Is this the year Oregon makes it back to the national title game? Early signs are promising for the Ducks, but they'll have to travel to Pullman and take on the Washington State Cougars first.
How to watch Oregon vs. Washington State: Game guide, TV/streaming, odds
Can the Cougars recover from their disappointing start with a stunning upset over mighty Oregon?
Jonathan Ferrey
Oregon opened the year with a 62-13 victory over FCS South Dakota, setting the Ducks up with a matchup against another playoff contender in Michigan State. They trailed by nine in the third quarter before scoring the last 28 points to win 46-27. Oregon cruised to a 48-14 win over Wyoming last week, and it appears the defense is playing step-for-step with the Ducks’ prolific offense so far this season.
Washington State’s season has started out in quite the opposite fashion. The Cougars dropped their first two games of the season -- Rutgers and Nevada -- before rebounding with a 59-21 victory over FCS Portland State. The two losses appeared winnable on paper for Mike Leach’s squad, which now looks unlikely to become bowl-eligible with a daunting Pac-12 schedule.
How to watch, listen, and stream
Game time: 10:30 p.m. ET.
TV: ESPN.
Online streaming: WatchESPN.
More from our team sites
The numbers
Rankings and records: Oregon is ranked No. 2 in the AP Poll and No. 3 in the Coaches’ Poll. Washington State is not ranked in either poll. The Ducks are 3-0, and the Cougars are 1-2. This is the Pac-12 opener for both teams. Oregon holds the 48-38-7 lead in the all-time series.
Vegas: The line opened with Oregon as a 19.5-point favorite, and it has since moved up to 24 points. The over/under is 75 points—the highest such line in Week 4.
Weather forecast: 54 degrees with clear skies.
Two things at stake
Oregon is one of the heavy favorites for the College Football Playoff, and a win here would set the Ducks up nicely for tough games against Arizona and UCLA.
Washington State’s season is falling apart rapidly, and a win over Oregon would go a long, long way toward rescuing it and legitimizing the Mike Leach era in Pullman in one fell swoop. It would also throw the Pac-12 into absolute chaos.
One big matchup
Washington State passing offense vs. Oregon passing defense. We know Oregon’s going to score on Washington State. Can the Cougars keep up? Quarterback Connor Halliday has been inconsistent this season. He played well against Rutgers and Portland State but struggled against Nevada, averaging 6.8 yards per attempt and throwing two interceptions.
Halliday will have to deal with an Oregon secondary that has looked excellent through three games this season. Ifo Ekpre-Olomu has a legitimate claim to being the best cornerback in the country, and senior Erick Dargan has taken well to his promotion from the special teams unit, recording three interceptions so far this year.
Further reading
For more on Oregon, head to Addicted to Quack. For full coverage of Washington, head to Coug Center.
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