Predicting No. 11 Oregon vs. Oregon State
The No. 11 Oregon Ducks (9-2, 6-2 Pac-12) finish the regular season with a home matchup against the Oregon State Beavers (7-4, 5-3 Pac-12).
The Ducks are coming off their worst loss of the season, while the Beavers have won their last two, including a 24-10 win over Arizona State last week. There are plenty of storylines to monitor going into this game: the rivalry, Oregon State's ascension in the Pac-12, Oregon looking for its third consecutive trip to the Pac-12 championship.
With that in mind, our team of writers gives you their take on who will win this weekend's matchup.
Max Torres (@mtorressports)
It's hard to find much if anything to be confident about after last week's beatdown in Salt Lake City.
Oregon has had issues passing the ball all season, and the hits to the wide receiver corps over the last week is another challenge the team will have to overcome. But Oregon State has a passing defense that ranks in the lower half of the conference, surrendering 238 passing yards per game. Which means they're exploitable.
The Beavs have a far from lethal passing attack, so the real concern for me lies in stopping the run and establishing the run. If the Ducks don't show some fight in the trenches this game could become much more difficult than it should be.
It's time to show that physicality and resiliency that's fueled the team all year. The Ducks tend to play well at home and this weekend Oregon pulls out the win, but the Beavers give them all they can handle.
Prediction: Oregon 31 Oregon State 28
Dylan Mickanen (DylanMickanen)
Last week the Ducks got manhandled by Utah at the line of scrimmage all evening and as a result the Utes ran wild. Unfortunately for Oregon, the Beavers have the conference’s best rushing attack (229.5 yards per game) led by B.J. Baylor and Deshaun Fenwick and a pro style offense similar to Utah’s system.
On a neutral field and given the injuries for Oregon, I think Jonathan Smith would be able to come away with a victory over the Ducks for the second straight season. But fortunately for the Ducks, this game will be at Autzen Stadium where the program hasn’t lost since 2018.
In the end, it’ll be a game closer than most Ducks fans would like, but the Ducks will walk off the field as Pac-12 North champs thanks to a late defensive stop.
Prediction: Oregon 34 Oregon State 27
Dylan Reubenking (@drksportsnews)
Before this season began, very, very few people would have expected that the Oregon-Oregon State game could decide the Pac-12 North. Oregon gets the division with a win, Oregon State earns the North with a win and a Washington State win over Washington, and the Cougs get it if they win and Oregon loses.
Oregon is coming off of an embarrassing loss to Utah, and the Beavers are riding high after a 24-10 win over Arizona State. This game is going to be really close, as most matchups between these two programs are, but I think Oregon will have a big fourth quarter to close it out and win the North for the third year in a row.
Prediction: Oregon 35, Oregon State 27
John Rustik (@j_rustik)
In what is the most important head-to-head between these two teams since the “War of Roses” in 2009, the Ducks will need to drastically improve from last week if they want to win the North.
I expect Travis Dye to get far more touches this weekend than last weekend, and the Ducks' defense will play with an energy they haven’t in a long time. All that considered, the Ducks do enough on offense while stopping the Beavs' run attack.
Prediction: Oregon 31 Oregon State 28
Nick Battey (@nickbat22)
The Ducks and the Beavers go to battle again and this time it’s two teams coming off very different results. The Ducks got demolished in Salt Lake City while the Beavers dominated the Sun Devils at home. The Beavers have been bad on the road this season, with losses to Purdue, Cal, and Colorado all away from home.
I think this will be more of a mentality game for the Ducks. Can they turn the page and get a rivalry win with a Pac-12 Championship and Rose Bowl still on the line? I believe they can.
Prediction: Oregon 38 Oregon State 34
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