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Every Friday of each game week, the BeaversEdge.com staff will give its predictions for Oregon State's matchup!

With the No. 16 Beavers (8-3, 5-3 Pac-12) set to face No. 6 Oregon (10-1 7-1) at Reser Stadium on Saturday, BeaversEdge Publisher Brenden Slaughter, recruiting analyst Dylan Callaghan-Croley, and writers T.J. Mathewson and Ryan Harlan give their two cents on the matchup and who's going to come out on top!

MORE: 5 Questions With Oregon Experts | Oregon State AD Issues Statement | Beavers Offer FCS DL | BeaversEdge Power Ranks Week 13 | A Closer Look At Oregon | What We're Hearing On Jonathan Smith | FAU Pledge Talks OSU Visit

What a crazy week in Oregon State sports. It's only fitting that it concludes with what could be the final Civil War/Rivalry Game in quite a while unless, of course, they agree to a common-sense deal in the next couple of weeks.

Anyways, now to the game. I cannot see an advantage for the Beavers on the football field. Oregon possesses one of the most complete football teams in the country, and the Beavers will be up against it on Friday.

The advantage for Oregon State is going to have come from the sideline.

Dan Lanning has had his fair share of mishaps on fourth downs in big games, and the Beavers are going to need to have one of those mistakes to have a chance in this one. The Beavers also need to control the LOS on offense, but I'm pretty pessimistic after Heneli Bloomfield was announced out and Grant Starck questionable.

We're going to have to see a lot of DJ runs to balance Damien and the passing against the Oregon rush. That group is going to need to eat up as much clock as they can, because for how OSU's defense has fared on the road this season, you have to hate the outlook if they have to stay on the field for too long, especially with Akili Arnold and Jaden Robinson questionable.

If someone finds me a reason to be more optimistic, I will. But no one has found that yet, and because of that, I will pick the Ducks.

PREDICTION: Oregon 45, Oregon State 24

TJ's season record (8-3)

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MORE: Oregon State AD Issues Statement | Beavers Offer FCS DL | BeaversEdge Power Ranks Week 13 | A Closer Look At Oregon | What We're Hearing On Jonathan Smith | FAU Pledge Talks OSU Visit

The last matchup between these two bitter rivals ever? Maybe, maybe not, that's for the powers at be to decide, but for the sake of this prediction, we'll assume this is the final matchup for the foreseeable future...

That all being said, it figures to be a great game between two teams who want to end their regular seasons on a high note. While the stakes are dramatically different for the two teams, this game always brings exciting moments and electric energy, and I don't expect that to be any different this time.

Following the emotional loss to Washington at Reser Stadium, and the poorly-timed Jonathan Smith rumors heating up, it's been quite the week for Oregon State and it's going to be very interesting to see how the Beavers respond on the field.

Typically the past few seasons, we've seen Smith teams bounce back in a big way following a loss. Case and point this season, following the first loss to Washington State the Beavers responded with a win over top-10 Utah on a short week. After falling to Arizona, the Beaves bounced back against Colorado with a mostly strong performance that included holding the Buffs to negative seven rushing yards.

All that's to say, the Beavers have usually been sharp and disciplined in the game following a loss, leading to wins in the process. They'd like to repeat that formula this week, but unfortunately, they're playing the best team in the conference and a team in Oregon that presents matchup problems across the board.

Add in the fact that this game is at Autzen Stadium with the Ducks' Pac-12 Championship and College Football Playoff hopes on the line and the Beavers could very well be walking into a buzzsaw on Friday afternoon.

For the Beavers to have a shot in this matchup, they'll need to do several things, none of which are easy to accomplish.

1. Play their best offensive game of the season, like Cal where DJ Uiagalelei was in sync from the word go.

2. Play defense like you're playing at home.

3. Force the un-turnover-prone Ducks into several mistakes.

If all three of those things happen, it could very well be a recipe for an upset. However, I think that's a lot to ask of this Beaver squad, and some of the off-the-field distractions may prove too much against an extremely talented opponent.

Bo Nix and the Oregon offense is an even bigger challenge than Michael Penix and Co., and the Beaver defense won't have the benefit of Reser Stadium and Mother Nature this time.

The defense has to do whatever it can to slow down Nix and his many weapons across the field, which is no easy task. Oregon's ground game is also dynamic, as Bucky Irving is one of the better backs in the conference, so the challenge for Oregon State's defense will be the biggest this season, no question.

Conversely, the Beavers need Damien Martinez, DJ Uiagalelei, and their receiving corps to have their best games of the season to have a shot at keeping this one close. Oregon's defense is mightily improved, but if the Beavers can control the clock and keep Nix and Co. on the sidelines, they'll have a much better chance at keeping this one within striking distance.

I do expect the Beavers to play better than the oddsmakers predict, but this Oregon team is firing on all cylinders and doesn't boast any significant weaknesses. OSU will play the Ducks as tough as anyone has this season but will come up just short when the clock strikes zero...

PREDICTION: Oregon 34, Oregon State 24

Brenden's season record (8-3)

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