When the Washington State Cougars arrive in Corvallis on Saturday, they will be fighting for more than just a better bowl game.
They will be battling the Beavers for the “Pac-2” championship.
Technically, it is the Pac-12 championship. Washington State has not won a Pac-12 title since 2002 and Oregon State has not won one since 2000. No matter who wins, someone claims to be king of the Pac.
Whether or not the conference recognizes an official champion remains to be seen, though the conference doesn’t appear to have issued an official statement on whether a team will be recognized as having won the conference in 2024.
In terms of bragging rights, the winner of the Beavers vs. Cougars game will in effect, be the conference champion.
The Cougars are sporting an 8-2 record and spotted at NO. 25 in the AP poll, though not ranked by the CFP committee. They most recently lost to the New Mexico Lobos in a 38-35 shootout, with the Lobos scoring the game-winning touchdown with 21 seconds remaining.
Washington State is 2-2 on the road with three of the four games being decided by one score. Boise State won in Pullman 45-24.
The Beavers are 3-3 at home, winning two games by 17 or more points, one game by eight points, and losing two games by 11 or more points and one game by eight points.
Having lost five consecutive games, the Beavers can’t afford to let fatigue set in.
“I think these situations are always tough, and that’s part of our job, is to keep the players motivated,” tight ends coach Jon Boyer said.
The Cougars will likely rely on their passing game to carry them to victory, with starting quarterback John Mateer. He is averaging 270.7 passing yards per game while having thrown a total of 26 touchdowns and six interceptions. Mateer also has 695 rushing yards on 146 carries with 12 rushing touchdowns, and he has thrown 13 touchdowns and zero interceptions in his past four games.
The Beavers will try to use the opposite strategy; they are one of about 20 teams in FBS that have more rushing yards than passing yards. Even without running back Jam Griffin, the Beavers’ strategy the entire season has been to try and win by controlling the time of possession.
While it was not successful against Air Force last Saturday, it would keep WSU’s potent passing game off of the field, if successfully executed.
The Cougars rank 21st in total passing yards while the Beavers are 25th in total rushing yards. The outcome of the game will then appear to depend on early scoring, or potentially a lack thereof.
If Oregon State scores early, scores first, or has a two-score lead, the Beavers will be able to run the football; a lead will allow them to control the clock, which is most accomplished through running the football. They can also opt for shorter passes, which have higher chances of being completed.
If Washington State scores early, scores first, or has a two-score lead, they will put the Beavers in a position to need to pass more to tie the game. If the Beavers are trailing, especially by two or more scores, then they will need to opt for riskier, downfield passes that have lower chances of being completed.
Given the Beavers currently ranked 116th in yards per passing attempt and having thrown four passing touchdowns against nine interceptions, they will likely seek to avoid throwing the football.
The Beavers and Cougars will bring opposite strategies onto the field on Saturday, but will have the same objective: win.
The goal for the Beavers as they close out the season is simple.
“We’ve two games left, possible bowl eligibility, a lot of seniors’ last season, and a lot of people’s first time, but I mean the biggest thing for us is ‘win.’ We gotta switch this right now,” tight end Jermaine Terry said.