No. 12 Oregon is set for their fourth consecutive ranked match up as the Ducks travel to Pullman, Washington to face the No. 25 ranked Washington State Cougars. The Ducks will try to stop the Cougars streak as Washington State has beat the Ducks in the last three meetings, including a uncharastic 6 rushing touchdown 2016 win in Pullman. Oregon can grab a huge advantage in the pac-12 North division with a win over Washington State but the Ducks do not hold control their destiny. Stanford, who beat the Ducks in week 4, hold the tiebreaker with the head to head win over Oregon. To prepare for the week, both teams athletic communication staffs have released a number of game notes with key statistics and information about the matchups. Other details from the game notes include that the game will be broadcast nationally on Fox at 4:30pm PT with Tim Brando, Spencer Tillman and Holly Sonders on the call. Here are some of the key details that stood out from both the Oregon and Washington State game notes:<doc-sep>The matchup between the Washington State Cougars and Oregon Ducks that will be featured by ESPN’s College GameDay this weekend just got a little sexier: The Cougs are ranked for the first time this season, debuting in the Associated Press poll at No. 25. They also are ranked No. 23 in the USA Today coaches poll. The Ducks, meanwhile, jumped five spots to No. 12 after their overtime win against the Washington Huskies on Saturday. The Cougars, of course, didn’t play this weekend, and they benefited from losses by the previously No. 16 Miami Hurricanes, No. 19 Colorado Buffaloes and No. 21 Auburn Tigers. This is the fourth consecutive season in which WSU has been ranked in the AP poll, the first time that has happened in program history. This will be the first time WSU and Oregon have met as ranked teams since 2003, when the No. 21 Cougars whipped the No. 10 Ducks 55-16 at Autzen Stadium. Perhaps history can repeat itself at Martin Stadium. It’s already a pretty good bet that the Cougars won’t be intimidated given their three-game win streak over the Ducks. The only other ranked Pac-12 team is the Washington Huskies, which dropped eight spots to No. 15 after their loss.<doc-sep>Timothy J. Gonzalez/Associated Press Oregon won eight in a row in the rivalry with Washington State into 2015, but the Cougars are 3-0 straight-up over the last three seasons against the Ducks and 8-0 against the spread over the last eight meetings. Who's the smart bet for this Pac-12 North showdown Saturday afternoon in Pullman? College football point spread: The Cougars opened as two-point favorites, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report) College football betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 33.8-30.4 Ducks (College football picks on every game) Check out the OddsShark podcast on iTunes or Spotify or at OddsShark.libsyn.com for more odds information, betting picks and a breakdown of this week’s top sports betting news. Why the Oregon Ducks can cover the spread Oregon is 2-0 both SU and ATS its last two times out following its 30-27 overtime upset victory over Washington last week. Video Play Button Videos you might like In a back-and-forth affair, the Ducks led 3-0, trailed 10-3 and 17-10, rallied to lead 24-17 before surviving a missed Huskies field-goal attempt at the regulation buzzer. Oregon then won the game by holding Washington to a field goal in the top of the overtime and scoring a touchdown in the bottom. In an evenly matched game, the Ducks held a 24-22 edge in first downs, converted on nine-of-18 third-down situations and three-of-three fourth-down situations. They also had two timeouts left near the end to ice the Huskies kicker, and it worked. Oregon has now outgained and outrushed five of its six opponents this season. Why the Washington State Cougars can cover the spread Washington State also owns a two-game winning streak and reached 6-0 ATS on the season after beating Oregon State in Corvallis two weeks ago 56-37. The Cougars then enjoyed last week off. WSU drove the opening possession of the game against the Beavers 75 yards to a touchdown, then blocked a punt and returned it for a score a minute later for a 14-0 lead. The Cougars later trailed early in the third quarter 30-28 but used a 28-0 run to retake control and hung on for the cover as 18-point favorites. Washington State amassed 530 yards of offense, as quarterback Gardner Minshew hit on 30 of 40 throws for 430 yards and five touchdowns, without an interception. The Cougars also finished seven-for-11 on third downs and two-for-two on fourth downs. Washington State has now outgained all six of its opponents this season. Smart betting pick Oregon is coming off a big effort last week against a big-time rival and might be ripe for a letdown. The Ducks are also a little banged up along the offensive line. Washington State, on the other hand, is coming off its bye week. The smart money here plays the Cougars. College football betting trends Oregon is 0-8 ATS in its last eight games versus Washington State. The total has gone over in 11 of Oregon's last 15 games versus Washington State. Washington State is 8-0 ATS in its last eight games at home. All college football odds and betting trends according to Bleacher Report's official odds partner, OddsShark. Check out OddsShark on Twitter and Instagram or head to YouTube for more betting picks and analysis on this week's top games. You can also download the free odds tracker app.<doc-sep>Oregon football is still riding high after Saturday’s huge win over Washington. This puts the Ducks one step closer to a Pac-12 North title, while also putting the team in the AP Top 15 for the first time since 2015. Many have started proclaiming Oregon football as “back.” Still, Oregon needs to shift its focus for its upcoming road trip to Pullman against Washington State. The Cougars have been one of the most underrated teams in the Pac-12 over the last few years and have had Oregon’s number. The Ducks have fallen to the Cougars three seasons in a row, including two games at Autzen Stadium. Oregon may have more talent on the roster, but Washington State has plenty of impact players looking to make a mark on this game. James Williams Not only is Williams leading the team in rushing, but he’s also been a threat on the receiving end as well. Williams is second on the team in receptions, and has been extremely effective on short yardage plays for the Cougars. It’s a good thing for Williams that he’s found a role in the receiving game, because the Washington State offense gives him fewer opportunities to succeed than most running backs. Despite the low number of attempts, Williams has a solid average so far. He’s averaging 4.1 yards per carry, and has broken into the endzone off the rush five times. Adding his three receiving touchdowns makes him the roster’s leading scorer. He hasn’t been the biggest name on the roster this season, but he has the potential to be the one who takes down an opposing team quietly. Darrien Molton Overall, Washington State has a strong pass defense, currently ranked in the top 10 nationally, and Molton has been one of the top standouts. He’s one of five players on the roster to have intercepted a pass this season, while also leading the team in passes defended. The four year starter is one of the most experienced players on the roster, which definitely contributes to why he’s been so effective. Washington wasn’t able to shut down Justin Herbert last week, but the Cougars will attempt to do so on Saturday. The pass defense will be essential for a Washington State because of the reliance Oregon has on Herbert’s arm. Molton will likely be tasked with covering Dillon Mitchell, who’s been Oregon’s leading receiver this season. Gardner Minshew There were a lot skeptics regarding how Washington State would respond to losing the Pac-12’s all-time passing leader Luke Falk to graduation over the offseason. A good quarterback is essential in making Mike Leach’s air raid offense work. It was obvious that East Carolina transfer Gardner Minshew would have big shoes to fill, but his tenure so far has been a success. Through six games, Minshew is leading the country in passing yards, attempts and completions, while also ranking in the top 15 in touchdowns and completion percentage. These stats are equally impressive when noting that most of the other players around the top of the leaderboards have played seven games. This, along with the fact that he’s only thrown four interceptions, puts him among the top quarterbacks in the Pac-12. Oregon’s secondary will have to work extra hard this week to keep him down. Peyton Pelluer Another experienced member of Washington State’s defense has been arguably the Cougars’ best. The linebacker in his sixth year of eligibility is leading the team in tackles by far with 50, which is 14 more than the next highest player. He’s yet to force any turnovers this season, but he’s been an anchor to a defense that ranks in the top 15 nationally. Pelluer has also had little trouble getting into the backfield with 2 sacks on the year, along with 4.5 tackles for loss. Oregon’s offensive line has been able to hold most teams at bay so far, but a player of his caliber could be tough for the team to contain. Davontavean Martin When a team runs one of the most efficient passing offense in the country, it’s sure to have some receivers with big numbers as well. Martin is second in the Pac-12 in both receptions and receiving touchdowns, while also ranking near the top in receiving yards as well. Washington State does a pretty good job at distributing its passes, with five players on the roster with over 20 receptions so far, but Martin has clearly been the one to look out for. Oregon’s secondary has strung together a couple of solid performances in a row, and if the team can shut down Martin, that streak will likely continue. Jalen Thompson The junior safety has been one of the most versatile players on the roster. Just a season ago, he was the team leader in tackles, and is still among the top five this season. He’s also been the best player at forcing turnovers this year, as the only player on the roster to have at least one interception and a forced fumble. He’s been a little behind pace with his sophomore statistics, but he’s still been one of the best defenders on the Washington State roster. He remains part of a secondary that is one of the best in the country and has the ability to shut down Oregon’s offense in multiple ways.<doc-sep>
Washington state football fans knew that Saturday’s game against Oregon was important. After UO’s big win over UW, it became a battle for first place in the PAC-12 North. Next Saturday’s showdown with the Oregon Ducks already had Washington State football fans excited. Then the Ducks beat Washington yesterday. On a scale of one to ten, as Nigel Tufnel of Spinal Tap might say, “this one goes to 11.” We are going to look at how this game affects the conference, team, and a few individuals as well. PAC-12 Should the Cougars win on Saturday, they are in the driver’s seat of the PAC-12 North Division. Additionally, they control their own destiny from that game forward. As long as they keep winning (which won’t be easy), Washington State can go as far as the poll voter’s take them. Even as far as the College Football playoffs. The PAC-12 administration, especially general counsel Woodie Dixon, and commissioner Larry Scott are reeling after this week’s targeting controversy that may have cost WSU a win against Southern California. If I’m a PAC-12 Conference bigwig, I’m rooting for whoever Washington State plays and hope that WSU loses at least two more games. That way they can tell everyone that the Cougars 39-36 loss to USC didn’t affect the conference championship picture. Washington State Five of the Cougars next six games are against teams that are either now or were in the top-25 within the past month, Oregon, Stanford, Cal, Colorado, and Washington. Beating Oregon on Saturday serves notice that Washington State is a PAC-12 contender and that they can defeat very good football teams. This game will have lots of interest in both the PAC-12 and nationally. There are two quarterbacks that can air it out leading a pair of explosive offenses. It may turn out to be one of the more watched games in its time slot because, outside of the SEC, the only other big team playing is second-ranked Ohio State against mediocre Purdue. Washington State finally gets a big-time spotlight. Mike Leach Not only does this game serve as a “hey remember me” opportunity for Mike Leach on the national stage, but it could also provide a huge boost to the Washington State football program. As mentioned earlier, this game will have lots of “eyes” on it. A win or even a very good showing will make an impact on recruits. Mike Leach is an offensive innovator. It’s almost guaranteed that he’ll pull out a few gadget plays on Saturday. There will be some high profile recruits that, once introduced to the “Air Raid” offense, will want to be part of it. There is an opportunity to make an impact, not only this week but several years down the road. Gardner Minshew Emerald City Swagger’s College Football Roundtable this month asked if Gardner Minshew II is a legitimate Heisman Trophy Candidate. The reaction as expected was mixed. Saturday’s game is a chance for him to be seen by the voters. Oregon has a high-end pass rush. If Minshew can handle it with the same poise he has shown so far this season, people will be impressed. As a matter of fact, if Washington State keeps winning, he’ll get more national television appearances. Not only will he be seen by Heisman voters, but NFL scouts will also get a better look at the graduate transfer gunslinger. A string of good performances on a national stage may get him selected in the 2019 draft. What team doesn’t want a six-foot, two-inch, accurate quarterback, with a big arm and fearless in the pocket? ﻿ To sum up, this game is important on many levels.