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With the 2021 season on the horizon, BeaversEdge.com is introducing all 12 of Oregon State's opponents over the course of summer.
Today, we dive into the sixth game of the season, a road matchup against the Washington State Cougars...
The Game
Date: Saturday, October 9th
Time: TBD
Location: Martin Stadium; Pullman, Wash.
TV: TBD
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Oregon State 2020 Record: 2-5 (2-5 Pac-12)
Washington 2020 Record: 1-3 (1-3 Pac-12)
2020 Recap
In the pandemic-shortened, conference-only 2020 campaign, Washington State was only able to play four games, finishing with a 1-3 overall record.
After opening the season with a win over Oregon State, the Cougars didn't win again in 2020 as they dropped games to Oregon, USC, & Utah.
The loss against the Utes was particularly demoralizing for the Cougars as they boasted a 28-7 advantage at the half before ultimately falling 45-28.
Outside of the win over the Beavers, Nick Rolovich's first season in Pullman definetly left something to be desired compared to what the fanbase had come to expect each season with Mike Leach at the helm.
However, it's really hard to get a solid read on the Cougs because they only played four times this past year. That's a third of what a normal season would be and I'm curious to see how Rolo and Co. fare with a full year under their belts.
He's a coach who always seems to get the most out of his teams and talent (see Hawaii), so I wouldn't be surprised to see WSU a lot more consistent this year.
Best Win: vs Oregon State (38-28 on Nov. 7th)
Worst Loss: vs Utah (45-28 on Dec. 19th)
2021 Outlook
Following a rough 2020 campaign that saw the Cougars struggle with consistency on the field while also struggling to take the field, you'd have to imagine that 2021 is going to be a lot smoother sailing in many respects.
Like many programs across college football, the Cougars are likely to benefit from having a full offseason, spring, and fall camp under Rolovich. When you consider it was his first season at the helm last year while dealing with all the uncertainty, I would imagine the team will be playing a lot more sound football this season.
Where exactly what places the Cougars in the Pac-12 is very much the question. The media across the conference aren't inspired by the Cougars as they were picked to finish sixth in the north and 11th overall heading into the year, but preseason polls don't always tell the whole story.
While I expect WSU to be a lot better this season, it's hard to say whether or not that'll translate to wins on the field. The Cougars have a solid amount of talent, headlined by do-it-all running back Max Borghi, so I expect them to be very competitive weekly.
Overall, however, I expect the Cougars to come up one or two wins short of postseason eligibility...
Key Players: QB Jayden de Laura - QB Jarrett Guarantano - RB Max Borghi - RB Deon McIntosh - DB Jaylen Watson - LB Jahad Woods - DL Brennan Jackson
Season Projection: 5-7
Early Prediction
After letting last years' home opener at Reser Stadium against the Cougars get away from them, I expect the Beavers to have a big-time motivation factor in this contest.
While Washington State and Oregon State always seem to have some great battles up in Pullman, the Beavers haven't been able to knock off the Cougars in some time and this year seems to be as good as any to get the job done.
For what it's worth, Oregon State hasn't beaten WSU since the 2013 season and coincidentally, was the last time that the Beavers went bowling.
While a lot can happen between now and halfway through the season, at this point, I like the Beavers' chances to win this contest by a couple of scores.
Jonathan Smith and his staff have come very, very close to getting the Washington State monkey off its back the past couple of seasons (see the one-point loss in '19) and I believe this will be the year it comes together.
I expect the Beavers to be a more complete and talented football team than the Cougars this season and I think that's what will lead them to a win in Pullman.
Oregon State 38, Washington State 27
Previously
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