Oregon State Opens Week As 12 1⁄2 Point Underdogs To Colorado

After dropping four straight one-sided games since their narrow win over Portland State back in Week Two, Oregon State will yet again open another week of football as the underdog, this time around as a 12 ¹⁄₂ point challenger to Colorado, according to the Bovada-Las Vegas. The Beavers are coming off a lopsided 38-10 defeat on the road at USC, where it should be noted that that Oregon State did cover the spread for once.

The line is not all that surprising, considering that the Beavers have been supporting some heavy spreads in recent weeks with their sub-par quality of play, losing their last four contests by a average of 31.5 points per game. Against Pac-12 opponents alone this season, Oregon State has been outscored by 132-40 margin and according to ESPN, the team is ranked at the bottom of the Pac-12 Power Rankings. So what needs to change for Saturday’s showdown in Corvallis against the Buffs? It seems like that answer may be just about everything.

While Oregon State quarterback Darell Garretson looked a bit more comfortable and methodical in the pocket (at times) against the Trojans, his 16-29 game for 197 yards with 2 turnovers was painfully “vanilla” and the Beavers simply couldn’t find ways to execute the big play. Without running back Ryan Nall, USC understood the weak spots on the Beavers offense and held the team to just three points through the first three quarters. And while the offense looked uninspired, the defense tried to stake their claim but they just couldn’t hold off against an endless barrage from the star-studded Trojans offense. It was simply another frustrating week for Beaver Nation, who will have to try and find a way to victory this weekend against Colorado or face some very daunting circumstances.

As for an aforementioned Colorado squad, the Buffs come into this week’s game at 3-3 overall, after starting the 2017 campaign with three-straight victories, headlined by an opening day 17-3 win over rival Colorado State in Denver. However, after two fairly easy match-ups against Texas State and Northern Colorado, the transition to the level of Pac-12 competition hasn’t been so kind for the boys from Boulder. The Buffs were first rolled by a high-powered Washington squad and then dropped a duo of heartbreaking games to both UCLA and Arizona by a combined 7 points. That means that like Oregon State, Colorado will enter Saturday’s contest in search of their first conference victory of the season. So you’re saying there’s a chance?

If nothing else, a more manageable 12 ¹⁄₂ point line shows that this one at least has the potential to stay close and that maybe, if Oregon State can get their act together on the fly, the Beavers have a solid shot to get this season going in the right direction.

As for the particulars for the game, the contest between the Beavers and Buffs will be televised on the Pac-12 Network and is currently slated to kick-off at 1 PM PT from Reser Stadium in Corvallis.