Oregon State Football

Consistency has not been a friend of Brigham Young University in 2012.

The Cougars have played every kind of game in 2012. They've won huge, and they've lost close games. They've won by scoring no more than six points—but they haven't been able to do any of it one week after another.

Every week has been a different story, and the stories in which the Cougars have faced major-conference opponents haven't necessarily been pleasant ones. That doesn't bode well for the fact that the next team to pay them a visit is Oregon State.

The Beavers, at 4-0, have certainly been consistent. They haven't blown any opponent out of the water this season—their average margin of victory has been just 6.5 points—but they've proven themselves. Given victories over Wisconsin, UCLA and Arizona, we can say that Oregon State is legitimate.

But here's the tricky part: Neither of these teams will have its starting quarterback on Saturday. Or, at least, the starting quarterback it put on the field the last time out.

Therefore, things could get very interesting. 

Where: LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo, Utah

When: Saturday, October 13 at 3:30 p.m. ET

Watch: ABC

Listen: KSL Radio in Utah (102.7 FM and 1160 AM), Oregon stations here 

Live Stream: OSUBeavers.com  

Betting Line (via OddsShark): BYU -4  

Oregon State Injury Report (via Yahoo! Sports)

• QB Sean Mannion (knee) is out indefinitely. 

BYU Injury Report (via USAToday.com)

• LB Zac Stout (Achilles) is questionable for Saturday's game.
• QB Riley Nelson (back) is questionable for Saturday's game.
• DL Ian Dulan (back) has been out for three games and is questionable for Saturday.
• RB Michael Alisa (forearm) is out indefinitely.
• OL Houston Reynolds (Achilles) is out for the season.
• LB Kevan Bills (knee) is out for the season with a torn ACL. 

BCS Implications

Oregon State has a lot to gain and a lot to lose from this matchup, especially lately, when it seems like a new, formerly indestructible top-10 team crumbles every week.

This is the point in the season where that trend continues—the schedule gets tougher, the pressure builds and even the top teams cannot hold up—so if Oregon State can find a way to fight through the bulk of its schedule without a loss, the payoff could be huge.

It may not come in the form of a berth to the BCS title game, but if the Beavers keep winning, a major bowl game is certainly within their grasp.

From here on out, their only big tests are No. 17 Stanford on Nov. 10 and No. 2 Oregon on Nov. 24, but they need to keep winning the less exciting games in order to still be in a good place when those contests come around. 

What They're Saying

The quarterback situation is not ideal—for either team—at the moment. 

Let's start with Oregon State. Despite the fact that USA Today currently lists the Beavers as being injury-free, sophomore quarterback Sean Mannion is "out indefinitely," head coach Mike Riley told ESPN.com's Ted Miller this week. 

According to Miller's report, Mannion hurt his knee the last time out in a 19-6 win over Washington State, a game in which he threw three picks. There are very few details about the nature of the injury, but according to Yahoo! Sports, Mannion will undergo surgery. There is currently no timetable for his return.

This is certainly going to hurt the Beavers: Mannion has been primarily responsible for leading them to the nation's eighth-best passing offense.

The Cougars, meanwhile, are far from full strength. Their own freshman quarterback, Taysom Hill, is out for the season, according to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com), with a left knee injury that will also require surgery.

He suffered the injury in Friday's 6-3 win over Utah State, according to the AP. 

That means senior Riley Nelson will have to answer the call, despite the fact that he's missed two games with "back fractures," the AP reports.

The situation could be worse for BYU; at least it has its starter back—sort of. Nelson was the No. 1 guy to start the season, but after back spasms and a couple of rough outings, he was replaced. 

Oregon State Player to Watch 

Sean Mannion may have thrown a few picks of his own against Washington State the last time out, but his defense certainly helped to offset them, coming up with four interceptions.  

And much of the credit for that stellar defensive performance goes to senior cornerback Jordan Poyer, who came up with three of them.

Poyer gained 52 total yards on the three interceptions, and his third (and biggest) solidified the victory with just over three minutes remaining.

Afterward, Beavers defensive end Scott Chrichton told the AP (via ESPN.com), "It was the biggest performance. That's a superstar right there. He carried us."

And if he can carry Oregon State once again on Saturday, the Beavers' suddenly perilous quarterback situation might not even matter all that much.

BYU Player to Watch

No matter who the quarterback is, it always helps when he has a receiver who makes him look good, and that's what junior Cody Hoffman is good for—or at least he was against Utah State the last time out.

The Cougars offense was by no means explosive against Utah State. The team's six points came from a single touchdown, scored with three seconds remaining in the first half, and BYU failed to convert on the extra point. The passing offense gained just 235 yards. 

But Hoffman gained 114 of those, marking his third 100-plus-yard performance of the season. And fortunately for the Cougars, his other two came when Nelson was still starting at QB. Perhaps these two can rediscover a rhythm that gets the offense going once again.

Key Storyline 

The winner of this game will be whichever team can best adjust to adversity.

The Cougars would love to be able to turn to Hill right now, who has led them to two straight wins. The Beavers would love to be able to turn to Mannion, who has carried them to a 4-0 record, a No. 10 national ranking and has forged a passing offense that gains 339.5 yards per game.

But it's on to Plan B for both sides. In that regard, at least they're both on a level playing field. Sort of.

BYU would certainly seem to have the upper hand here. It has a veteran quarterback waiting in the wings, ready to reclaim his starting job. The Beavers only have Cody Vaz, who hasn't played since 2010. But perhaps Vaz will surprise some people. 

Or maybe he won't, and this game will present the spark BYU needs to get rolling. 

Prediction

Oregon State is in a tough spot right now, and it has to be feeling pretty hopeless without its leader. BYU, on the other hand, is playing at home behind a quarterback who at least has some experience on the field in the last year. 

This game presents the perfect scenario for the Cougars to rise above and rally. Back in the first couple of weeks of the season, Nelson seemed to know what he was doing. He'll rediscover that form on Saturday.

QB Sean Mannion sustained a knee injury vs. Washington State that required surgery.

The No. 8 Oregon State Beavers have been able to keep their undefeated record intact thus far, but they'll need their leader back under center to have a serious shot at the Pac-12 title.

UPDATE: Monday, Oct. 22 at 4:30 p.m. ET by Tim Keeney

Well, that was quick. It was originally thought that Mannion could miss a large chunk of playing time, but after just two weeks, Mike Riley has stated that the sophomore QB will make his return this Saturday (via the Corvallis Gazette-Times' Cliff Kirkpatrick):

Riley made it official after Monday's practice, Mannion is the starter Saturday. More later.

— Cliff Kirkpatrick (@CliffGT) October 22, 2012

Cody Vaz did his job under center and kept the Beavers undefeated, but getting Mannion back is a huge boost for the No. 7 team in the country.

---End of update---

UPDATE: Monday, Oct. 22 at 2:01 p.m. ET by Rob Goldberg

According to Angie Machado of BeaverBlitz.com, Sean Mannion will return to the field as starter this weekend.

Sources close to program say Riley will go back with Sean Mannion as starting QB this week vs. Washington. Practice kicks off at 11 today.

— Angie Machado (@AngieMachado1) October 22, 2012

Oregon State has won two straight games with Cody Vaz at quarterback, but Mannion is the clear-cut No. 1 on the depth chart.

The Beavers are currently No. 7 in the BCS standings and are trying to maintain an undefeated record.

---End of Update---

UPDATE: Thursday, Oct. 18 at 4:30 p.m. ET by Mike Shiekman

The Oregon State quarterback looks to be returning as early as this Saturday, The Oregonian's Lindsay Schnell reports:

Mannion will dress on Saturday, and says he'll be elbowing Richie Harrington out of the way of the way if a backup is called up vs Utah.

— Lindsay Schnell (@LindsayRae19) October 18, 2012

Richie Harrington, watch out for those 'bows. The Mannion news will be a significant boost for Oregon State's offense, as they have a difficult stretch of Pac-12 games upcoming.

--End of update--

UPDATE: Tuesday, Oct. 9 at 4:05 p.m. ET by Tim Keeney

The Oregonian's Lindsay Schnell gives a confirmation of the details surrounding Mannion's injury and recovery time:

OSU team doctor confirms Mannion's injury is a left meniscus, says Mannion will have surgery in Corvallis. Says he's week-to-week.

— Lindsay Schnell (@LindsayRae19) October 9, 2012

It appears as though Oregon State fans will have to get used to Cody Vaz. The junior certainly has the talent to step in for Mannion under center, but his lack of experience won't put to rest many concerns.

---End of update---

The Beavers' 4-0 start to the season will be tested this week when they travel to Provo to take on a solid 4-2 BYU squad, and to make things worse, they'll be without Mannion (according to head coach Mike Riley, via KEZI 9 Sports' Stephen Nelson):

BREAKING: Mike Riley announces QB Sean Mannion will have surgery on his knee. Out an undisclosed amount of time. #GoBeavs

— Stephen Nelson (@Stephen__Nelson) October 8, 2012

Riley also revealed how Mannion got the injury:

Riley said Mannion suffered the injury on a hand-off during the game against Wazzu. #OregonState #GoBeavs

— Stephen Nelson (@Stephen__Nelson) October 8, 2012

This is a huge blow for Mike Riley's squad. 

Mannion was on his way to a huge season: 63.3 completion percentage, 1,358 passing yards (339.5 per game), seven touchdowns and four interceptions. Extrapolate those numbers out to a full season, and the youngster would throw for 5,432 yards and 21 touchdowns.

Not bad. 

To be fair, Oregon State has other weapons capable of stepping up in Mannion's stead. 

Freshman running back Storm Woods, who has totaled 341 rushing yards on just under five yards per carry, looks like a future star. Veteran wideout Markus Wheaton is one of the more underrated offensive players in the league.  And if all else fails, don't forget that Oregon State's defense is ranked 18th in the country in terms of points and 34th in terms of yards.

Still, though, it's hard not to make a big deal out of this. 

The Beavers will be going from the second-most prolific QB in the Pac 12 (in terms of yards per game) to junior Cody Vaz, who has completed 35 percent of his 17 career collegiate pass attempts.

Although Vaz impressed during spring and fall camps, it's hard for someone with such little experience to jump right into the lion's den and continue leading a Top-10 team to victories. 

After BYU, the Beavers host Utah, travel to Washington and host Arizona before going to Stanford to take on the Cardinal. 

It's unknown how long Mannion will be sidelined, but if he misses those games, the Beavers are going to be in a world of trouble. 

Follow @t_keen

Marqise Lee and Robert Woods have received plenty of hype this year after last year's phenomenal numbers. The receiver duo from USC made highlight reels every week with their jaw-dropping catches and speed in the open field. 

Woods hauled in 111 passes for 1,292 yards and 15 touchdowns last year while Lee caught 73 passes for 1,143 yards and 11 touchdowns. The two of them have set the bar in the Pac-12.

But another duo in the conference is already way ahead of Woods and Lee this year and they're flying under the radar, much like their entire team.

Corvallis, Oregon is the home of the Oregon State Beavers. Corvallis is the place where football dreams go to die.

In 2008, No.1 USC lost to Oregon State 27-21. Poof. Gone was the dream. Corvallis celebrated wildly over the stunning upset but that was four years ago. 

The spectacularly beautiful town didn't have a lot to cheer for after the Beavers went 3-9 last year. But that was last year.

This year the Beavers are 3-0 with two conference wins over UCLA and Arizona. Quarterback Sean Mannion is averaging 362.3 passing yards per game which puts him at No. 4 for all FBS passing leaders. Mannion has a great arm but he's got some help.    

Sophomore Brandin Cooks and senior Markus Wheaton are currently ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the Pac-12's receiving leaders' rankings. Ahead of Woods. Ahead of Lee.  

Cooks is averaging 134.7 receiving yards per game while Wheaton is averaging 134.3 yards. Who are these guys?

Cooks already has 404 receiving yards after three games. To put that in perspective, last year he had a season total of 391 yards. Wheaton had 986 receiving yards in 2011 but this year he already has 403 yards. The two of them are on pace for a 1,200 reception-yardage year. Each.

Are they as good as the Woods-Lee duo? That depends on you how define "good" but the numbers certainly point to the two having a more productive season thus far. The Beavers are also undefeated while USC is 4-1. 

The last time USC played Oregon State was in 2010—the Beavers won at home, 36-7. The teams don't face each this year and that may be a benefit for USC. 

But for the Oregon Ducks, their fate awaits on November 24. In Corvallis, of course, where possibly the two best receivers in the Pac-12 await.

Where dreams of football championships go to die.  

Saturday's slate of action was one of the most exciting set of games that college football has seen in the 2012 season, thus far.

The spotlight belonged to the top-five teams in the poll, as each of them scored at least 30 points. But we can't forget about the other Associated Press Top-25 teams in action.

The top spot still belongs to the Alabama Crimson Tide (shocker!) and there weren't many drastic shakeups amongst the top teams, but a few squads made one or two-spot jumps that will prove crucial as we approach the second half of the year.

Here are three teams that came away winners from the newest Week 5 college football rankings.

No. 3 Florida State Seminoles (5-0)

The Florida State Seminoles came into Saturday ranking No. 4 in the AP Top-25, but were the beneficiaries of a lackluster win from the, now No. 4, LSU Tigers.

Teams typically don't fall in the polls following a win, but LSU was far from impressive in its 38-22 win over the 2-2 Towson Tigers from the Colonial Athletic Conference.

FSU didn't dominate the South Florida Bulls in its 30-17 win, but it was in control for the entire game thanks to another bruising performance by running back Chris Thompson and Co.

The Seminoles stingy defense, combined with their high-powered rushing attack will keep even the best teams at bay for the rest of the season.

No. 8 West Virginia Mountaineers (5-0)

The West Virginia Mountaineers would be higher than No. 8 if they could play a lick of defense, but who needs defense when you have an offense that Dana Holgorsen has at his disposal.

Geno Smith separated himself from the pack in the Heisman Trophy debate by throwing for 656 yards and eight touchdowns as WVU held on for a 70-63 win over No. 25 Baylor.

West Virginia caught a break when the former No. 8 team, Stanford, fell all the way to No. 18 after losing to Washington.

As long as Smith has Stedman Bailey, Tavon Austin and J.D. Woods to throw to, the Mountaineers won't need to make any defensive stands.

No. 14 Oregon State Beavers (3-0)

Sean Mannion and the Oregon State Beavers have won their first three games after the team's opener against Nicholls State was postponed until December 1 due to Hurricane Isaac.

Since then, the Beavers have beaten two top-25 teams and were able to squeak out a victory over the Arizona Wildcats on Saturday.

Mannion has looked better each week and Storm Woods is the perfect all-purpose weapon for Mike Riley's offense.

The Beavers moved up four spots from No. 18 in Sunday's poll and should stay right where they are for the next three weeks, thanks to some favorable scheduling. After that, though, things get dicey with Stanford and Oregon on the card in November.

Here is a link to the full AP Top-25.

In a wildly entertaining game with several big momentum changes, the No. 18 Oregon State Beavers took down the Arizona Wildcats 38-35 in Tucson on Saturday night. 

This game featured great quarterback play and a ton of excitement—although it was all Oregon State early. 

The Beavers opened up to a 17-0 lead at the 6:10 mark of the second quarter, but by the time the 8:48 mark of the third quarter rolled around, Arizona had scored 21 unanswered points. 

Offense ruled the day after that point as these two began to trade scores. 

Oregon State improved to 3-0 (1-0 in the Pac-12) with the win, and they continue to be one of the biggest surprises of this young season.

Heading into this game, both of their wins came over teams that were ranked when they played. 

They beat Wisconsin 10-7 in their opener and followed that up with a 27-20 win over UCLA last week. 

Meanwhile, Arizona (0-1 in the Pac-12) has certainly shown they can play like a Top-25 team. They started off the season 3-0 and that stretch included an impressive 59-38 win over Oklahoma State. However, they also showed that they still have a few holes to address in their 49-0 loss to Oregon last week. 

While they pick up the loss, it was still a nice rebound effort after last week's debacle. 

Twitter Reaction

Those lucky enough to catch this game were treated to a fun night of football. A quick Twitter search on this game reveals a bunch of tweets similar to the excitement shared by this fan. 

There will be no lack of highlights to choose from in this Oregon State-Arizona game. Wild one. #GoBeavs

— Gary L. West (@GaryLWest) September 30, 2012

ESPN helped capture the moment and wild mood of this game as it entered the fourth quarter.

Momentum has switched allegiance again as Arizona jumps ahead 28-24, taking advantage of Storm Woods fumble. A wild 4th ahead?

— ESPN_Pac12blog (@ESPN_Pac12blog) September 30, 2012

GOAZCATS.com' Tracy McDannald also helped highlight how exciting this game was when he posted the following tweet. 

A whopping 13 separate rushing or receiving plays of 20 or more yards tonight between the #ArizonaWildcats and Oregon State

— Tracy McDannald (@TracyGOAZCATS) September 30, 2012

And that tweet was posted at the end of the third quarter!

Grades for Key Oregon State Players

QB Sean Mannion: A

Sophomore quarterback Sean Mannion is off to a strong start to this season, and he continued that in this game. 

He threw a beautiful pass for a a two-yard, go-ahead score with 8:35 remaining. He worked the defense away from his intended target with a pump fake and then riffled a pass right on target along the sideline and at the goal line. 

He then followed that up by orchestrating a drive that he capped off with a nine-yard touchdown throw to Connor Hamlett with just over a minute left. 

He finished 29-of-45 for 433 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. 

RB Storm Woods: A

In just his third-career start, freshman running back Storm Woods was an absolute work horse. He flashed his power and explosiveness in this one. 

Woods was consistently churning out positive yards, and he was rewarded with a boatload of carries. 

He finished the game with 29 carries for 161 yards and a touchdown. 

Grades for Key Arizona Players

QB Matt Scott: A

Senior Matt Scott is not only his team's leading passer, but also the second-leading rusher. Needless to say, he is the focal point of this offense, and this game was no different. 

Scott showed his poise late in the fourth when, in the face of a mighty blitz, he threw a seven-yard, go-ahead strike with 5:34 to Austin Hill. 

He finished 31-of-54 for 403 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. The second pick came on Arizona's last gasp fourth-quarter drive. 

RB Ka'Deem Carey: B

Sophomore Ka'Deem Carey only had 17 carries in this game, but he made the most of them. Carey runs hard and with good vision.  

He looked dynamic while pumping out 115 yards and two touchdowns. 

What's Next?

Oregon State will host Washington State, in a game they should be favored to win and improve to 4-0.

Arizona will host a Washington Husky team that is fresh off an upset over Stanford. 

The Oregon State Beavers (2-0) are heading to the desert to take on the Arizona Wildcats (3-1) in a decisive Pac-12 showdown.

Both teams have a lot to gain from emerging victorious in this contest, as they are on the outskirts of the Top 25 polls right now,

Let’s take a look at where you can watch this matchup, some players that are injured and some that should be standouts, explore the Top 25 and BCS implications of the results and make a prediction on the final score.

Where: Arizona Stadium, Tucson, Arizona

When: Saturday, Sept. 29 at 10 p.m. ET

Watch: Pac-12 Network

Live Stream: Pac-12

Radio: Free Football Radio

Betting Line: Arizona -2.5 (via ScoresAndOdds.com)

Injury Report (via CollegeInjuryReport.com)

Arizona

WR/TE Terrence Miller—Shoulder—QST

DL Justin Washington—Suspension—QST

Oregon State

No Major Injuries to Report                        

BCS/Top 25 Implications

Arizona just fell from the Top 25 after being dismantled by the Oregon Ducks, but they have a chance to climb back in with a good performance against the Beavers.

Oregon State is back in the rankings for the first time since October of 2010, after they knocked off the then No. 13-ranked Wisconsin Badgers and No. 19 UCLA Bruins in back-to-back contests.

The Beavers could continue ascending the ranks with a victory over another tough Pac-12 foe on Saturday, strengthening their chances to win the Pac-12 North and play for the conference championship.

Oregon State Player to Watch: Storm Woods

The freshman RB put together a solid display of power, speed and athleticism against the Bruins this past Saturday.

He finished the day with 96 yards and a game-winning TD on 21 carries.

If he can continue to move the chains and keep Arizona’s high-powered offense off of the field, there is a good chance that the Beavers start this season 3-0.

Arizona Player to Watch: Matt Scott

While Scott has solid numbers for the 2012 season (110-of-167, 1,205 yards, seven touchdowns, four interceptions), he only managed to connect on 22-of-44 pass attempts for 210 yards against the Ducks.

Even worse, the normally stellar QB threw three interceptions to the defense and didn’t give the Wildcats a chance to win.

Head coach Rich Rodriguez’s offense has proven to be prolific with Scott under center, but he’s got to be smarter with the football in this one.

Prediction: Oregon State 32, Arizona 28

The Beavers are going to pull yet another upset and continue their undefeated march through the early portions of the season.

They have been firing on all cylinders in their only two contests of 2012, and will beat yet another overrated team in Arizona this coming weekend.

OSU will not be challenged until they take on Arizona State on Nov. 3 and then face the currently No. 8 ranked Stanford on Nov. 10. Should they manage to get past those foes unscathed, the impending Nov. 24 matchup against Oregon becomes one of the most intriguing college games of the year.

Oregon State sophomore quarterback Sean Mannion led his his Beavers to an impressive 27-20 win on the road against the No. 19 UCLA Bruins. 

This improves the Beavers to a perfect 2-0 with their other win coming over Wisconsin. It is clear that it is time for the Beavers to start being viewed as a legitimate top-25 team. 

With this win, they are virtually guaranteed a spot in the top 25 next week. They received the most votes of any non-top-25 team in the AP poll last week. 

Mannion is a huge reason why Oregon State is one of the season's early surprises. 

UCLA entered this game with a 3-0 record—which included a big win over Nebraska—and their revamped defense, under new head coach Jim Mora Jr., was a big reason why. 

Entering this game, the Bruins were allowing opposing QBs a passer rating of just 88.4 with seven interceptions to just two touchdowns. 

They couldn't force Mannion into similar mistakes. The 6'5" QB got off to a blazing start and kept it rolling. He finished by going 25-of-36 for 384 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. 

While 15 of his completions, 325 yards and both touchdowns went to just two receivers, Brandin Cooks and Markus Wheaton, he did enough spreading around to keep the defense honest as his 10 other completions went to eight different receivers. 

Mannion is making good decisions and he is delivering the ball accurately. He has made nice strides in these areas since his freshman season. 

Last year, Mannion threw for over 3,300 yards and hit over 65 percent of his passes, but his touchdown-to-interception ratio of 16-18 showed his tendency to make crippling mistakes. 

Those lapses in judgment are dwindling. He now has just the one interception in his two games, and he is not doing this against weak, early-season opponents. 

The Beavers have a solid team on both sides of the ball, and with a QB playing at the level of Mannion, this team is going to enter the top 25 and stay there. 

The UCLA Bruins are a very good football team, but they are still looking for respect. They had a very big win over then-No. 16 Nebraska and are 3-0 on the season as they enter today’s Pac-12 tilt with the Oregon State Beavers.

The Bruins are currently ranked No. 19 in the AP Top 25 and will finally get the respect they deserve if they take down the Beavers. It took the Bruins 78 weeks to get back into the top 25 and they don’t want to leave anytime soon.   A win would launch the Bruins into first in the Pac-12 South division and the team would be 4-0 for the first time since 2005.

However, Oregon State is not a team to be taken lightly.

The Beavers enter this game well-rested and brimming with confidence that was instilled in the team after beating the Wisconsin Badgers. The Beavers will play on the road against two ranked Pac-12 teams and they could get some room in the standings along with respect if they sweep both games.

UCLA knows that they have to take this game seriously and it all starts with the strong running of tailback Johnathan Franklin.  Franklin is the nation’s leading rusher and will be tested against the hard-hitting run defense of the Oregon State Beavers.

The UCLA offense has fared well overall on the season as they average 622 yards per game, which is good for No. 2 in the nation. Offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone is responsible for resurrecting the Bruins offense with his spread scheme that seemingly moves the ball at will. This offense focuses on the strength of the talent and will only get better as the season continues.

The change in the Bruins swagger can be attributed to coach Jim Mora. Mora will get his first taste of Pac-12 action against the Beavers this afternoon. It’s the professional approach to the game that is putting UCLA back on the map as a college football team worthy of contender status.

This game will be very important in the conference as both of these teams look to make their mark on the college football map and finally get the respect that they deserve.

James Brown is a B/R featured columnist and can be followed on Twitter. Feel free to contact James at jtsneaks@gmail.com. He also is a contributor at Bookie Blitz, a sports picks website.