The Pac-12 race is starting to harden around the two teams at the top, and Oregon State keeps applying pressure on No. 21 Boise State from just behind. The Beavers are 5-2 overall and 3-0 in league play after a 48-30 home win over Washington State on Saturday, while Boise State sat idle last week and stays ahead for now.
That gap gets tested on Nov. 14, when Oregon State travels to Boise State. Until then, both teams have business in front of them: the Beavers are on bye this week, and the Broncos head to Washington State.
Boise State entered the week climbing two spots in the AP Poll during its bye, and the schedule sets up well before the Oregon State meeting. Dylan Riley continues to put up huge numbers, ranking No. 4 nationally in rushing with 835 yards and six touchdowns.
Oregon State’s latest performance was all about control. The Beavers jumped on Washington State early, building a 27-3 first-half lead and then easing home from there. Braden Atkinson now leads FBS in passing by nearly 600 yards, and Jesse Legree remains the nation’s top receiver with 46 catches for 1,040 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Behind the top two, Texas State sits third in these rankings, and the numbers explain why. The offense is producing at a national level across several categories, and running back Torrance Burgess Jr. delivered another brutal outing against Colorado State with 224 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Texas State rolled 66-27 in that one.
San Diego State follows after a strange start to Pac-12 play. The Aztecs have beaten Texas State and Fresno State, but they also absorbed a 52-point loss to Oregon State, leaving their résumé full of extremes. They return this week to face Colorado State on Saturday.
Colorado State, meanwhile, is trying to steady itself after back-to-back losses to teams in this group. The Rams fell 38-31 at home to Boise State before dropping a 26-23 game at San Diego State.
Utah State picked up a win over Washington State before its bye and now gets a tougher assignment, a home date with Texas State on Saturday.
New Mexico State rounds out the group after its 48-30 loss at Oregon State. Even in defeat, quarterback Owen Eshelman gave the offense a boost, giving the Cougars something to build on as they host Boise State this weekend.
In Other News...
Oregon State Fans Have A Real Reason To Worry About Braden Atkinson
The transfer portal always turns November and December into a nervous stretch for programs with breakout quarterbacks, and Oregon State has a very real name to monitor in Braden Atkinson. The sophomore has already established himself as one of the most productive passers in the country this season, the kind of player who naturally starts drawing attention once the conversation shifts from what a team has now to what someone else might try to take.
That anxiety only grows because the next portal cycle arrives after the 2026 season, when Power Four schools will be ready to pounce on proven talent. Atkinson still has plenty of football ahead of him in Corvallis, but his combination of production and upside puts him in the same category as other high-end players who are expected to attract heavy interest if they decide to test the market. For the Beavers, the challenge is as much about keeping a rising quarterback in place as it is about building around him. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon State's Offense Looked Dangerous But One Concern Isn't Going Away
Oregon States 48-30 win over Washington State at Reser Stadium gave the Beavers plenty to feel good about on offense, where the ball kept moving and the big plays kept arriving in waves. AJ Newberry and Takari Hickle were part of the attack that helped Oregon State pull away, and the overall result fit the kind of performance the Beavers needed as they try to build momentum through the back half of the season.
Even so, one issue from the day is not going anywhere, and it showed up in a spot Oregon State cant afford to ignore. The defense was already navigating a cornerback situation that has tested its depth, and the matchup again underscored how thin that area can look when the Beavers are forced to lean heavily on the players still standing. The offense may have made the afternoon comfortable, but the secondary remains a different kind of concern. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Fans Have Every Right To Hate This AP Ranking
The AP poll has given Oregon State a boost, but the case for the Beavers inside the Top 25 has been easy to question. Their rsum looks thinner than it does for several teams around them, with the kind of wins that usually separate a solid season from a ranked one still hard to find. For a program coming out of the Group of Six, that sort of skepticism tends to travel quickly, especially when the conversation turns to who has earned the benefit of the doubt.
Boise State has become part of that comparison, too, because the Broncos have also put together a five-game streak while still sitting lower in the poll. That contrast is hard to ignore for Notre Dame fans and just about anyone else trying to judge the bracket of teams hovering around the back end of the rankings. Oregon State may keep stacking wins, but the bigger question is whether the AP is seeing a real contender or simply rewarding a record that has yet to be tested in the right way. [Read more 🡒]