Why Oregon Should Worry: Vegas Pac 12 Predictions Week 8
Saturday Blitz Vegas Pac 12 Predictions Week 8
No. 20 Utah Utes at Oregon State Beavers
Line: Utah by 2.5
This is an exciting Thursday night Pac-12 game that you won’t want to tune out. The Utes have been proving they can win in the Power Five finally, and they have been doing it like Stanford and Washington. They’ve used smash-mouth football with Devontae Booker and efficient quarterback play. Booker is the key to victory again for the Utes. Utah needs to stick with him against the Beavers on the road to keep that Oregon State passing game off the field. Keeping drives alive is the ultimate key, as is playing tough defense. If the Utes can force Sean Mannion and Oregon State into only having a few drives to do anything, they’ve been inconsistent enough this year that it would work to Utah’s favor. And as a team, they have gotten to this point playing that way and should be undefeated. No need to change.
Oregon State, meanwhile, needs to focus on protecting Sean Mannion and allowing him to throw the ball all over the field. The passing game has been pretty good this year, but it was expected to be great. To do that, the line needs to protect better and allow Mannion to do what he’s capable of doing. Remember that the Utes had a fourth-quarter collapse against Mike Leach’s air raid offense, so if Mannion can air it out, the Beavers have a chance. Then their defense has to step up, which it hasn’t done the past two weeks. That’s going to be the biggest key to the game. If it can stop the run, Oregon State wins. If not, they lose.
Prediction
Oregon State has had trouble at times on defense this year, and Utah will focus on playing its own style of football. But we are confident that at home, the Beavers will be able to stop the run just enough and air it out with Mannion to pull out a win. Oregon State pulls off an exciting home upset in a great Thursday night setting.
Oregon State: 27 Utah: 24