Another weekend means another important Pac-12 game. And this Saturday, when No. 5 Washington travels to face No. 11 Oregon State, it will play a major role in both the conference title game and the College Football Playoff. Washington has a 10-0 record.
Even after defeating ranked opponents on back-to-back weeks, the Huskies managed to stay outside the top four this week. The Beavers offer another opportunity to bolster an already stellar resume, but don’t count on the home team to be particularly hospitable.
With games against the Huskies this week and Oregon the following, Oregon State is still very much in the running for the Pac-12 crown. The Beavers will play in the conference championship game if they win both games.
In addition, there’s an added incentive involved. You have to believe Oregon State wants to lose in order to knock Oregon and Washington out of the Big Ten. But Oregon State hasn’t had an easy time winning this series.
Washington has won 10 of the previous 11 games in the series and won the matchup the previous year, 24-21. However, the Beavers did prevail in the last meeting between the two teams in Corvallis, defeating the Huskies 27–24 in 2021.
Need to know about Washington vs. Oregon State
The games for Washington are getting closer: There’s a compelling case to be made for Washington’s overall season record, which puts the Huskies in the top four spots ahead of Florida State. Their victories over USC, Oregon, and Utah ought to be more significant than Florida State’s triumph over LSU.
Now that the Wildcats have themselves broken into the top 25, even a struggle versus Arizona that caused some controversy at the time makes a lot more sense. Washington’s habit of playing a lot of close games is the issue. Its last six victories have come by a combined 44 points, compared to their season-opening average of 32.8 points in their first four games.
Close calls against Stanford and Arizona State don’t look any better, even though a narrow victory over Arizona does. All of this won’t matter if Washington wins, but style points do when five teams are vying for four postseason slots.
Though Michael Penix seems bound for New York City and the Heisman Trophy ceremony, he’s far from a one-man show. Rome Odunze and Ja’Lynn Polk are a powerful pair for the Huskies.
Rome Odunze and Ja’Lynn Polk of Washington are two of the nation’s only receiving tandems with at least 900 yards apiece. Brian Thomas Jr. and Malik Nabers of LSU are the other. With 1,100 receiving yards, Odunze is third in the nation after Virginia’s Malik Washington and Nabers.
The Reser Stadium is a solid Beaver dam. Although the Beavers are 3-2 and have lost both of their away games by a combined six points, they have performed far better at home.
This season, Oregon State is 5-0 inside the welcoming walls of Reser Stadium, winning each of the five games by a minimum of 12 points. Since a September setback to USC, they have won nine in a row at home. Thirteen games during the 1962–64 season were Oregon State’s longest home winning streak in program history.
How to watch the live Oregon State vs. Washington match
When: Saturday, November 18, 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Location: Corvallis, Oregon’s Reser Stadium
ABC on TV; Fubo for live streaming (free trial)
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Oregon State vs. Washington prediction: odds based on SportsLine consensus
Do you find it surprising that the Beavers are the favorite here? Most likely, you shouldn’t be. All season long, Oregon State has been a strong team, especially at home. Meanwhile, there has been an issue with Washington’s defense.
I consider this game to be a toss-up, and for that reason, I have no interest in the spread. Oregon State runs the ball really well and will attempt to run over a Washington defense that has found it difficult to stop, so the under is the stronger choice.
Washington, meanwhile, has run the ball far more throughout the past two weeks with excellent outcomes. Additionally, Oregon State’s defense has been vulnerable against the run. I’m not sure how many times this matchup’s clock will pause.