Week 13 - Oregon State vs Washington State: How To Watch, Preview, Time/Date, Storylines
A start to the season that contained a decent amount of optimism for the Oregon State Beavers now feels like it was years ago. OSU are now in the midst of a five-game losing streak following a 28-0 shutout loss to Air Force last weekend.
The Beavs will have to put it behind them this Saturday, as they host a very good Washington State Cougars team that still find themselves in the AP Top 25 despite a loss to New Mexico in Week 12.
Here's everything you need to know about the unofficial battle for the Pac-12 championship Saturday in Corvallis.
Oregon State Beavers (4-6, Pac-12/Independent) vs Washington State Cougars (8-2, Pac-12/Independent)
Date: Saturday, November 23
Time: 4 PM PT // 7 PM ET
Location: Reser Stadium - Corvallis, Oregon
TV: The CW
Radio: Oregon State Radio Affiliates
Betting Line: Oregon State +13.5 (-118) on FanDuel
Storylines
Recent Series History
In 2023, Washingotn State snuck away from their battle with the Beavers with a 38-35 win. Current Miami Hurricane Cam Ward shredded the Beavers' defense for 404 yards and four touchdowns in that contest. The year prior, Oregon State rode a Damien Martinez (also now at Miami) performance that included 111 yards on the ground for a 24-10 win. WSU took eight matchups in a row from 2014 to 2021.
It's a unique situation the Beavs and the Cougs find themselves in this week, playing as the only two members of a conference. That will of course change in 2026.
Will A Starting Quarterback Please Stand Up?
Gevani McCoy played the majority of this season as OSU's starting quarterback. McCoy was benched during the Cal game in favor of Ben Gulbranson, who started the San Jose State game. In that performance, Gulbranson made several notable mistakes (a pick six, for example) but appeared to enable the Beavers to open up the vertical passing game a bit more.
Then, Gulbranson did not travel with the team to last week's loss at Air Force due to an undisclosed injury. Gulbranson's status for this week is still yet to be determined, as Bray has made a habit of not publicly announcing players' injury status'. If the Beavs are without, Gulbranson and don't feel comfortable going with McCoy, there's also redshirt freshman Gabarri Johnson. Johnson completed nine passes on 19 attempts at Air Force for 106 yards and an interception off the bench.
Backs Against The Wall
With a 4-6 record, Oregon State find themselves in a must-win situation if they want to play postseason football. It's a monumental task for a team that seems to have lost their identity after seeing their major pieces go down with injuries throughout the course of the year. Washington State this week and Boise State next week (presumably) are/will be both ranked, a strong indicator of just how big of a challenge Bray's team is up against.
More Reading Material From Oregon State Beavers On SI
State of the Beavs: Huge Beaver Basketball Matchups This Week + Hosting Wazzu at Reser
WATCH: Trent Bray Talks Oregon State's "Disappointing" Performance At Air Force
RECAP: Oregon State Shutout By Air Force 28-0 in Fifth Straight Defeat
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Joe Londergan joined the SI brand in 2023 with G5 Football Daily. With over 15 years of experience in covering and working directly in college and pro sports, Joe's expertise has been featured in Front Office Sports, SB Nation, and XRAY.FM. He is a member of both the Football Writers' Association of America and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association. Joe holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Louisville and a master's degree in sports administration from Seattle University. Outside of his writing career, Joe enjoys golfing, although he admits that while he hits driver decently, his short game is a liability.