back under control. That throw down the sideline, that s just what he does. Super proud of him.”

But then out marched Oregon backup quarterback Ty Thompson, who has attempted all of 20 passes all season. His inexperience showed, and so did Kenny Dillingham’s lack of faith in him.

Three straight runs, each gaining 3 yards, set the Ducks up with a 4th-and-1 from their own 34-yard line. Conventional wisdom dictates punting the ball here. Any wisdom dictates punting the ball. Even stupid people would punt the ball.

So what did Lanning do? With his Heisman hopeful still sidelined — though eagerly asking to be put back in the game — the Ducks left it in the hands of their untested backup quarterback out of a shotgun formation, giving the ball to Whittington with a possible Playoff berth on the line. Predictably, the Huskies took him down for a loss of 1 yard.

Lanning/Dillingham may have gambled their shot at the Playoff away on a 4th down in their own territory. The game was tied with less than two minutes to go, and they chose not to punt.

Four unproductive plays later, Peyton Henry banged in a 43-yard field goal with 51 seconds left to take a 37-34 lead, Oregon got no closer than the Washington 38-yard line, and a Nix Hail Mary fell harmlessly to the ground as time expired.

In the end, it’s hard to criticize a coach for having faith in his offense, especially a defensive coach.

But not like this. Not like this.

Oregon has come too far this season to let its dreams disappear in such disappointing fashion. Heck, forget the Ducks’ dreams: The rest of the Pac-12 deserved a better fate.

Kudos to Washington for its remarkable turnaround — from 4-8 a season ago to 8-2 with a win at always-raucous Autzen Stadium — and congrats to DeBoer for getting bailed out in the most incredible of ways.

But the Ducks deserve better. We deserve better.

And Lanning deserves to answer for a decision that will plague Oregon for years to come.