Oregon State Football

In a clash of elite Pac-12 teams, No. 11 Oregon State (7-1, 5-1) visits No. 14 Stanford (7-2, 5-1) on Saturday afternoon. The stakes are huge for both teams, as they control their destiny in reaching the Pac-12 Championship Game.

The Cardinal offense has been adequate this season but was lacking punch at the quarterback position. David Shaw has given Kevin Hogan some reps in relief but decided this week that a permanent solution was in order.

And, just to be clear, David Shaw said that Kevin Hogan will start at QB against Oregon State.

— ESPN_Pac12blog (@ESPN_Pac12blog) November 6, 2012

Replacing a starting quarterback this late in the season may seem like an act of desperation but it worked out well for Oregon State, who made the same change prior to their Week 10 game against Arizona State.

Where: Stanford Stadium, Stanford, California
When: Saturday, Nov. 10 at 3 p.m. ET
Watch: Fox
Listen: Free Football Radio

Current Betting Lines (via OddsShark)

Money Line: Oregon State +155, Stanford -175

Spread: Stanford -4

This game has battle written all over it. Both teams can play physical defense and have shown offensive firepower. 

The Cardinal ground game has been the focal part of the offense but they'll need to get the ball moving through the air with Hogan under center. The Beavers are very stout against the run.

Earlier in the week I encouraged fans that were going to take the Beavers to get in on early action, as I saw the spread continuing to narrow as the game approached. It opened at six points and is now down to four.

The value bet on Oregon State at this point would be the money line, as this is a game I see Oregon State winning.

Over/Under: 44½

My early prediction on this game was 44 points. I thought the over/under would come in a bit higher, giving more weight to the offensive talent in the game.

Seeing it hit at 44½ didn't exactly peak my interest on this betting line. I would still lean towards the under here, but if Hogan can light a fire under his offense in front of his home crowd the score could reach the over in the first half.

Key Injuries (via USA Today)

Oregon State
Jordan Poyer, CB, Knee, Questionable
Josh Williams, LB, Suspension, Out

Stanford
Geoff Meinken, FB, Knee, Out

BCS Implications

The winner of this game could emerge as the No. 2 team in the Pac-12. With a potential appearance in a BCS game on the line, both teams have much riding on the outcome.

Both teams have Oregon remaining on the schedule. Winning the rest of their games will land them in the Pac-12 Championship Game with a Rose Bowl berth on the line.

Keys to Beaver Victory

Oregon State needs to play stifling defense. They've done it against most of their competition and can do it against the Cardinal.

Stepfan Taylor is a quality running back and he has a solid offensive line to bore holes. But yards were hard to come by in several of his games and he'll find the same true against the Beavers.

They will force Stanford to throw the ball. Hogan would have a better opportunity if he had been starting the entire season but that isn't the case.

Keys to Cardinal Victory

Stanford has taken the big risk by moving the redshirt freshman into the starting lineup. He had a great game coming off the bench last week, going 18-of-23 for 184 yards and two touchdowns.

But that was against a Colorado defense that wasn't prepared to face him. To be fair, they weren't prepared to face Nunes, either.

Piling yards on Oregon State is a much different animal, but for Stanford to secure a win that is what Hogan must do.

Prediction

This game will be a fierce battle in the trenches which favors the Beavers. Their defensive front can control the Cardinal offense and Oregon State, thus far, has a more balanced offensive attack.

Stanford will put up a strong fight and try to push the ball on the ground. If they are effective running the ball the balance will tip in their favor. If not they'll need a freshman quarterback to carry them.

Predicted Score: Oregon State 24, Stanford 20

Follow @darinpike

Darin Pike is a writer for Bleacher Report's Breaking News Team and a Featured Columnist covering the NFL and the Seattle Seahawks.

Oregon State's undefeated run was put to rest by Washington a couple weeks ago, but that doesn't mean game over for their annus mirabilis. They're still having delusions of rose petal-infused grandeur in Corvallis, which is understandable since the upstart Beavers still hold their fate in their own hands.

It won't be easy, though. Saturday's trip to No. 15 Stanford—the team's last road game of the season—marks the start of a brutal closing schedule that also includes games against Cal and Oregon.

In order to get that closing stretch off on the right foot, the Beavers will need to hike up their bootstraps and beat an adept Stanford squad in Palo Alto. Oregon State hasn't been on the road since losing at Washington, so it'll be interesting to see how they respond to donning the white unis once again.

Let's take a look at some matchups worth watching this weekend in what promises to be a good one.

QB Cody Vaz vs. QB Kevin Hogan

As astutely noted by ESPN.com's Kevin Gemmell, it's not exactly every day that you see a top-15 battle between two teams with so much upheaval at quarterback.

For the Beavers, Cody Vaz stepped in admirably for injured starter Sean Mannion against BYU and Utah. So admirably, in fact, that after Mannion returned and gave away a perfect season against Washington, Vaz was called upon to start once again.

In Stanford, Josh Nunes, the unfortunate heir apparent to Andrew Luck, battled year-long inconsistency and was gradually replaced by Saturday's starter, Kevin Hogan.

Saying that a game as complicated as football boils down to one position is an egregious oversimplification. But when replacements falter, they usually falter in a big way.

It's not too far-fetched to say that whichever QB shrinks from the spotlight less has a good chance of leading his team to a victory.

DE Scott Crichton vs. Stanford O-Line

Nothing makes an inexperienced quarterback more uneasy than a dominant pass rush, right?

Crichton has been a force to be reckoned with in 2012, The relentless edge rusher has nine sacks on the season––good for seventh in the nation––along with 14 tackles for loss.

While he'll be counted on to help keep Stanford's patented running game in check, his primary main objective on Saturday will be making Kevin Hogan's life a living hell.

If he plays like he's been playing all season, that shouldn't be too much of a problem. 

Markus Wheaton vs. Stanford Central Defense

Stanford has the nation's 12th-ranked scoring defense, holding opponents to a paltry 16.6 points per game. A large part of that is due to its strength in the middle of the field.

Markus Wheaton specializes over the middle, however, which could make him even more vital to the Beavers' offensive success than usual. That sentiment should not be taken lightly considering the speedy Wheaton's 787 receiving yards and eight touchdowns this season.

ESPN.com's Todd McShay ranked Wheaton the fourth-best slot receiver in the upcoming draft, giving him plaudits for his willingness to go over the middle, along with his ability to make things happen after the catch.

If he's able to find space to work in the middle of Stanford's taut central defense, he could have the Beavers moving the chains all game long.

The Oregon State Beavers will travel to Northern California to take on the Stanford Cardinal. This is a huge showdown of two elite Pac-12 schools that have much riding on the outcome.

The Beavers (7-1) rebounded last weekend with a big win over Arizona State. It came after losing their first game of the season and having their slim national title aspirations extinguished.

Coach Mike Riley made a quarterback change for the game, and thus far it's looking like positive progression.

Stanford (7-2) was a controversial call in Notre Dame and a tough loss in Seattle against the Washington Huskies from being in the thick of national champion consideration.

The Cardinal bring a solid rushing game, but that is the strength of the Beaver defense. It should provide for a great showdown.

Here is an overview of this contest, featuring key players and a game prediction.

When: Saturday, Nov. 10 at 3 p.m. ET

Where: Stanford Stadium, Stanford, California

Watch: Fox

Radio: Free Football Radio

Betting Line (via OddsShark)

Over/Under: OFF, Spread: Stanford -5

This game promises to be an exciting Pac-12 battle. The Beavers offer a very good defense to pit against a decent Cardinal offense. 

This game opened as a six-point spread and could continue to be driven down as the game approaches. I'd proposed getting money on Oregon State soon.

Those that lean toward Stanford may want to get involved now.

The Cardinal will likely need to air the ball out in this matchup. Oregon State plays stout run defense and that isn't the strength of Stanford's offense. 

This doesn't figure to be a high-scoring game, but both teams have put up points in bunches at times this season. 

Injury Report (via USA Today)

Oregon State
Player	Pos.	Injury	Status/Updated
Jordan Poyer	CB	Knee	Questionable
Josh Williams	LB	Suspension	Out
Stanford
Player	Pos.	Injury	Status/Updated
Geoff Meinken	FB	Knee	Out

BCS/Top-25 Implications

This game couldn't be much bigger for these teams. They are both still right in the mix to win the Pac-12 North, standing at 5-1 in the conference. Both of their losses were to Washington, who won't be a factor in reaching the Rose Bowl.

Both of these teams control their destiny in reaching the Pac-12 championship game, and the winner will have an inside track to a Rose Bowl appearance.

Oregon is likely going to remain undefeated, which should send them to the national championship game. This will give the Rose Bowl committee the option of choosing a replacement.

Grabbing an elite Pac-12 team will make sense, maintaining the traditional Rose Bowl conference matchups.

Oregon State Player to Watch: Cody Vaz, QB

Boring as it sounds, I'm going with Vaz as the key to the Beavers winning this game. He took over for a struggling Sean Mannion who had a four-interception performance against Washington two weeks ago.

Vaz got off to a difficult start of his own last week against Arizona State. He steadied himself, though, and brought his team back from a 14-3 deficit to post a 36-26 win.

Composure is one of the traits that shines trough with Vaz. Following the comeback last weekend he was asked if he gets rattled in games.

I'm sure there's been a few times. I just try not to show it.

I just try to take it one play at a time, to be honest. As a quarterback you can't get too low when you have a bad play and you can't get too high when you have a good play.

The Beavers gave the start vs. Arizona State to the junior a week after they lost their first game of the season. Vaz had his first collegiate start against Brigham Young and Utah the two weeks prior to taking over against Washington.

It was a good move, as it creates a more balanced offensive attack that can have success in the air. He has seven touchdown passes to just one interception and threw for 267 yards last week.

Stanford Player to Watch: Josh Nunes, QB

Stepfan Taylor has been the key to Stanford's offense this season. He's gained 947 yards through nine games, even though he was used sparingly last week against Colorado. 

But Oregon State is going to be ready to control Taylor's production, leaving the Cardinal to rely on Nunes to kick-start the offense. 

Nunes isn't making fans forget about Andrew Luck, but he's had a productive junior season and is partly responsible for Stanford's great season.

His biggest issue has been accuracy.

A 53 percent completion percentage won't cut it in college football, but that is the neighborhood he's been living in since a fast start against San Jose State in Week 1. He's completed less than half his passes in four games, including both of Stanford's losses.

As important as Taylor is to the Cardinal, the key is Nunes being able to move the ball and keeping the Beaver defense honest.

UPDATE

Stanford has announced that Nunes will be replaced in the starting lineup by Kevin Hogan.

And, just to be clear, David Shaw said that Kevin Hogan will start at QB against Oregon State.

— ESPN_Pac12blog (@ESPN_Pac12blog) November 6, 2012

The concerns with the passing attack are warranted. Cardinal fans hope he can ramp up the passing game.

---End of Update---

Prediction: Oregon State 24, Stanford 20

This game will be a fierce battle in the trenches, but one I see the Beavers taking. They have a better defense and a balanced offensive attack.

Stanford won't go easily, as they can move the ball on the ground and through the air. The odds-makers will likely predict a higher total score when the over/under is released, but the defenses will show up for this game.

Follow @darinpike

Darin Pike is a writer for Bleacher Report's Breaking News Team and a Featured Columnist covering the NFL and the Seattle Seahawks.

No starting quarterback?

No problem.

That's been Oregon State's apparent response to the benching of Sean Mannion, who lost his starting job to junior Cody Vaz after tossing four picks in the Beavers' shocking loss to the University of Washington on October 27th.

Vaz, who started two games while Mannion recovered from knee surgery, was thrown into the fire during the Washington game, but did enough to earn the No. 1 spot by throwing a 29-yard touchdown pass to Connor Hamlett, and he looked even better against Arizona State on Saturday.

Despite his lack of experience, Vaz appears poised to lead the No. 13 Beavers to a BCS Bowl appearance, and he made a statement with his performance against the Sun Devils.

No, it wasn't a perfect game for the Lodi, California native, but it was more than good enough to get the Beavers an all-important victory after a stunning defeat the week prior.

Via CBS Sports:

Vaz appeared unsure of himself, but the Beavers' next drive ended with Trevor Romaine's 41-yard field goal. Arizona State answered with Cameron Marshall's 1-yard scoring run for a 14-3 lead.

Vaz bounced back with a 50-yard scoring pass to Markus Wheaton, but then Arizona State got a safety on a blocked punt for a 16-10 lead. The Sun Devils added a 31-yard field goal from Jon Mora.

In the end, Vaz finished with three touchdown passes, despite completing only 14 of his 33 passes, but he managed to find the end zone when it mattered most.

In the third quarter, with the game tied, Vaz found Markus Wheaton for a 17-yard score to but the Beavers ahead for good, and then the junior hit Brandin Cooks for a 49-yard touchdown to put the game out of reach midway through the fourth.

Now, with the Beavers set to take on No. 14 Stanford next Saturday, Vaz will have an opportunity to punch Oregon State's ticket to a BCS Bowl, which would be a big accomplishment for a team that hasn't had a winning season since 2009.

If his first three starts are any indication of what's to come, he'll deliver.

And once he does, the Beavers will be receiving the school's second-ever invitation to a BCS Bowl game, and first since the 2001 Fiesta Bowl.

Everywhere I look I keep seeing folks mention the Coach of the Year award as if it is a two-horse race: Bill Snyder versus Brian Kelly. The cagey old coaching veteran versus the guy who finally seems to have got the Fighting Irish's team production to match their hype.

In this day and age of condensed talking points and folks dialing into a narrative, it makes sense. After all, Notre Dame is Notre Dame, and while Kansas State isn't a high-profile job, the Wildcats do have a Heisman front-runner.

However, the real coach who should be on everyone's ballot is Mike Riley of the Oregon State Beavers. It's no disrespect to Snyder or Kelly, but when it comes to maximizing what he gets out of his players, Riley has to be the leader.

Kelly is operating with high-level, top-of-the-line athletes. He's got ballplayers at every position that would start for most college football teams. No matter how much you like your team's front seven, you'll find a way to make sure Manti Te'o, Stephon Tuitt and Sheldon Day see plenty of time. On offense, Cierre Wood, the offensive line and of course Tyler Eifert would step on to many a roster and be key players.

You coach the guys you have, and at Notre Dame, luckily for Kelly, he's afforded the opportunity to get players that most coaches never have a legitimate shot with. The same can be said about Kelly's competition in this race, Snyder.

No, Snyder is not pulling top-of-the-line high school talent to Manhattan, Kansas. He's not brushing elbows with Nick Saban and Mack Brown or Lane Kiffin on the recruiting trail. But the coach is most certainly able to get players that most coaches do not have the same access to: junior college prospects.

Ordinarily, coaches can take one or two JUCO players a year. Perhaps, in a year where there is plenty on the line, they can grab four or five JUCO guys.

Snyder, at Kansas State, has upwards of 30 junior college and transfer players—guys who come in as juniors and seniors ready to contribute to his team and already developed.

It may not seem like much, but avoiding the inconsistencies of a freshman or a sophomore is a big deal, and thanks to the type of guy that Snyder can add to his roster, he can fill holes easier than most coaches in college football. Especially along the offensive or the defensive personnel.

Which brings us to Riley. The coach has seven JUCO players and a couple transfers who found a home in Corvallis—not the same "instant fix" that Snyder's situation affords him. Riley also has just one guy on his roster that makes folks drool, Jordan Poyer. The rest of his players are guys that plenty of teams would, and did, pass on in the recruiting game.

In fact, these are the same guys, with the exception of the 2012 signing class, that plugged their way to a 3-9 record in 2011. Plenty of the same guys who went 5-7 in 2010. Now, Riley has his team sitting at 6-1. The Beavers have doubled their win total from a year ago.

The Oregon State Beavers are not a team that went from good to better; they're a team that went from awful to an 11th place spot in the BCS standings.

Kansas State is working its transfer players and riding the dynamic play of Collin Klein to—should it finish undefeated—two more regular season wins than they had a year ago. Notre Dame is maximizing its production on the shoulders of big-time ballplayers and tough football.

Oregon State has found itself in the midst of a magical season on the strength of Riley's brilliant play design and his timely play-calling.

You can't take anything away from Snyder or Kelly. However, Riley entered the season just about dead in the water following four seasons of getting progressively worse. He's worked with his guys, he's made the right moves and now he's got a team that's got its eye on a Rose Bowl and controls its own destiny heading into November.

Not just its own destiny in getting back to a bowl game, although that was the main goal in 2012, but its own destiny when it comes to hosting a Pac-12 Championship Game.

Mike Riley is my guy for Coach of the Year. Barring some sort of catastrophe, a 9-3 finish by the Beavers should win their head coach the award. He's certainly done more with less and made up more ground than most coaches, Snyder and Kelly included.

Heart-wrenching defeats last week leave both the Arizona State Sun Devils and 11th-ranked Oregon State Beavers desperately needing a win on Saturday to keep their Pac-12 championship hopes alive.

Obviously, it was the formerly undefeated Beavers' loss last week to Washington that sent shock waves throughout the conference. With the team's one loss coming in conference play, Oregon State now has its back against the wall in the ultra-competitive Pac-12 North.

Hoping to continue the Beavers' downfall is an Arizona State team barely hanging on the fringes of conference relevancy. Losers of two straight games, a third consecutive defeat would send the Sun Devils scrambling to even get their coveted sixth win of the season down the stretch.

With a ton of uncertainty for both sides coming into this contest, here is a look at everything you need to know about Saturday's clash of Pac-12 foes. 

When: Saturday, Nov. 3 at 10:35 p.m. ET

Where: Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Ore.

Watch: ESPN2

Listen: Sun Devils Radio Network, Beavers Radio Network

Stream: WatchESPN

Betting Line: Oregon State (-4.5), according to Vegas Insider

Arizona State Injuries (via USA Today)

OL Andrew Sampson, Ankle, Questionable

DT William Sutton, Knee, Questionable

CB Rashad Wadood, Shoulder, Out for Season

LB Carlos Mendoza, Shoulder, Out for Season

 

Oregon State Injuries (via USA Today)

No major injuries to report at this time.

Top 25/BCS Implications

After the Beavers' loss last week, their dreams of a Pac-12 title and BCS bowl berth are hanging in the balance with every snap.

One more loss, whether it is this week against Arizona State or in either of their upcoming games, will ostensibly end any chance that Mike Riley's team can win the North division.

Meanwhile, despite already having two losses in the conference, the Sun Devils are still hanging around in the South division.

Last week's two-point loss to UCLA certainly didn't help, but tilts against Arizona and reeling USC remain on the schedule. That means there is still an outside shot the Sun Devils can run the table and end up in the conference championship game. 

Regardless, one team's dreams for BCS bowl glory will end Saturday night. 

What They're Saying

Losers of two straight games and barely grasping onto their Pac-12 championship dreams, it would be understandable for pessimism to creep in with Arizona State.

Nonetheless, head coach Todd Graham seemed far more optimistic than you would expect, according to AZCentral.com's Doug Haller:  

Meanwhile, the disappointment was far more apparent for Oregon State. By all accounts, the Beavers lost a game they should have won, mostly due to quarterback Sean Mannion coming back too soon.

With an easy scapegoat (Mannion or the coaching staff) and frustration undoubtedly boundless, it would have been understandable for some regrettable quotes to leak.

Fortunately, the team seemed to take last Saturday's loss with the utmost maturity, exemplified by a quote here from cornerback Jordan Poyer, per The Oregonian's Lindsay Schnell: 

We win together and we lose together. We've got to stick together. We're a family, and we have to learn from it. We're more resilient than people think, and we've proven that all year. Obviously this loss hurts, but I think we're mature enough to learn from it.

 

Arizona State Player to Watch: QB Taylor Kelly

The sophomore dual-threat has been nothing short of sensational for most of the season, and has mostly done so far under the national radar.

Completing 67.7 percent of his passes and having a 19-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio, Kelly has actually been the conference's most efficient passer in 2012. 

However, Kelly still has struggled against tougher defenses this season. Losses to Missouri and Oregon are responsible for four of his five interceptions on the year, along with two of his worst games in terms of completion percentage.

Considering the strength of the Beavers' defense this season, the Sun Devils still have to be least a little concerned. 

Luckily, if there is an exploitable deficiency for the Oregon State defense, it's against the pass. Kelly will need to find those holes and make the most of them for Arizona State to have a shot on the road. 

Oregon State Player to Watch: QB Cody Vaz

With Vaz thrust back into the starting lineup due to Mannion's ineffectiveness, all eyes will be focused on the junior quarterback on Saturday.

Though he's definitely inexperienced and slightly undersized, things have gone swimmingly for Vaz thus far behind center. He's yet to throw an interception in 69 attempts, oftentimes leading the Oregon State charge with far more efficiency than Mannion.

Nevertheless, Vaz is also noticeably less explosive than his younger counterpart. 

That means a more conservative attack is likely against Arizona State this week. If Vaz can methodically lead the Beavers down the field and avoid turnovers, they should come out ahead.

On the other hand, if this turns into another turnover fest, Oregon State can kiss its BCS bowl dreams goodbye. 

Key Matchup: Arizona State Secondary vs. WR Brandin Cooks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VF5SyM6QfY

The more methodical the Beavers' play is, the less their big-play threat receiver, Brandin Cooks, can make a much-needed impact.

The sophomore speedster has consistently been the team's most explosive playmaker, averaging an astounding 18 yards per catch and seemingly creating 50-plus yard receptions at will. 

However, Vaz and Cooks do not seem to connect as well as Mannion and Cooks. In fact, Cooks' only game with fewer than 80 yards receiving this season came in one of Vaz's two starts. 

If the Sun Devils secondary is able to stifle that relationship again on Saturday, there is very little doubt that the underdog can send Oregon State to its second straight defeat. 

Prediction

It took a cavalcade of turnovers last week for Oregon State to take its first loss, but with Vaz under center, I'm not expecting a repeat performance.

The game won't be easy and may come down to the last minute, but look for the Beavers to win on Saturday and keep their Pac-12 championship dreams alive.

Score Prediction: Oregon State 24, Arizona State 21

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At this point in the NCAA Football season, the BCS rankings are quite indicative of who is and is not in the picture for the National Championship game. However, some teams outside of the current top 10 still have a legitimate shot at one of the BCS Bowl Games.

This includes some teams that were expected to contend heading into the season but may have experienced some struggles, as well as teams that could be classified as a surprise.

Either way, one thing is for certain: the race to qualify for these bowls is still wide open.

USC

The consensus number one team heading into this season, Southern California, was thought to be a prime contender for not only the Bowl games but for the BCS National Championship as well. Surprise losses to both Stanford and Arizona have all but ruled out a trip to the National Championship, but the bowl games may still be in play.

Currently at 6-2, and ranked 17th in the BCS rankings, they would need some help. However, if they can manage to go 4-0 in their remaining games, including tough matchups against Oregon and Notre Dame, they could find themselves in the PAC-12 Championship game, thus with a direct shot at a BCS Bowl game.

With the talent that they have, and especially on offense, a run of that magnitude still is possible. With QB Matt Barkley and WRs Marqise Lee and Robert Woods, they can score with any team in the nation.

Whether or not USC can manage that kind of turnaround is yet to be determined. However with the talent that this team has, and what wins against those tough teams would mean in the rankings, they can't be counted out just yet.

Oklahoma

Considered a Top Five team heading into the season, losses to Kansas State and Notre Dame have bumped them down to number 12 in the latest BCS rankings. Their National Championship hopes are all but gone as well, but the potential for another Bowl Game qualification still exists.

The level that this team can play at was showcased in their 63-21 domination of the Texas Longhorns on October 13th.

Their remaining five games are all winnable, making their qualification all the more likely. However, they would need some help from other teams ranked higher than them. The loss to Kansas State makes them almost unable to catch up to in the Big 12 standings, so they would have to qualify in a different manner.

Such a circumstance is possible if Oklahoma can go 5-0 in their final games, and with the product they are capable of putting on the field, they are still very much in the race for a BCS Bowl berth.

Oregon State

An upset loss at the hands of Washington has put somewhat of a damper in the Beavers' hopes of a BCS Bowl, but much like USC, it still remains a possibility in the PAC-12.

The road to which will not be easy with their last five games, including must-wins against Stanford and Oregon. It is those two teams that they will need to beat for a berth in the PAC-12 Championship game and thus a chance at a BCS Bowl berth. However, given how they have played throughout the majority of this season, it could happen.

Fifteenth in the nation in passing yards, the Beavers will need to convert that yardage production into more points to keep up with their impressive defense. If they can do so, what would be two impressive wins down the stretch would become more likely, giving them a better chance at a BCS Bowl as well.

Conclusion

Clearly it is the PAC-12, and the BCS Bowl births possibilities extending from which that remains wide open. Both USC and Oklahoma, whom were favorites in the Associated Press' Preseason Top 25, can still salvage their seasons. Oregon State, after not likely being included on many preseason polls, has the potential to continue their surprise season.

Either way the rest of the season shakes out, it is safe to say that the BCS Bowls are far from set.

Although the Oregon State Beavers may have watched their national championship aspirations vanish this weekend when they were defeated by the Washington Huskies, they still must rebound in order to save any chance of winning a Pac-12 title.

Not many people expected Oregon State to go through the season's first two months undefeated, but it did, allowing the Beavers to climb as high as No. 7 in the national rankings. 

Though they came up flat against a solid Washington Huskies team, their season is far from over. The offense struggled in the first half but came out of halftime strong, scoring 17 second-half points and nearly staging a late comeback that would've kept the Beavers' season perfect.

Saturday's loss surely took some wind out of the Beavers' sails, but they can't allow themselves to become too disheartened with the defeat. There's only one sure-fire win remaining on their schedule—Nicholls State.

They turn around to face Arizona State on Saturday, a team that started off hot before losing its last two games. The Sun Devils are one of the more dangerous teams in the Pac-12 and shouldn't be overlooked.

Oregon State boasts one of the Pac-12's best defenses, giving up just 17 points per game, which also ranks 12th in the nation. That should help to stifle Arizona State's passing attack, but OSU still must stay focused and prepared.

It's possible that the Beavers could overlook the Sun Devils, as they will travel to face No. 17 Stanford the following the weekend. The Cardinal have looked impressive this season in defeating USC, and they'll be looking for another big-time win against the Beavers.

It is imperative that the Beavers get their offense going this weekend against a suspect Sun Devils defense. Putting up 17 points—as they did against Washington—simply isn't a winning style of football.

We all know of the looming "Civil War" showdown between the Beavers and the in-state rival Oregon Ducks, and a win against their bitter foes could catapult them closer to a Pac-12 title.

But in order for that game to have that type of significance, the Beavers must first take care of business in their upcoming schedule.