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Stanford Football: Preview, prediction, live stream vs. Oregon State

By Connor Muldowney

PALO ALTO, CA - OCTOBER 14: Bryce Love #20 of the Stanford Cardinal is congratulated by Keller Chryst #10 after Love scored on a sixty seven yard touchdown run against the Oregon Ducks during the first quarter of the NCAA football game at Stanford Stadium on October 14, 2017 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
PALO ALTO, CA - OCTOBER 14: Bryce Love #20 of the Stanford Cardinal is congratulated by Keller Chryst #10 after Love scored on a sixty seven yard touchdown run against the Oregon Ducks during the first quarter of the NCAA football game at Stanford Stadium on October 14, 2017 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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Stanford football will travel to Corvallis to take on Oregon State in Week 9, and here’s everything you need to know.

After getting off to a nice start to the season with a blowout against Rice, Stanford football lost two straight to fall to 1-2 and it looked like any hope of a conference title or New Year’s Six bowl flew right out the window. However, that hasn’t been the case.

Four straight wins later and the Cardinal look like one of the top teams in the Pac-12 and a force to be reckoned with. Three of those four wins have been by double-digits thanks to the strong play from Heisman Trophy contender Bryce Love. The running back has 1,387 yards and 10 touchdowns on 10.3 yards per carry.

The defense hasn’t been its normal, dominant self and Keller Chryst has been inconsistent, at best. He’s been on a short leash with KJ Costello playing well.

Oregon State, on the other hand, has been one of the worst teams in college football this season. The Beavers are just 1-6 on the year and head coach Gary Anderson has been let go. This program is trending in the wrong direction with no end in sight.

Riding a five-game losing streak, the Beavers are looking to get the offense on track somehow, but that won’t be easy. In fact, they rank just 113th in the country in points per game and the offense has had a rough time moving the ball. The defense hasn’t been any better, though, ranking 117th in the country in yards allowed per game.

Here’s how to watch Thursday night’s Stanford vs. Oregon State game:

Date: Thursday, Oct. 26
Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
Location: Corvallis, Ore.
Venue: Reser Stadium
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN

Keys to Victory

For Stanford to come away with a victory here, it needs to avoid the dreaded trap. Looking ahead to next week against Washington State will only bite this team, so staying focused on Oregon State, despite the fact that it is Oregon State, will be more important than anything else. Also, keeping Bryce Love going on the ground will be vital.

Oregon State needs to just hope and pray for a mammoth upset. The Beavers were able to play Colorado tough even after losing Anderson, but the Cardinal are a different story. In order to pull off the upset, Love must be stopped in the run game. If they can somehow hold him under 100 yards, there’s a chance the Beavers could keep it close — within a couple of scores.

Next: NFL Mock Draft 2018: First round after Week 8

Prediction

This one might get pretty ugly. While Oregon State isn’t the worst team in the FBS, the Beavers are reeling just as bad as anyone. The line is just 21 in favor of the Cardinal, but I expect them to cover. Bryce Love will add to his Heisman campaign with 200-plus rushing yards and Keller Chryst won’t even need to pass the ball, but when he does, it’ll result in chunk plays. This one will be over by halftime.

Final Score: Stanford 45, Oregon State 13

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