The SEC West is the undisputed best division in football this year, but the Pac-12 as a whole is right on the heels of the SEC in this year’s “best conference” race. That’s unfortunate for two Pac-12 teams — Cal and Oregon State — that are still fighting for bowl eligibility.
How to watch Cal vs. Oregon State: Game guide, TV/streaming, odds
Which team will pick up a much-needed win?
Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports
It’s not that Cal and Oregon State are bad, they’re just very mediocre in a very good conference. And with the season winding down, both could be in jeopardy of missing out on a bowl game. That’s why this weekend’s game figures to be so important.
Sean Mannion and Oregon State still have to play Washington State, Oregon, Washington and Arizona State — the Beavers may only be favored in one of those games — while Jared Goff and Cal still play Oregon, USC and BYU. A win in this game is a must for both teams.
That said, this should be a very good game, as it features two good quarterbacks. Mannion doesn’t get the respect he deserves at OSU, while Goff is an up-and-coming sophomore who figures to set some yardage records in Sonny Dykes’s air raid offense. It should be a fun battle to watch late Saturday night.
How to watch, listen, and stream
Game time: 10:30 p.m. ET
TV: Pac-12 Network
Online streaming: Pac-12 Live
Our blogs on these schools
The numbers
Rankings and records: Cal is 4-4, while Oregon State is 4-3. Neither team is ranked.
Vegas: Oregon State opened as a 4.5-point favorite and the spread has held steady. The over/under is 66, per Odds Shark.
Weather forecast: Partly cloudy with a high of 59 and a low of 44.
Two things at stake
As noted above, the main thing at stake is bowl eligibility. It’s probably a bit more urgent for Cal at this point, as the Bears still have USC and Stanford on the schedule.
If Oregon State can pull out a win here, it’s sitting pretty for bowl eligibility, and possibly better if it goes on a roll.
One big matchup
Oregon State offense vs. Cal defense: Cal’s offense will certainly be able to keep up for awhile in this game, because Cal’s offense keeps up with just about everyone (except Washington, for some reason). However, the Bears have continued to struggle on defense in their resurgent year two under coach Sonny Dykes. Dykes has never been known for his defensive abilities, but the defense has to start playing better for Cal to be nationally relevant. This would be a good game to start, as Oregon State has a legitimate threat in quarterback Sean Mannion. If the Bears don’t step up on defense, the Beavers’ offense might be able to run away with this one.
Further reading
Read Building the Dam for more on Oregon State and California Golden Blogs for more on Cal.
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