Oregon State (1-1 Pac-10, 3-0 overall) at No. 18 California (2-1 Pac-10, 5-1 overall) — 3:30 p.m. — ABC
To teams in the Pac-10, defense is merely an inconvenience. It’s definitely not Big Ten football — neither of these teams could ever be accused of being too conservative offensively. The Golden Bears are coming off a 47-40 loss to UCLA, while Oregon State beat Washington State 44-33 last week. With the lack of defense, the game will come down to whoever has the ball last. California is a great running team, but the Beavers are known for their aerial attack. The Golden Bears have a nice one-two punch at running back with Justin Forsett and Marshawn Lynch — the problem comes when they try and throw the ball. Jeff Tedford may be known as a quarterback guru, but California quarterback Joseph Ayoob looks just like Tedford’s protégés (a la Joey Harrington) do at the pro level — not very good. The Golden Bears have a dynamic freshman receiver by the name of DeSean Jackson, but Ayoob’s difficulties have made getting Jackson the ball a problem. Oregan State’s Matt Moore has had a solid season so far, and the Beavers have had no trouble throwing the ball, and things should be no different against a suspect California secondary. The Golden Bears will ride their running game to victory at home, but the scoreboard operator better be ready for a workout.
California 48, Oregon State 44
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